CCRC Refers Case of George Griffiths – Third Oval Four Conviction

Mr Griffiths was convicted along with three other men at the Old Bailey on 8th November 1972. All four were convicted of assaulting a police officer and attempted theft. Mr Christie was also convicted of the theft of a police woman’s handbag. The four men became known as the Oval Four. On 14th October, the CCRC referred the convictions of two of the Oval Four co-defendants, Mr Winston Trew and Mr Sterling Christie, to the Court of Appeal on the basis of the misconduct of an officer involved in the case. More details of the case and the reasons for the CCRC referral are set out here. Mr Griffiths, who has lived abroad for a number of years, learned through media coverage of the Commission’s referral of his co-defendants and contacted the CCRC through journalist Duncan Campbell who wrote about the case for The Guardian newspaper.

The Commission has decided to refer Mr Griffiths’ case for appeal because it believes there is a real possibility that the Court of Appeal will quash his conviction. As in the cases of his co-defendants, the referral is made on the basis of new evidence and arguments concerning the integrity of DS Ridgewell including: ·the conviction of DS Ridgewell in 1978. · the successful appeal of Mr Simmons (R v Simmons [2018] EWCA Crim 114) on a referral by the CCRC and observations of the Lord Chief Justice in that judgment. ·The quashing of the conviction of Mr Hasan (R v Hasan, Peterkin, Campbell and Ogunshola, 13 January 1978) which raised concerns about the credibility of DS Ridgewell. Mr Griffiths was not legally represented during his application to the CCRC.