The appellant was an illegal immigrant from Jamaica. He had been acting as a police informer. He came to be convicted of murder. He complained that his lawyers had not been told of his role, and the information he had supplied to the police about a relative of a prosecution witness, giving her a motive to lie. During intervals of the investigation process he was also in contact with his police handlers. There was a suggestion that an earlier discontinuance had been at the instigation of another police branch. The crown argued there could be no duty on the prosecution to disclose to the defence matters within the defendant’s own knowledge.
Held: The duty of disclosure is now as set out in the 1996 Act. However the evidence even without this witness, whose evidence had in any event largely been discredited, remained overwhelming. Appeal dismissed.
Judges:
Lord Justice Mantell, Mr Justice Bennett, And, Mr Justice Mccombe
Citations:
[2002] EWCA Crim 272
Links:
Statutes:
Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 3
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Regina v Langley CACD 21-Mar-2001
. .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Criminal Practice, Police
Updated: 24 October 2022; Ref: scu.167625