A MAN who was beaten into signing a false confession which led to a conviction for murder has been released from Leyland's Garth prison after 14 years behind bars.
Trevor Campbell, 34, was wrongly convicted for stabbing a pensioner to death in 1985. His conviction was ruled unsafe by the Appeal Court last week.
Trevor is seeking £500,000 compensation for a conviction based on evidence collated by the now disbanded West Midlands Serious Crime Squad.
Speaking as he was released from Garth, he said: "I feel like a nervous wreck, but I'm on top of the world. I wouldn't let the bitterness consume me otherwise I'd never have survived in jail.
"Without the support of my family and lawyer I could never have got through this.
"Now I've got to relax and cool down. It's been a long time coming, but justice has finally been done."
He added: "Police treated me like a terrorist, yet I'd done nothing.
"They beat and kicked me and called me names because I was black. I still pass blood because of damage to my kidneys."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article