Justice for Siôn Jenkins – Campaign News

The campaign came into existence shortly after Siôn Jenkins was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the summer of 1998. He was granted leave to apppeal against his conviction. In December 1999 the appeal was dismissed, and in January 2000 Siôn Jenkins was refused leave to take his case to the House of Lords. An appeal has now been lodged at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Supporters come from all over Great Britain, and from overseas.

Their numbers are continually growing. They are of all ages and from varied social backgrounds.

They are linked by a common concern that the truth about the case must be heard.

There have been regular mailings to members of the support group to inform them of developments and bring news of Siôn Jenkins’ situation in prison. He has received hundreds of cards and letters of encouragement from people concerned with his welfare.

In one area of the country, wellwishers have started collecting signatures in support of Siôn Jenkins. To date, more than two thousand people have signed.

Supporters sent many cards and letters to Siôn Jenkins in HMP Pentonville where he was held during the appeal. He has continued to receive many messages of encouragement since his return to Wakefield.

There has been a surge of new support group members since the attempt to take the case to the House of Lords was turned down and the conflict of interest involving one of the appeal judges became public knowledge. The unease felt by many has hardened into disbelief and serious concern, particularly after what emerged in the BBC’s Trail of Guilt programme about police handling of this case.

• Since the programme was screened a number of specialists have come forward to offer their expertise. Their concern was triggered by the implausible version of events presented in the programme.Their only interest is the truth.

• Members of the general public have been very disturbed by the undisclosed conflict of interest which has been exposed.They have written, and continue to write letters to their MPs
• Concerns have been expressed to the Lord Chancellor’s office about the judges’ failure to disclose possible bias.

The case of Siôn Jenkins can only undermine public confidence in the workings of the criminal justice system.

Since the verdict, articles about the case have appeared in the following national publications:

1. 15 September 1999: A Trial and Error TV programme about the case was shown on Channel 4 . Click here for further details. The ‘New Evidence’ link below leads to a detailed account of the programme’s content. Since the screening of the programme, many messages of support have been sent to this website.

2. 14 January 2000: Channel 4 news featured an account ot the revelation that Mr. Justice Penry Davey has continuing links with William Parker School. This connection was known by Mr. Justice Kennedy, but until it was raised by the defence in court, it was never declared.

3. 18 January 2000 : Trail Of Guilt Special. BBC1This programme presented the police version of their efforts to prove that Siôn Jenkins committed the murder. The film was a blend of narrative and opinion, designed not to inform, but to entertain. Click here for further details.

4. 20 April 2000: Following the Mirror article, HTV and Meridian ran features about the website. Although they inaccurately presented the website as being newly launched, a representative of the support group was interviewed and was able to explain its real purpose.

   Following his failed appeal Siôn Jenkins remains in Wakefield prison while the struggle for justice continues.

   The appeal hearing began on Tuesday 30 November and ended on Monday 13 December. During that time Siôn Jenkins was held in HMP Pentonville.

   The following Monday he was brought back to London.He spent the night in Pentonville before appearing in court on Tuesday 21 December. He was actually in the courtroom for no more than two minutes before the abrupt announcement that his appeal had been dismissed.

   In view of the seriousness of the situation, the response from the Hastings police contingent in court was disturbing. Jeremy Paine turned, smiled up at the upper gallery, nodded in apparent confirmation, and winked at someone. Paine is the police officer whose media fame derives from his involvement with the case. His subsequent prompt performance in front of the waiting television cameras outside echoed the self-justifying tone of his comments at the time of the conviction.

   Siôn Jenkins was at once taken back to Wakefield, where he spent a second Christmas separated from his loved ones.

   On 14 January 2000 the three judges who dismissed the appeal refused permission for the case to be taken to the House of Lords.

   The case has now been taken to the European Courts.

   The time has come for this clear miscarriage of justice to be righted, for the truth to be upheld , and for Siôn Jenkins to be given back his freedom and his life.

   A question of basic human rights..

   Immediately after the hearing ended on 13 December Siôn Jenkins started the journey back to Wakefield. The journey lasted nearly eight hours. He was given a sandwich in the early afternoon. The prison van reached Leeds at 8pm. By that time Wakefield Prison was closed. Siôn Jenkins spent the night at a police station in Leeds, where the bed was a wooden bench with a single blanket. He was not given any food. He returned to Wakefield prison on Tuesday morning.

   Siôn Jenkins was brought to London from Wakefield on Monday 20 December – a journey which took most of the day. The following morning he was given no breakfast at Pentonville prison before being taken to the court. He was refused the use of his razor, and had to go into the court without shaving in spite of his requests to be able to do so.

   After his brief court appearance he set off back to Wakefield. He was given a sandwich for the journey. By the time the prison van reached Wakefield the prison kitchens had closed, and he had nothing to eat until the next day.

   Siôn Jenkins’ experiences are in no way unique. Other prisoners are regularly suffering similar indignities. In a society which claims to be civilised and humane, how can treatment like this be justified?

   A paradox :

   Justice and the law are not always synonymous.

   The legal system works on the assumption that it is infalliable. A convicted prisoner who denies guilt is penalised for refusing to address his / her offending behaviour.

   For someone who is, truly, innocent, where is justice to be found ?

   See latest news for recent developments.