Students help win robbery appeal

Law students used the case as training

A man who spent six years in jail for robbery has had his conviction overturned after a group of law students took up the case.

The students from the University of Northumbria in Newcastle took up Alex Allan's case as part of their studies.

Mr Allan, who was convicted for taking part in a post office robbery, first contacted the university after his release from jail in 1997.

Speaking after the conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal, he said: "I can't believe it. It is 11 years out of my life and I am just so relieved it is all over.

I feel as though we have made a huge contribution to finally getting justice for Mr Allan

Susan Hirst, student

"There is no way I could have done this without the help of the students."

Mr Alan, who now works as a welder in Southampton, took advantage of a free legal advice service offered by Northumbria University.

It is part of the law students training programme.

For the last four years, two final-year students have each spent a year working on the appeal.

Alleged confession

Mr Allan, from Byker in Newcastle, was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison in 1991 because of an alleged confession he made to police.

He maintained he had never confessed to being involved.

After being granted legal aid to pursue the appeal, the students, along with lecturer Kevin Kerrigan, made an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission which then referred it to the Court of Appeal.

The case was taken on by leading London criminal lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC.

Mr Kerrigan said: "We take cases on if they have an educational value to students."

Susan Hirst, one of the students working on the case, said: "I feel as though we have made a huge contribution to finally getting justice for Mr Allan and learned a huge amount about the legal system along the way."