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Silcott appeal rejected

01 January 1994

Winston Silcott, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of boxer Anthony Smith in 1984, has had his application to have the case referred back to the Court of Appeal rejected by Home Secretary, Michael Howard. Silcott's lawyers had submitted a dossier of new evidence, including eye witness accounts, that claimed that he had acted in self-defence after Smith attacked him with a knife. A Home Office spokesman said that Silcott's claim that he had acted in self-defence had been taken into account and that the new witnesses were unreliable. Silcott was convicted of the murder of PC Keith Blakelock following the Broadwater Farm riots in north London in 1985. The rioting was provoked by the death of Cynthia Jarrett following a police raid on her home on the estate. His conviction, and that of two others, was quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1991 after the police had been found to use oppressive measures in interviewing juveniles to get evidence against him.

In a separate case, 66-year old Beverley Scott and her two sons, Stafford and Millard, received "substantial damages" from the Metropolitan police after they were racially abused and assaulted by armed police officers who raided their house in Tottenham, north London eleven days after the Broadwater Farm riots. Stafford, who worked for the Broadwater Farm Youth Association and was vocal in speaking out in defence of the community, was told that he was being arrested for the murder of PC Blakelock and rioting. He was held incommunicado for 36 hours and alleged that he had been assaulted and racially abused by officers. His brother, Millard, was charged with obstructing a police officer, but was acquitted after arguing that the evidence against him was fabricated.

Guardian 22.12.93; 21.1.94.