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Friday July 18

Court quashes teenage murder verdict

Patricia Wynn Davies

A teenager jailed for murdering a policeman when he was 100 yards away walked free yesterday after a "joint enterprise" murder conviction was overturned by the House of Lords.

Philip English, now 19, had been convicted of stabbing Sergeant Bill Forth to death in Gateshead even though he had been chased away by police, was under arrest and in handcuffs.

While the five law lords will give the reasons for the landmark ruling at a later date, it is believed the case will set new parameters for the law of "joint enterprise", which saw Derek Bentley executed in 1953 for the murder of a policeman carried out by someone else. But while Bentley - whose family's posthumous bid to clear his name is with the Criminal Cases Review Commission - cried out "let him have it" to his accomplice, Philip English was not even in sight of the crime.

The fatal stabbing was carried out by Paul Weddle, then aged 25, after Sgt Forth was called to an incident at the home of Weddle's former girlfriend. The court heard Weddle and Mr English, then a 15-year-old schoolboy, set about the sergeant with pieces of fencing. After Mr English ran off and was caught around the corner, Weddle produced a small knife and stabbed Sgt Forth to death.

Mr English said at his trial in 1994 that he did not know Weddle had a knife and had never intended that Sgt Forth should suffer serious harm. He was convicted of murder on a 10-2 majority. The prosecution argued that even if he did run off, English remained a party to the agreement to the attack and was liable for what Weddle did.

The teenager's relieved stepmother, Mandy English, said: "Thank God common sense has applied today."

But Sgt Forth's widow, Gill Merrin, said: "I feel that Bill has been let down by the British justice system."

Adrian Clarke, Mr English's solicitor, called for a clarification of the law.


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Later Story: Adams calls for new IRA ceasefire
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