Killer believes Russell case will be reviewed

Oct 2 2007 Western Mail

DOUBLE killer Michael Stone is “confident” Appeal Court judges will re-examine his case over the murders of Lin and Megan Russell, his sister said yesterday.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission is reviewing his file to determine whether his case should be referred back to the Court of Appeal.

A CCRC case review manager has been allocated to examine whether there is any new evidence or any doubt over the safety of Stone’s convictions.

Stone, 46, has embarked on a lengthy legal crusade to clear his name, after being originally convicted in 1998 of killing Dr Russell, 45, and six-year-old Megan and the attempted murder of Megan’s sister, Josie, who now lives in Bangor, where she will study art and design at university.

Appeal Court judges quashed the original convictions in February 2001 and a retrial was ordered. But in October that year, Stone was again convicted after a trial at Nottingham Crown Court, and his three life sentences were re-imposed.

Stone, an unemployed drug addict who was known to the police, continues to protest his innocence.

In 2005 he appealed again against his convictions, claiming he did not receive a fair trial and was framed by another prisoner, but his challenge was rejected.

Stone’s sister, Barbara Stone, said her brother was confident the CCRC will now find enough evidence to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal.

She said yesterday, “Mick is feeling quite hopeful that this time the case will go to the appeal court, because the CCRC will be able to have all the available evidence in front of them.

“My view is that there was not enough evidence to safely convict Mick, and that’s a view he shares as well. He is feeling confident that the case will be referred.”

Josie, who was nine at the time, was found with massive head injuries in a copse in Chillenden, Kent, next to the bodies of her mother, sister and the family dog.

She miraculously survived and was later able to tell police officers what she could remember about the attack. The murders happened as the family walked home from school on a country lane in 1996.

In October 2001, Stone was given three life sentences after he was convicted for a second time at Nottingham Crown Court.

Stone was convicted on the evidence of Damien Daley, who admitted on the stand that he had lied about his drug-taking exploits at the first trial in 1998.

Daley said Stone confessed to the murders at Canterbury prison.

Ms Stone said, “I believe the fact that Damien Daley has been proven to be a person who tells untruths will render Mick’s convictions unsafe.”

The CCRC said the timescale for examining the case could be from a “few months to years”.

A solicitor for the Russell family said they had faith that “justice will out”.