(799) LUKE MITCHELL APPEAL REFUSED

More than three years since his original conviction for murdering his girl friend Jodi Jones (see No 425), Luke Mitchell’s appeal was refused by the Court of Criminal Appeal on 16 May 2008. Like the Nat Fraser case ten days earlier (see No 792), the decision of the court was recorded by TV cameras and can be viewed on the BBC News website. The appeal was refused despite the court’s severe criticism of the “deplorable” way in which the police conducted interviews with Mitchell, the judges finding that there was nevertheless sufficient evidence to justify the conviction. A spokesperson for the police was reported as saying that the criticisms were receiving consideration, but that “this was a grave crime and our thoughts are with the [Jones] family at this time.” So were those of the Solicitor General Frank Mulholland QC, who commented in the now usual Crown Office press release formula that "The decision of the appeal court will be a comfort to Jodi's family that justice has been done. Our thoughts remain with Jodi's family at this time."