By Gabriel Princewill-
Lawyers representing Jason Moore(pictured) have filed papers urging the overturning of his murder conviction in a case that has been marred by controversy since its inception.
Jason Moore, 53, currently serving a life sentence for the 2005 murder of Robert Darby in an East London pub car park maintains his innocence.
With the surfacing of new evidence suggesting a potential miscarriage of justice, many have joined the protest of his innocence, including several retired detectives from the Metropolitan police and a local bishop.
The application, submitted to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), centers around an audio recording obtained by Newsquest.
The safety of the murder conviction has been brought into question ever since it emerged that star eyewitness in Jason’s case, Abdul Ahmed, was recorded admitting he was “drunk” and might have a faulty memory, casting doubt on the reliability of his testimony.
The CCRC has confirmed the receipt of the application but refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation.
The group were accompanied by the Rt. Rev Joanne Grenfell, Bishop of Stepney, as they attended Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s home to turn in the petition.
Last week, the families of Jason Moore and Robert Darby visited 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition calling for Jason’s release which has been signed by more than 1,700.
Jason Moore’s 2013 conviction for the murder of Robert Darby has long been a source of unease. The conviction was primarily based on an identification by Abdul Ahmed, who picked Jason out of a photo line-up seven years after the crime.
Notably, there was no forensic evidence or CCTV linking Jason to the murder, and witness descriptions did not align with Jason’s physical appearance.
Ahmed described the assailant as 5’10” with a shaved head, wearing a blue zip-up sports jacket – details that did not match Jason’s 6’4″ frame, long hair, and the attire he was wearing at the time of the incident.
Furthermore, it was revealed earlier this year that Ahmed identified Jason only after being shown his photograph in a prior photo line-up by the police.
Moore acknowledged that Darby, who had been on a four-day cocaine binge before his death, had previously threatened him and has never denied he was in the car park of the Valentine pub in Gants Hill, east London, when the stabbing occurred, but claimed he was in a vehicle.
However, the witness, who initially picked out a volunteer who looked nothing like Moore, then chose Moore in another identity parade eight years later.
He told a journalist at the Romford Recorder: “It was the blink of the eye! I was passing by! How could you remember things like that? And I was drunk!”
The witness said he told police at the time that he was drunk yet this was never disclosed to the court or the defence.
The only other witness did not pick Moore out of an identity parade and did not say she had seen anyone exiting a car. Yet in its statement of reasons for refusing the case, the CCRC said the two witnesses “agreed” it was the front seat passenger who attacked Derby.
Mark Bowen of Shearman Bowen law firm, representing Jason Moore pro bono, stated, “We are trying to persuade the CCRC to expedite the application process,” highlighting the urgency in reevaluating the case and rectifying any potential miscarriage of justice.
Steve Hobbs, a retired Met detective superintendent who led over 200 murder investigations, has been working on the case largely pro bono for the private detective agency TM Eye.
He produced a 46-page dossier detailing flaws in the evidence against Moore in 2021 that was submitted to the CCRC.
His comprehensive report concluded that the conviction was “completely unsafe” and that the issues raised amounted to a “compelling trend of evidence and intelligence that suggest Jason Moore did not stab Robert Darby”.
But Hobbs said he was never contacted by the CCRC to discuss his investigation before they turned down the case.
Hobbs said: “The CCRC are toothless tigers. They should look at it in far more detail than they have. If they took it seriously why didn’t they give me a call?”
CCRC’s Role and Previous Concerns
The CCRC, responsible for reviewing potential miscarriages of justice, has faced criticism for its handling of Jason Moore’s case. A prior application filed in 2021 raised concerns about Abdul Ahmed’s reliability as a witness, urging the CCRC to re-interview him. However, the request was denied, and the CCRC insisted on the need for a new application.
This previous denial has led to increased scrutiny, particularly in light of the Andrew Malkinson case. Malkinson served 17 years for rape before being exonerated in 2023, highlighting flaws in the CCRC’s decision-making process.
An independent inquiry is currently investigating the CCRC’s actions in the Malkinson case.
The Ministry Of Justice is separately being examined on its role in the face of glaring miscarriage of justice where the courts fail to uphold justice.
Representatives of the MOJ have told The Eye Of Media.Com that the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary as their reason for not interfering, but some critics say there must be a collective responsibility when it comes to failings in the system, and that inaction is inexcusable.
Jason Moore’s case is emblematic of broader issues within the UK’s criminal justice system. Concerns about eyewitness reliability, disclosure practices, and the transparency of the CCRC’s processes have sparked calls for reform.
Legal experts and advocates argue that the system must ensure thorough investigations, fair trials, and the protection of defendants’ rights.
Free Jason Moore Campaign
The Free Jason Moore campaign, supported by both Moore’s family and the family of Robert Darby, seeks justice and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive review of the case. Tim Darby, Robert’s older brother, recently delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street, advocating for Jason’s release.
The Eye Of Media.Com has also been contacted to support the campaign for Moore’s release.
The reliability of eyewitness testimony, procedural transparency, and the role of the CCRC in safeguarding justice are paramount considerations in this case which desperately call for fairness and competence in its assessment.