Bishop of Stepney joins Ian Botham in campaign to clear name of playboy millionaire jailed 18 years ago for stabbing love rival to death in pub car park
A convicted killer, who stabbed a man to death outside a pub in London, has had his long running battle to clear his name backed by the Church of England months after cricketing legend Ian Botham also backed his cause.
Professional gambler Jason Moore, 53, was convicted of murdering Robert Darby in 2013 – eight years after he was brutally stabbed to death outside the Valentine pub in Gants Hill, east London, in the summer of 2005.
Playboy millionaire Moore was convicted of the murder following an Old Bailey trial, having been identified by a witness in an ID parade however his supporters have always stressed that the ‘gentle giant’ was wrongly convicted.
Moore, who made a fortune from spread-betting on cricket, has always maintained he did not kill Darby and has refused to take part in an early release programme at HMP Oakwood where he is being held because he must admit his guilt.
And now the campaign to free Moore has been given a major boost by the backing of the Church of England.
Jason Moore was jailed in 2013 for the fatal stabbing of Robert Darby in 2005
Robert Darby, pictured, was killed outside the Valentine pub in Gants Hill. Members of Mr Darby’s family have joined the campaign to support Moore’s release
The Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell, the Bishop of Stepney, has backed the campaign for Moore to be released
The families of both the victim and the man convicted of his murder are also calling for the case to be re-investigated and the campaign has been further boosted by the support of cricket legend Sir Ian Botham and British peer Lord Nicholas Monson.
Emotional friends and family members held up placards outside the gates of 10 Downing Streets – reading, ‘Jason Moore is an innocent man’ – whilst chanting ‘Free Jason Moore’ to the confusion of tourists visiting the Prime Minister’s residence.
Today’s protest even saw Dr Joanne Grenfell, the Bishop of Stepney, give an impassioned speech calling on the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to review Moore’s case and ‘Let the evidence speak’.
Now new evidence suggests Moore – who has consistently denied murdering 44-year-old Darby – is innocent and should be freed from jail.
The Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell told the crowd: ‘Robert Darby was murdered on August 24, 2005, in Ilford.
‘A man, Jason Moore, was sent to prison for that murder.
‘But in an extraordinary act of solidarity, both his family and the family of Robert Darby have come together to fight against that conviction.
‘These two families, united despite their very different perspectives, believe that conviction is unsafe.
‘We are here today to protest about Jason’s imprisonment – without parole, because he is adamant in declaring his innocence.
‘We are here to protest about the way the CCRC has so far refused to listen to the evidence that shows this is an unsafe conviction; evidence that is so overwhelming that anyone who reads it can hardly believe that it has been allowed to stand, and to keep an innocent man in prison for the last nine years.’
Former England cricketer Ian Botham, pictured left, had previously joined the campaign to secure the release of convicted murderer Jason Moore, right, who was found guilty of killing a love rival
Dr Grenfell cited the discrepancies in evidence, including the recent admission from a key prosecution witness who identified him as being drunk and no forensic evidence ever having linked Moore to the murder – as well as evidence which might have helped to clear his name having been lost – as being key factors as to why his case should be reviewed afresh by the CCRC.
READ MORE: Can Netflix sleuths clear millionaire playboy of murder? Pro gambler jailed for 18 years over fatal stabbing of petty crook in pub car park hopes new true crime documentary will clear his name
‘When evidence is ignored, justice is denied,’ she told the crowd.
‘And if justice is denied to one man, we are all unsafe. Our justice system needs to be fair, transparent and open to challenge and review.
‘Today, supporting the Moore and Darby families, I am calling for justice for Jason Moore.
‘I am calling on the CCRC to listen and look at this case again. I am calling on them to let the evidence speak.’
Many of Moore’s family members and friends said they believed the UK’s justice system to be ‘broken’.
His 77-year-old mother, Jenny, said the aim of today’s protest was to get Jason’s case back into court.
She said: ‘We need to get Jason’s case back into court so they can see the travesty that has gone on.
‘He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and we need to get him home.
‘Ten years is a long time in prison for something you didn’t do. We just hope the CCRC will listen.’
Moore’s family – backed by the victim’s relatives and lawyer Edward Fitzgerald KC, who is reportedly working on Jason’s case pro-bono – are preparing a fresh appeal to the CCRC, the first step to trying to overturn the conviction.
If they are successful the case could be reheard by judges at the Court of Appeal.
‘They have got all of the facts,’ Jason’s mother said.
Petty criminal Robert Darby was stabbed outside the Valentine pub in Gants Hill on August 24, 2005
Robert Darby’s bloodied stanley knife was found at the scene of the murder in August 2005
Happier times: Jason Moore (second from right), is pictured with his partner Sandra Dumont (left to right), sister Rhonda, friend Robert, sister Kirstie Moore and mum Jenny Moore. The photo was taken just three months before the murder in 2005.
Describing her son, Jenny Moore added: ‘He’s gentle, kind, considerate, works hard and a very generous man who loves sport.
‘A good brother, a good son* He was always happy-go-lucky, even when he was a child.
‘To think he has been shut away for almost ten years just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time is just terrible.
‘All of the witnesses saying the murderer was five-foot something – Jason’s six foot four.
‘Surely the judge saw that? Why didn’t he make a note of that?
‘The whole thing is a shambles.’
READ MORE: Ian Botham backs campaign to free millionaire playboy murderer 18 years after he was jailed for life for stabbing love rival in pub car park
Jason’s family say that, during his trial, Jason was hidden from the jury with the help of a screen, so they were unable to compare his size with that of the description of Darby’s attacker.
Protestors aimed megaphones at Rishi Sunak’s official residence during the protest, shouting ‘Jason’s incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit’ and ‘An innocent man has been incarcerated’.
Jason’s Uncle, Tom Shaw – Jenny’s brother – says he believes the British justice system to be ‘broken’.
He said: ‘It’s so blindingly obvious that Jason was never even there that day [of Darby’s murder].
‘Nobody saw a six-foot man and both witnesses agreed that the murderer was about five-foot ten and wearing a blue jacket.
‘There’s no denying that fact. So why did the police go after someone who’s six-foot five when they knew the stabber was five-foot ten?’
Source: Read Full Article
