A campaigning aristocrat has called for an east London man’s release from prison, branding his conviction “a gross miscarriage of justice”.
Author and journalist Lord Nicholas Monson has previously waged a nine-year crusade over the killing of his own son in Kenyan police custody, securing manslaughter convictions against four police officers.
He is now throwing his weight behind the Free Jason Moore campaign.
“I feel very strongly about this,” he said. “I hate injustice.”
Jason, from Canary Wharf, was convicted in 2013 of stabbing Robert Darby in the heart outside the Valentine pub in Perth Road, Gants Hill.
Unusually, Robert’s family – including his older brother Tim, from Havering – is campaigning to overturn Jason’s conviction.
They now have Lord Monson’s support. He called the investigation into Robert’s murder “incompetent” and “fishy”.
“I’ve had personal experience with the police,” he said.
“A good policeman, to me, is worth his weight in gold. But a bad policeman? Wow. They can really mess up people’s lives.”
Kenyan police blamed the 2012 death of Alexander Monson, 28, on drugs – but tests found no drugs in his system.
Lord Monson’s nine-year battle eventually proved police had “brutally tortured” his son, then covered it up.
After Newsquest's investigations unit revealed in the Romford Recorder that the star witness against Jason Moore now claims he was drunk at the time, Lord Monson joined protesters outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
Catch up on our exclusive investigation into Jason Moore's case:
- Part 1 - East End Killing: Is a man doing life for a murder he didn't commit?
- Part 2 - East End Killing: 'My brother is doing life thanks to an ID parade which should never have happened'
- Part 3 - East End Killing: Witness and CCTV evidence never presented in court casts doubt on the case against Jason
- Part 4 - East End Killing: 'I was drunk', confesses star prosecution witness
- Part 5 - East End Killing: Pathologist's pattern of 'serious misconduct' was hidden from jury
“The work you have done has been fantastic,” he said.
A bid to overturn Jason’s conviction was rejected last year on grounds that the evidence undermining his conviction was available to his defence at trial.
Campaigners plan to use Newsquest’s new evidence as the basis for a fresh application.
“The fact that the authorities are so arrogant as to say, ‘Well, you can’t use this piece of information because it should have been presented in the first stage’ – it’s just outrageous,” said Lord Monson.
“You have a good man in jail for something he never did.
“What I can do is kick up dust about it. I can create noise, just as the Romford Recorder is doing, and I am in full support of your newspaper. I want to try to raise awareness of the case.
“I can’t guarantee a result, but I can try.”
The Met Police has said that the case is closed, but could be reopened if significant new evidence comes to light.
We offered the Met a copy of our interview with the star witness, which it did not accept.
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