Interrogations-and-Confessions-Handbook

The ‘Guildford Four’ and the ‘Birmingham Six’ 447
The alibi evidence produced by the defendants was very mixed. Conlon’s alibi
was that he was in a hostel at Quex Road, London, on 5 October 1974. He named
people whom he said could give evidence about his whereabouts on that day. The
prosecution were in possession of one statement that amounted to verification
of his alibi but failed to disclose it to the defence. Conlon was not implicated
in relation to the Woolwich Bombing and therefore only had to provide an alibi
for 5 October 1974.
Armstrong had an alibi that he was in a ‘squat’ on that night, during which
time people were arrested by the police outside the squat. Witnesses testified
to having observed that event, but no evidence was provided by the police to
confirm that such an incident had taken place on 5 October 1974. Armstrong
also had an alibi for 7 November 1974, the night of the Woolwich Bombing.
That alibi was not seriously challenged in court because his confession to the
police had only amounted to going on a reconnaissance trip on an unspecified
date prior to the bombing. That made him a party to the bombing as a principal
in the second degree, which was sufficient to attract a conviction.
Hill gave evidence for both the Guildford and Woolwich bombings. In relation
to 5 October 1974, his alibi was that he was in Southampton with his girlfriend,
Gina Clark. That alibi was discredited when Hill withdrew it in the presence
of Gina Clark at the time he was being interrogated by the police, but it was
subsequently reasserted by him at the trial. His alibi for 7 November 1974 was
that at the time of the Woolwich Bombing he was visiting his aunt and uncle.
There was an independent witness to his visit, which Hill had forgotten about.
For some unknown reason, although present at the Old Bailey, she was not
required to give evidence at the trial.
Richardson did not need to give any alibi for 7 November 1974. Her alibi
evidence concerning the 5 October 1974 was by far the most compelling, because
it was clearly established that between 7.30 and 8.30 on the evening of
5 October she was at the South Bank Polytechnic attending a ‘Jack the Lad’
concert. Indeed, there was a photograph available of her posing with the band.
Stretching the crucial times to their limits, the prosecution maintained that
Miss Richardson could have travelled from South West London to Guildford,
which was almost 40 miles away, and planted the bomb there before returning
to South London about 50 minutes later. A police driver, who ignored the speed
limit, claimed to have made the journey in about 45 minutes. This was used by
the prosecution to argue that Richardson might have just had enough time to
have been to Guildford.
The all-male jury took 27 hours to reach their unanimous verdict of ‘guilty’
on all charges. All four were sentenced to life imprisonment with the following
recommendations for the minimum sentence served: not less than 30 years
for Conlon, not less than 35 years for Armstrong and Hill was never to be
released. Because of her young age no minimum recommendation was made
for Richardson.
At the end of October 1975 the Guildford Four began to serve their life sentences
and were to remain in prison until 19 October 1989, when their convictions
were quashed by the Court of Appeal. They were free at last, after
spending more than 15 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.