26/02/2014

Court Of Appeal To Hear Alan Charlton Case Following Review

The Court of Appeal is to hear the case of Alan Charlton, convicted in 1991 of the murder of 15-year-old Karen Price, following concerns over techniques used by South Wales Police while investigating the case.

Miss Price disappeared from a children's home in 1981, and her skeletal remains was found in 1989 in a shallow grave at the rear of a property in Fitzhammon Embankment, Cardiff, wrapped in a carpet.

The case came to known as the "body in the carpet" murder.

Alan Charlton, who had lived at the Cardiff property at the time of the teenagers disappearance, was convicted of murder in 1991 and sentenced to a minimum of 15 years, but remains in jail.

Mr Charlton denied the murder charge and pleaded not guilty in court.

He launched an appeal in 1994 alongside his co-defendant, Idris Ali. Mr Charlton's appeal was denied but Mr Ali had his conviction quashed.

The new appeal follows a review of the case by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

The CCRC raised concerns over alleged "oppressive handling" of key witnesses and breaches of police regulations.

The review also highlighted that a number of officers involved in the case had also been involved in two other notorious cases that had resulted in the convictions of innocent people.

(MH/CD)

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