claire
11-01-2005, 09:21 AM
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
Jan 11 2005
By Megan Lloyd Davies
ANGRY Angela Cannings pledged yesterday to fight the heartless decision that has robbed her of compensation for her jail nightmare.
The married mother, cleared on appeal of killing her two cot death babies, said: "It's unbelievable. Our lives have been devastated.
"What we went through was not our doing. The authorities took over and ruled our lives. Because of that we lost a home, our family unit and nearly our surviving daughter who could have been taken into care.
"We only want compensation for what we lost to help us rebuild our future. This is personal and we'll carry on until we reach a satisfactory end."
Angela, 41, was wrongly jailed for life for double murder, partly on the evidence of discredited paediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow who now faces charges of serious professional misconduct.
She spent 18 hellish months in jail before her murder conviction was quashed in December 2003.
During that time she was mercilessly abused, locked in solitary for five months and scarred for life when boiling coffee was hurled over her.
For two years before the trial while still under suspicion she was forced to live apart from husband Terry, 50, and her surviving daughter, now eight.
The family spent so much money battling to win her freedom they lost their home. Now, a year after applying for compensation, Angela has learned the Home Office has turned her down. She said: "When I was freed I was just relieved someone had finally listened to me.
"I didn't expect everything to be rosy. But I didn't expect another fight, we've been through enough."
Angela and Terry hoped compensation would help pay off some of the mortgage on their new home in Saltash, Cornwall. They also wanted to put money into a trust for their daughter, who cannot be named.
The couple now plan to appeal against the Home Office decision.
Shattered Angela said: "We shouldn't have to be doing this. We're physically and mentally worn out. But what else can we do?
"It seems the authorities are trying to pass the buck. Yes, we're tired. But why shouldn't we be compensated?
"It's not just about the money, though of course it will help. It's also about acknowledging that someone went badly wrong and their mistakes devastated our lives. I just hope common sense will prevail."
Angela's solicitor Bill Bache said: "These are discretionary payments. The Home Office says this is not a case in which they want to give compensation."
Home Office guidelines say: "There is no general entitlement to recompense for wrongful conviction."
Victims can receive payment "where there is serious default by a public authority or if an accused person is completely exonerated".
The Home Secretary can also make ex-gratia payments in exceptional cases. Refusing to comment on Angela's case, the Home Office said: "The decision to refuse an application for compensation is not intended to detract in any way from acquittal."
Penny Mellor, organiser of Dare to Care which campaigns for women wrongly accused of murdering their children, said last night: "If the law isn't accountable for the wrongful convictions of parents, then who is?
"Not only is Angela innocent, the devastation caused by the false allegation is incalculable. It is only right that someone pays." Angela, formerly of Salisbury, Wilts, was jailed for life in 2002 after being convicted of murdering Jason, seven weeks, in 1991 and Matthew, 18 weeks, in 1999. She was also charged with the murder of Gemma, 13 weeks, in 1989. But the case was dropped.
In December 2003 the Appeal Court ruled the convictions were unsafe and said similar cases should never again be brought to trial.
Judges were told Professor Meadow had given "misleading" evidence in claiming three cot deaths in one family were "very, very rare".
Following Angela's release, the Attorney General announced a review of nearly 300 cases in which parents had been convicted of killing children under the age of two. Twenty eight may be miscarriages of justice.
Professor Meadow also gave prosecution evidence in the trials of solicitor Sally Clarke, 36, and pharmacist Trupti Patel, 36.
Mrs Clarke, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was cleared on appeal of murdering her two sons, aged 11 weeks and eight weeks, after spending more than three years in jail.
A few months later Mrs Patel, of Maidenhead, Berks, was cleared of suffocating her babies aged three months, two weeks and three weeks.
Professor Meadow, now 70, was Britain's foremost expert on cot death for nearly 30 years. His theory "One cot death is tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder" became known as Meadow's Law. He is now retired and could be struck off.
Jan 11 2005
By Megan Lloyd Davies
ANGRY Angela Cannings pledged yesterday to fight the heartless decision that has robbed her of compensation for her jail nightmare.
The married mother, cleared on appeal of killing her two cot death babies, said: "It's unbelievable. Our lives have been devastated.
"What we went through was not our doing. The authorities took over and ruled our lives. Because of that we lost a home, our family unit and nearly our surviving daughter who could have been taken into care.
"We only want compensation for what we lost to help us rebuild our future. This is personal and we'll carry on until we reach a satisfactory end."
Angela, 41, was wrongly jailed for life for double murder, partly on the evidence of discredited paediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow who now faces charges of serious professional misconduct.
She spent 18 hellish months in jail before her murder conviction was quashed in December 2003.
During that time she was mercilessly abused, locked in solitary for five months and scarred for life when boiling coffee was hurled over her.
For two years before the trial while still under suspicion she was forced to live apart from husband Terry, 50, and her surviving daughter, now eight.
The family spent so much money battling to win her freedom they lost their home. Now, a year after applying for compensation, Angela has learned the Home Office has turned her down. She said: "When I was freed I was just relieved someone had finally listened to me.
"I didn't expect everything to be rosy. But I didn't expect another fight, we've been through enough."
Angela and Terry hoped compensation would help pay off some of the mortgage on their new home in Saltash, Cornwall. They also wanted to put money into a trust for their daughter, who cannot be named.
The couple now plan to appeal against the Home Office decision.
Shattered Angela said: "We shouldn't have to be doing this. We're physically and mentally worn out. But what else can we do?
"It seems the authorities are trying to pass the buck. Yes, we're tired. But why shouldn't we be compensated?
"It's not just about the money, though of course it will help. It's also about acknowledging that someone went badly wrong and their mistakes devastated our lives. I just hope common sense will prevail."
Angela's solicitor Bill Bache said: "These are discretionary payments. The Home Office says this is not a case in which they want to give compensation."
Home Office guidelines say: "There is no general entitlement to recompense for wrongful conviction."
Victims can receive payment "where there is serious default by a public authority or if an accused person is completely exonerated".
The Home Secretary can also make ex-gratia payments in exceptional cases. Refusing to comment on Angela's case, the Home Office said: "The decision to refuse an application for compensation is not intended to detract in any way from acquittal."
Penny Mellor, organiser of Dare to Care which campaigns for women wrongly accused of murdering their children, said last night: "If the law isn't accountable for the wrongful convictions of parents, then who is?
"Not only is Angela innocent, the devastation caused by the false allegation is incalculable. It is only right that someone pays." Angela, formerly of Salisbury, Wilts, was jailed for life in 2002 after being convicted of murdering Jason, seven weeks, in 1991 and Matthew, 18 weeks, in 1999. She was also charged with the murder of Gemma, 13 weeks, in 1989. But the case was dropped.
In December 2003 the Appeal Court ruled the convictions were unsafe and said similar cases should never again be brought to trial.
Judges were told Professor Meadow had given "misleading" evidence in claiming three cot deaths in one family were "very, very rare".
Following Angela's release, the Attorney General announced a review of nearly 300 cases in which parents had been convicted of killing children under the age of two. Twenty eight may be miscarriages of justice.
Professor Meadow also gave prosecution evidence in the trials of solicitor Sally Clarke, 36, and pharmacist Trupti Patel, 36.
Mrs Clarke, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was cleared on appeal of murdering her two sons, aged 11 weeks and eight weeks, after spending more than three years in jail.
A few months later Mrs Patel, of Maidenhead, Berks, was cleared of suffocating her babies aged three months, two weeks and three weeks.
Professor Meadow, now 70, was Britain's foremost expert on cot death for nearly 30 years. His theory "One cot death is tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder" became known as Meadow's Law. He is now retired and could be struck off.