The Innocence Podcast

By The Innocence PodcastSociety & Culture True Crime

The Innocence Podcast episodes

February 26, 2024 11: The Fight for Compensation
Every week Mark Newby gets letters from people desperate for his help. Those people are behind bars, they say they are innocent and have no way of proving it.
They need a criminal appeal lawyer to take on their case - and that's where Mark comes in. But he must choose who he is going to fight for.
In this episode Mark talks about how he decides what case to pursue. He says he has to be tough - the resources aren't there to help everyone. And then when he starts working on a case, it can take years, even decades, to be freed.
Then when they are lucky enough to be released, the wrongfully convicted get less help than those who are guilty and who have served their time.
Then their chance of getting ANY compensation is minimal. Mark is fighting to change that.
The Innocence Podcast is brought to you by The Manchester Innocence Project - https://bit.ly/34YbLTi
Presenter/Researcher: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lucy McDaid
Editor: Kris McConnachie
Executive Producer: Claire McGourlay
Donate to the Manchester Innocence Project - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchester-innocence-project-justice-hub
24 min
February 12, 2024 10: Failures in the Justice System
Why does it take so long for someone to prove their innocence?
Criminal defence solicitor and former head of the legal charity, APPEAL, Suzanne Gower explains why there are so many people in prison now who are not guilty.
Suzanne talks about her own experience of trying to free people who are wrongly behind bars.
She talks about why the justice system fails them and how urgent changes need to be made.
She has helped free numerous high profile people including Andrew Malkinson who was freed from prison after he served 17 years for a wrongful rape conviction.
The Innocence Podcast is brought to you by The Manchester Innocence Project - https://bit.ly/34YbLTi
Presenter/Researcher: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lucy McDaid
Editor: Kris McConnachie
Executive Producer: Claire McGourlay
Donate to the Manchester Innocence Project - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchester-innocence-project-justice-hub
29 min
January 29, 2024 9: Wrongful Convictions in the Spotlight
The issue of wrongful convictions has taken centre stage in the UK.
The high profile Post Office Horizon scandal has dominated headlines. And the case of Andrew Malkinson - who was finally cleared of rape in 2023 after spending seventeen years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit - shone a renewed spotlight on what can happen when our criminal justice system doesn’t work as it should.
Claire McGourlay runs the Manchester Innocence Project. In this podcast Claire looks back at all the things that went wrong to lead to the wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson.
She explains why his case is so important in the pursuit of innocence for those wrongly jailed.
The Innocence Podcast is brought to you by The Manchester Innocence Project - https://bit.ly/34YbLTi
Presenter/Researcher: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lucy McDaid
Editor: Kris McConnachie
Executive Producer: Claire McGourlay
Donate to the Manchester Innocence Project - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchester-innocence-project-justice-hub
29 min
April 04, 2023 8: A Massive Mistake
Luis Vargas was in prison for 16 years for charges including rape and kidnap - crimes he didn’t commit.
His life fell apart, his wife divorced him, and he thought he had no hope of freedom.
Somehow he managed to hide the fact that he was in prison for rape - because he knew he’d be beaten, even killed by other inmates.
But, with the help of the California Innocence Project, he proved his innocence.
Also featuring Justin Brooks from the California Innocence Project.
Warning: This episode includes graphic descriptions of prison violence.
The Innocence Podcast is brought to you by The Manchester Innocence Project - https://bit.ly/34YbLTi
Presenter/Researcher: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lucy McDaid
Editor: Kris McConnachie
Executive Producer: Claire McGourlay
Donate to the Manchester Innocence Project - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchester-innocence-project-justice-hub
36 min
April 02, 2023 7: Pregnant in Prison
Kristine Bunch was wrongly sent to prison for arson and the murder of her 3-year-old son. She spent 17 years behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit.
Pregnant when she was convicted, she describes how horrendous it was saying goodbye to her baby just hours after he was born, making the most of life in prison - and her relentless fight for innocence.
The Innocence Podcast is brought to you by The Manchester Innocence Project - https://bit.ly/34YbLTi
Presenter/Researcher: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lucy McDaid
Editor: Kris McConnachie
Executive Producer: Claire McGourlay
Donate to the Manchester Innocence Project - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchester-innocence-project-justice-hub
43 min
March 29, 2023 6: The Post Office Scandal
It's described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history - more than 700 post office branch managers were given criminal convictions when faulty accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their sites.
Tom Hedges was one of those who faced a prison sentence.
Kylie speaks to Tom about how his once quiet life turned into a nightmare - and how hundreds of post office workers fought to clear their names.
The Innocence Podcast is brought to you by The Manchester Innocence Project - https://bit.ly/34YbLTi
Presenter/Researcher: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Lucy McDaid
Editor: Kris McConnachie
Executive Producer: Claire McGourlay
Donate to the Manchester Innocence Project - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchester-innocence-project-justice-hub
28 min
May 27, 2022 BONUS: The Secret Barrister
An interview with the UK's famous - and anonymous - "Secret Barrister".
More links and details at https://www.innocence.fm/
16 min
April 26, 2022 5: Life After a Death Sentence
Sonia Jacobs and Peter Pringle are a husband and wife with a bond like no other. They both spent years on death row for crimes they didn’t commit.
More links and details at https://www.innocence.fm/
37 min
April 19, 2022 4: Innocent Until Proven Guilty?
Liam Allan’s life was turned upside down when he was falsely accused of rape.
It wasn’t for another two years that tens of thousands of text messages proved his innocence. Why did it take so long?
More links and details at https://www.innocence.fm/
31 min
April 11, 2022 3: Righting Wrongful Convictions
Justin Brooks is not a typical lawyer.
He has become famous for his determined fights against wrongful convictions (and was even portrayed in a movie).
In 1999 he co-founded the California Innocence Project, from which other innocence groups around the world take inspiration.
More links and details at https://www.innocence.fm/
34 min