Five cleared of Wolverhampton drug dealer murder
Five men jailed for life for the murder of a Wolverhampton drug dealer in an "execution-style" killing this afternoon had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal.
Levi Walker, Adam Joof, Antonio Christie, Michael Osbourne and Owen Crooks were found guilty of the crime at Leicester Crown Court in 2008.
They were convicted of the murder Kevin Nunes, 20, an amateur footballer, who was found dead in a country road in Pattingham, on September 19, 2002. He had five gunshot wounds.
But this afternoon three judges in London heard that the Crown Prosecution Service no longer sought to uphold their convictions and did not apply for a retrial.
After hearing of "failures" in disclosure of material to the defence relating to the key prosecution witness, Lord Justice Hooper, Mr Justice Simon and Mr Justice Stadlen overturned the convictions.
Walker and Christie are both now 32, Osbourne 34, Joof 31 and Crooks 30.
All of them apart from Crooks watched the proceedings today via video-link from prison.
When sentencing them to life, the trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, told Joof and Christie they would serve a minimum of 28 years behind bars. Walker and Osbourne were given minimum terms of 27 years and Crooks 25 years.
Richard Whittam QC told the three judges that the "CPS does not seek to uphold the convictions in this case, nor does it apply for any defendant to be retried".
He pointed out that it was a matter for this court "as to whether the convictions are unsafe or not".
Walker, of Birmingham, Joof, of Derwent Close, Willenhall, Christie, of Devey Drive, Great Bridge, Osbourne, of Hobgate Road, Heath Town and Crooks, of Wolverhampton,were all cleared.
