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A London man in prison for a murder he says he did not commit is hoping a new play will speed his release.
Sam Hallam, 24, was convicted of killing a chef in a gang attack in 2004, and jailed the following year. He and his family claim he is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Someone To Blame will be premiered at the King's Head in Islington in March. It uses verbatim material from court evidence and new interviews.
Hallam was 18 when he was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 12 years, over the death of Essayas Kassahun in Old Street. The court heard the 22-year-old Ethiopian was stabbed after intervening to stop a gang attacking his friend.
But Hallam says he was not even at the scene, and was playing football half a mile away. Campaigners for his release say witnesses were unreliable.
Two withdrew their statements to police and one girl told the Old Bailey trial: "I was just looking for someone on the spot to blame," while a male witness said Hallam was "the only white boy I know from Hoxton, so I said it was Sam". The Criminal Cases Review Commission has sent the case back to the Court of Appeal and criticised the Met for "a poor-quality investigation". Hallam is supported by his mother Wendy, justice campaigner Paul May and actor Ray Winstone. King's Head director David Mercatali asked friend Tess Berry-Hart to write the play.
In a written statement Hallam, who is in Bullingdon prison, Oxfordshire, said: "Only by making some noise and bringing it firmly into the public eye can we hope the case will receive the attention and scrutiny to overturn my conviction."
He said when he was convicted he was "at the mercy of police coercion and an adversarial justice system". But he had met "many kind, generous people who believed in my innocence". Mr Mercatali, 29, said: "Sam's case needs to be known because I think it could happen to anyone. If the system knows people are watching miscarriages become less likely."
Reader views (2)
I want justice for the victim. If Hallam did it then he should be in prison for life - with a minimum term of life, not a measly 12 years. If he did not do it, then he should be released, receive an apology and compensation of a million pounds. Then the police can work harder to find the real culprit.
- Jonathan, Harrow, 24/11/2011 16:29
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What Met OB fitting people up! what ever next?
- Steve, London (the other one), 24/11/2011 14:54
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