Drug test evidence withheld from the defence – Richard Karling (2000)

Richard Karling was wrongly convicted of murdering an ex-girlfriend in 1995 and sentenced to life in prison. The prosecution’s theory, he smothered her after drugging her, was based on a blood test that indicated she was drugged with temazepam. Karling was released in 2000 on bail after an independent blood test established temazepam wasn’t present in her blood. It was then disclosed to Karling’s lawyers that a second blood test prior to Karling’s trial had determined the drug wasn’t present. On May 16, 2001, Karling’s conviction was quashed by Scotland’s Court of Criminal Appeal as a miscarriage of justice.

Links

• http://www.scotsman.com/news/wrongly-convicted-man-wins-163-490-for-each-day-in-prison-1-1120946
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/813037.stm
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8167668.stm
• http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12071218.Life_for_killer_who_smothered_lover_Fiscal_foils__perfect_crime_apos_/
• http://www.casecheck.co.uk/mrs-ivy-niven-for-judicial-review-of-a-decision-of-the-lord-advocate-dated-8th-may-2008-2009-csoh-110.html