Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Lace ‘could cast doubt on Stone’s conviction’
Stone, a drug addict from Gillingham with convictions for violence, was arrested a year after the attack and charged with the murders.
He was convicted by a jury and remains behind bars but has always claimed he was not responsible.
Mr Bacon says confusion surrounds whether or not police had lost the lace.
According to a Criminal Cases Review Commission report on the case of 2010: “After comprehensive searches of their exhibit stores, neither Kent Police nor the FSS is now able to locate any intact length of lace from exhibit SRG/27.”
However, following recent inquiries from the Gazette, the police appear to have changed their tune.
A spokesman said: “The shoe lace seized as part of the original investigation has not been ‘lost’.
“However, after repeated and exhaustive testing, where sections are removed, the dis- integration has been such that only fibrous strands of the lace are left.
“All evidence from those examinations has been recorded and disclosed.”
Asked why the strands were not made available to the CCRC in 2010, the spokesman said: “Full disclosure of all evidence and exhibits was given throughout the legal processes.”
He was unable to comment on whether or not the remaining strands could be subject to further testing.
Stone had his original conviction quashed in 2001 but was found guilty for a second time at retrial.
Mr Bacon believes evidence contained on the shoelace could support his client’s claims of innocence.
“‘Exhaustive’ testing in 1998 is a very different proposition to exhaustive testing in 2016,” he said.
“If they have the lace, then why not allow modern testing?” He says he will write to Kent Police to formally request access.
Stone’s defence team are hoping to convince the CCRC to take another look at the case.
“I’m surprised that they have now located fibrous strands because the exhibit bag was found to be empty five years ago,” said Mr Bacon.
“That’s how it was delivered to the forensic science service when they asked for it.
“I would be really interested in knowing where the strands were found and if the police have them we would obviously like to test them and see if any forensic material can be identified.”
Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murders.
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