Battle for justice
Professor Price said: “The evidence against him [Dwaine] was very weak in the first place.
“Once we cast doubt on the gunshot evidence, the other evidence used to convict him meant that his conviction was unsafe.
“Dwaine was articulate and a pleasure to work with – he helped our students present the case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), and his story remained the same from day one.”
The appeal focused on new guidelines which cast doubt on using small particles of gunshot residue as evidence.
Cardiff University students contacted a US gunshot residue expert, who provided the basis of their submissions.
According to the Guardian, Mr Justice Green and Mr Justice Goss, Leveson pointed to new guidelines on firearms residue issued by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in 2006, two years after George’s conviction.
If the new guidelines were followed “the number and type of particles of residue found on the coat were so small so as to be at or near the level at which they could not be considered to have evidential value,” according to the judgment.
If the judge at the original trial had access to the new guidelines his directions to the jury “would have been couched in terms of much greater circumspection and caution,” it added.
Caitlin Gallagher, who worked on the case as a student and on the appeal as a trainee solicitor, said at the time of the appeal: “Dwaine inspired the team at Cardiff Law School to join his long journey to clear his name through a scheme that doesn’t just educate, but enthuses and assists students to pursue a career in criminal law.
“I feel extremely lucky to have been part of such a unique and driven team of staff and students, all working towards overturning miscarriages of justice.”
A small number of cases are referred to the Court of Appeal each year from the CCRC and clients can often be left waiting years for results.
Despite the popularity of programmes such as Making a Murderer on Netflix, Professor Price said there are wider issues in the criminal justice system that need addressing.
She said: “What we really want to aim for is to raise public awareness of the fundamental issues with the criminal justice system, rather than the individual cases, because there are many people affected by this.
“There is a bit of a missing link in the media coverage, as the public are naturally drawn to cases of individuals. But it’s more difficult to convey the wider issues.
“Unless someone has had direct experience they don’t think it can happen to them. But it could.”
Dwaine was on licence at the time his conviction was quashed, after serving 12 years in prison.
Speaking after the hearing in London, Dwaine, 30 at the time said: “First and foremost, my thoughts go out to Daniel Dale’s family. He lost his life in this tragic event and I always said I wasn’t responsible for that.
“Today I have got the result I wanted - I have lost a lot of my life that I can’t get back, but I just want to get on with my life now.
“I hope the Cardiff Innocence Project will get all the recognition it deserves for this.”
Sir Brian Leveson, president of the Queen’s bench division, was one of three other judges who quashed Dwaine’s conviction, saying it was no longer safe.
In his judgement, Sir Brian said: “In addition to expressing our gratitude to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, we pay tribute to the work of the Innocence Project and Pro Bono Unit at Cardiff Law School, which took up the appellant’s case and pursued it so diligently.”