Two men convicted of theft nearly 50 years ago have had their convictions overturned following revelations about a corrupt police officer involved in their prosecution. Christopher Poulter and Kevin Biggs were convicted in 1976 for allegedly stealing 13 mailbags from a wagon at Clapham goods yard in London. Poulter was sentenced to one year in prison, while Biggs received borstal training. Biggs passed away in 2004 and did not live to see his name cleared.

Their case was referred to the Court of Appeal this year by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) after new evidence surfaced regarding the misconduct of Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell. Ridgewell was jailed in 1980 for seven years after it was discovered he had stolen over £1 million worth of goods. Investigations revealed that Ridgewell had framed young men, predominantly Black, for offenses he had committed himself. Ridgewell was among three officers who testified they witnessed Poulter and Biggs taking the mailbags and fleeing by car—claims the defendants denied, maintaining they had been at a pub in Tooting, South London, on the night in question.

Poulter and Biggs are now the 14th and 15th individuals to have convictions linked to Ridgewell’s misconduct overturned. They were convicted alongside Stephen Simmons, whose conviction was quashed in 2018. At the recent hearing, Lord Justice Edis, with Mr Justice Lavender and Mr Justice Linden, noted that the appeals should ideally have been heard together, but logistical difficulties prevented the relatives of the late Biggs and Poulter from joining Simmons’ appeal.

Jenny Wiltshire, a solicitor who has represented several victims of Ridgewell, criticized the British Transport Police for the delay in addressing these wrongful convictions. She highlighted that the police force was aware of Ridgewell's corruption just four years after the convictions, if not earlier, making the lengthy delay in correcting these miscarriages of justice "a disgrace."

Dame Vera Baird KC, chair of the CCRC, stated that quashing the convictions was the appropriate course of action. She encouraged anyone who believes they may have been convicted as a result of Ridgewell’s actions to come forward for investigation and potential referral to the courts.

Representatives of the British Transport Police have been contacted for comment regarding the case.