Law Weblog

Tuesday 28 December 2010 at 7:58 pm | In News | Post Comment On 13 December 2010, Mark Weston became the first person to be convicted of murder for which he had previously been found “not guilty” by a jury.

Weston murdered Vikki Thompson in 1995. At Weston’s first trial was in 1996, the jury found him not guilty. The police later discovered her blood on his boot (missed by the first forensic investigation) this was sufficiently compelling new evidence to allow him to be arrested in 2009. He was tried again and found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 13 years in custody.

William Dunlop however, was the first person to be convicted of murder after previously being “acquitted”. He murdered Julie Hogg in 1989. Because two juries failed to reach a verdict he was formally acquitted.

He later confessed to the crime, and was convicted. He confessed to murdering Julie Hogg, and to degradation of her body.  Her body was found under the bath 80 days after he had killed her.

Application of the provisions of Part 10 that provides an exception to the rule against double jeopard
William Dunlop pleads guilty in first double jeopardy case CPS statement