Falsely accused man doesn't want murderer released

A antheral who was falsely accused of brutally murdering a pistillate has said helium volition see appealing a determination to merchandise her slayer from prison.

John Actie was 1 of 5 men accused of murdering Lynette White, who was killed connected 14 February 1988 successful a level successful Cardiff's docklands.

Mr Actie was cleared of execution astatine trial, but 3 men were convicted successful what was 1 of Britain's biggest miscarriages of justice, earlier being released by the Court of Appeal.

On Thursday, The Parole Board said the existent killer, Jeffrey Gafoor, would beryllium released aft serving 21 years of a beingness sentence.

The committee said a petition could beryllium made wrong 21 days for the determination to merchandise him to beryllium considered again, and Mr Actie said helium hoped Ms White's household would entreaty the decision.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, helium added: "We’ve got 21 days to entreaty it, truthful wrong that 21 days hopefully a solicitor gets clasp of maine and spot what we tin do."

Mr Actie, who served clip successful situation connected remand, antecedently said Gafoor's parole proceeding should beryllium held successful public, and said helium was not told astir the determination to merchandise him.

He said: "Wherever you spell present you’ve got radical saying to you ‘he shouldn’t beryllium out, helium should beryllium staying successful jail'.

"We're ever successful a changeless authorities of slump due to the fact that it hangs implicit you connected a regular basis. Its thing you ne'er forget, going done that."

He added: "We were the victims of the biggest corruption miscarriage of justness successful British past and they haven't adjacent informed us.

"They don’t attraction astir us.

"I anticipation helium doesn’t ever person to travel into Cardiff due to the fact that we don’t privation to spot him."

Mr Actie and his relative Ronnie were charged with execution but acquitted astatine trial, however, 3 men, Tony Paris, Stephen Miller and Yusef Abdullahi were convicted of murdering the 20-year-old.

They were released by the tribunal of entreaty successful 1992.

Gafoor admitted the execution successful 2003 aft advances successful DNA exertion linked him to the transgression and was sentenced to beingness successful prison, with a minimum word of 13 years.

He has been held successful an unfastened situation since 2020 and was granted time merchandise successful 2023.

He applied for parole connected 5 erstwhile occasions, earlier the Parole Board concluded the hazard helium posed could beryllium safely managed successful the community.

Alun Michael, who was the Labour MP for the country astatine the time, said helium was "shocked" that some Ms White's household and those falsely accused had not been told of Gafoor's release.

"People could person been treated with dignity and informed successful advance."

The Parole Board indicated Gafoor would stay successful situation until a determination had been made connected an exertion for reconsideration.

The archetypal probe into Ms White's decease pb to 1 of Britain's longest transgression trials, followed by the wrongful convictions.

After Ms White's murder, detectives investigating the lawsuit said they were hunting a achromatic suspect, but aboriginal arrested 5 achromatic and mixed-race men.

A proceedings into allegations of constabulary corruption collapsed successful 2011, aft files relating to complaints by an archetypal suspect were said to person been destroyed.

Eight erstwhile officers who denied the charges against them were acquitted.

In 2021, the past main constable of South Wales Police Matt Jukes said members of the Cardiff Five - arsenic the men primitively accused of the execution became known - should beryllium recognised arsenic victims.

Three of the Cardiff Five person since died - Ronnie Actie successful 2007, Yusef Abdullahi successful 2011 and Tony Paris successful 2022.