First night of freedom for man cleared after 17 years in jail

Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years successful situation for a rape helium did not commit, has spoken of the toll the miscarriage of justness had connected his "psychology, being and soul".

He told the Today programme helium felt "joy astatine yet telling the satellite the truth" but besides choler "that I was adjacent tried for this".

Mr Malkinson, 57, said helium was precocious to the interrogation due to the fact that helium slept in.

Host Justin Webb said "we astatine slightest beryllium him that".

Mr Malkinson was jailed successful 2004 for an onslaught connected a pistillate successful Salford, serving 17 years successful prison.

His condemnation was overturned connected Monday by the Court of Appeal.

He said his apprehension and proceedings was "like a existent atrocious imagination happening successful existent time".

"I maintained my innocence - 'I didn't bash this'," helium said. "But erstwhile you've been convicted, you're processed similar nutrient successful an abattoir."

"Nobody offers immoderate empathic knowing oregon thing similar that."

He said helium would expect compensation but was "living connected benefits".

His lawsuit was referred to the Court of Appeal successful January aft caller grounds pointed to different imaginable suspect.

Greater Manchester Police has confirmed the fishy was rearrested and released pending further investigation.

Mr Malkinson said helium was "very shocked [on the time helium was arrested] - however americium I a suspect?"

"To person idiosyncratic looking astatine you similar you've committed specified an enactment is horrific," helium said, adding his "fervent anticipation was that it would wide up".

"I can't articulate however I managed to get done it," helium said, but added "Buddhism helped".

"It's taken an highly dense toll connected my person, my psyche - my psychology, my being, my psyche - if you privation to enactment it similar that. It's been a heck of a devastating experience."

Speaking astir what helium could beryllium owed, helium said: "I consciousness precise powerfully astir this - somehow, the situation work has lobbied the authorities truthful that adjacent if you combat bony and nail to summation compensation, you person to wage the situation work a ample chunk of that for alleged committee and lodging."

Mr Malkinson, who is primitively from Grimsby, told BBC Newsnight nighttime helium banned his mum and sister from coming to spot him portion helium was successful situation with enactment offenders.

"My parent had her lad convicted of a horrific rape - if you saw the paper headlines, emotive lawsuit - she suffered immensely.

"I wouldn't fto [my parent and sister] sojourn maine - it's excessively emotionally taxing, adjacent if it's erstwhile a month.

"They'd beryllium treated similar [prisoners]."

He besides spoke of his sympathy for the rape victim.

"She's been fto down," helium said.

"She thought that I was the perpetrator due to the fact that she was traumatised erstwhile she picked maine retired of the parade."

Emily Bolton, manager of the ineligible foundation Appeal, questioned wherefore it has taken astir 20 years for Mr Malkinson's lawsuit to beryllium overturned.

"The information is this lawsuit is an indictment of some the Court of Appeal and the Criminal Cases Review Commission," she said.

"These alleged 'safety nets' successful our justness strategy missed 3 earlier opportunities to enactment this evident miscarriage of justness right."

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