Silcott freed from prison
Winston Silcott, the man convicted and later cleared of the murder of PC Keith Blakelock, has been released on licence after serving 17 years in jail.
Silcott served his sentence for the murder of 24-year-old Anthony Smith, whom he stabbed to death in a fight in December 1984.
Silcott continues to protest his innocence and claims he acted in self-defence during the party in east London at which Mr Smith died.
Silcott walked free from Blantyre House open prison in Kent a week after ministers and the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, approved a Parole Board decision that he was no longer a danger to the public.
While on bail awaiting trial for Mr Smith’s death, Silcott was accused of being part of the mob that hacked PC Blakelock to death during the Broadwater Farm riots in Tottenham, north London, in October 1985.
In March 1987, Silcott was convicted of murdering PC Blakelock but the verdict was overturned on appeal as “unsafe” in 1991 because of tainted police evidence.
Silcott’s solicitor, Tony Murphy, said the 43-year-old “remains intent on proving his innocence” and pointed out that his original sentence came with a 14-year tariff and he has now served more than 17.
