Writer joins fight to get to truth in controversial murder trial of Northamptonshire man
Kenneth Black, who says he was wrongly convicted of murder.
A TRUE crime writer has backed calls for the Government to release 50-year-old police papers, which a pensioner from Northampton claims could prove he was wrongfully imprisoned for murder.
Kenneth Black, aged 74, from Duston, was convicted of stabbing to death a 20-year-old Cypriot, Christakis Phitides, in a Birmingham cafe in 1961.
Mr Black spent 10 years behind bars, as well as the last 40 years on licence, after being sentenced to life in prison.
However, he still maintains he was not the real killer.
Attempts by the Chronicle & Echo, as well as solicitors and a crime investigator, to get hold of the files from his case have all been refused.
The files, which include evidence used in the court case, witness statements and forensic details from the murder scene, have all been embargoed for 80 years.
Ian Hitchings, a true crime writer who has penned dozens of books, said he had started investigating Mr Black’s case after he was contacted by a solicitor who could not get his hands on the case files.
He said: “When I heard a solicitor couldn’t get the files I immediately thought it was suspicious so that is why I came on board and decided to do some digging myself. Every stone I have overturned there has always been something nasty crawling underneath. Every door has been shut firmly in my face. Nobody wants to know about Kenneth Black and certainly nobody is going to release any information voluntarily.”
Investigations by the Chron have revealed there were serious concerns before Mr Black’s conviction about alleged witness intimidation, while a key witness and the potential killer disappeared before the trial.
Mr Hitchings added: “Justice must be seen to be done. Kenneth Black is adamant he didn’t kill anybody and says it was a matter of police corruption.
“You can get details about any killer. I can get details on Peter Sutcliffe, I can get Rose West, I can get Fred West’s details, you can get details of any killer or historic murderer, but you say the name Kenneth Black and nobody wants to know.”
He added: “I would really like to see some evidence of how the offence came to happen, what evidence was on the knife and the due process of law must be seen to be followed.”
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