Jason Moore: High Court protest demands killer's release

It is the second protest to be held outside the High Court in the Strand after the Newsquest Investigations Unit uncovered new evidence.

Jason was convicted in 2013 of murdering Robert Darby outside the Valentine pub in Gants Hill. He is serving a life sentence.

But in spring 2023, the Romford Recorder revealed that the star prosecution eyewitness, who picked Jason out of a line-up as the killer, now claims he was drunk at the time and is not sure he identified the right person.

Robert and Jason’s families are working together to overturn his conviction and are currently compiling an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), based on Newsquest’s new evidence.

“I hope the general public sees this,” his mother Jenny, 76, said at the protest on Friday (June 9).

“I think it will take public support to get Jason out, because the authorities won’t admit they’ve made mistakes.”

'It's just too hard to bear sometimes,' said Jason Moore's mother Jenny, outside the High Court. (Image: Charles Thomson)

Crying outside the courthouse, currently playing host to Prince Harry’s phone-hacking trial, Jenny said: “I carry it every day. It’s such an outrage. Every morning and night, it’s on your mind.

“You can’t get on with your life properly. My only son is locked up for something he didn’t do. It’s just too hard to bear sometimes.”

Around 30 protestors gathered outside the court, chanting “Justice for Jason” and “Jason is innocent”.

Catch up on our exclusive investigation into Jason Moore's case:

• Part 1 - East End Killing: Is a man doing life for a murder he didn't commit?
• Part 2 - East End Killing: 'My brother is doing life thanks to an ID parade which should never have happened'
• Part 3 - East End Killing: Witness and CCTV evidence never presented in court casts doubt on the case against Jason
• Part 4 - East End Killing: 'I was drunk', confesses star prosecution witness
• Part 5 - East End Killing: Pathologist's pattern of 'serious misconduct' was hidden from jury
• Update: Fury as 'innocent' killer is sent to the back of appeal queue

Protestors included Jason Moore's mum, sister, ex-partner, uncle and even a former fellow prison inmate, who described him as 'a good man' (Image: Charles Thomson)

The killing

Robert Darby suffered a stab wound to the heart on August 25, 2005.

Two eyewitnesses – Abdul Ahmed and Sally Palmer – saw him scuffling in the road with another man shortly before he collapsed.

Both said the man in the street was six-foot or shorter. Mr Ahmed said the man had a shaved head, while Ms Palmer said he had “normal hair”.

Jason is 6’5” in shoes and had a mop of long, dark hair.

In an identification procedure weeks later, Mr Ahmed identified an innocent volunteer with very short, receding hair as the stabber.

He was shown another line-up including a photo of Jason and recognised nobody.

Ms Palmer, shown the same photo line-ups, hovered over a shaven-headed volunteer but ultimately picked nobody.

Jason Moore's uncle Tom Shaw was among the protestors at the high court (Image: Charles Thomson)

The witness

But seven years later, Mr Ahmed was asked to participate in another ID procedure where he was again shown a photo of Jason.

Several experts have since told Newsquest this should never have happened.

In that 2012 procedure, he identified Jason as the stabber.

Jason was charged with murder as a direct result, then convicted a year later.

But when Newsquest tracked down Mr Ahmed as part of a long investigation into the safety of Jason’s conviction, he said he was not sure he had picked the right person.

Dozens of protestors gathered outside the high court, currently hosting Prince Harry's phone-hacking trial, to demand Jason Moore's conviction for Robert Darby's murder be quashed (Image: Charles Thomson)

“It was the blink of the eye!” he exclaimed, exasperated. “I was passing by! How could you remember things like that? And I was drunk!”

He claimed he had told the police at the time that he had been drinking. If true, that information was never disclosed to the defence.

Dave McKelvey, a highly-decorated former Met Police detective who has spent years investigating the safety of Jason’s conviction, said: “Ahmed’s evidence was effectively the evidence that convicted Jason. This new material brings that whole conviction into question.”

Jason Moore's sister Kirstie is interviewed by influencer Shaun Attwood outside the Royal Courts of Justice (Image: Charles Thomson)

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Protests

Two days after Newsquest revealed Mr Ahmed’s comments in March, protestors gathered at the Royal Courts of Justice.

On Friday, they convened outside the court once again.

“We want the CCRC to open their eyes and ears, read the evidence and hear our voices,” said Jason’s ex-partner Sandra Dumont.

“This is a serious miscarriage of justice. Jason was not in the road that day.”

“It’s a small thing to ask, to set an innocent man free, for the authorities to admit that they made a mistake,” said Jason’s mother Jenny.

The CCRC previously told this paper it had conducted a “comprehensive review” and found “no real possibility” of Jason’s conviction being overturned.

It said he was “welcome to apply for another CCRC review”.

The Metropolitan Police Service has said that the case is closed and will be reopened if significant new evidence comes to light.

Newsquest offered the audio of its interview with Mr Ahmed to the Met, but it did not accept the offer.