DOCUMENTARY The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars tells the story of an innocent man failed at every turn by the criminal justice system.
Read on to find out about the TV show and how Andrew Malkinson’s conviction was overturned.
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Who is Andrew Malkinson?
Andrew Malkinson spent almost two decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
Grimsby-born Malkinson was a 37-year-old security guard at the time.
He was jailed after being wrongly accused of a violent attack and rape.
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Malkinson is now the subject of the BBC documentary The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars, which tells the story of how he was failed by the justice system.
more on false imprisonment
What was Andrew Malkinson falsely accused of?
Andrew Malkinson was accused of the violent attack and rape of a young woman in Salford in 2003, after the victim wrongly identified him in the lineup.
Six months later a jury found him guilty of rape, and sentenced him to life in prison.
This was not only a devastating failure of the judicial system for Andrew, it has also neglected to bring justice for the victim of what was an appalling crime.”
Emma Loach
After years of protest, it was later found that Malkinson was innocent.
How long did Andrew Malkinson spend in prison?
Andrew Malkinson was jailed for life, with a minimum term of seven years behind bars.
Despite this, he ended up serving a further ten years after refusing to admit to carrying out the crimes.
I’m never ever going to admit to something that I haven’t done. I don’t care if I stay in prison for the rest of my days.”
Andrew Malkinson
He maintained his innocence throughout his time inside and said he would never “falsely confess” to what he’d been wrongly accused of.
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At the time of Mr Malkinson’s trial, there was no DNA evidence linking him to the crime and the prosecution case against him was based solely on identification evidence.
But a DNA sample, held by the forensic archive, was tested and found in October 2022 to link to another man, who has since been arrested.
Andrew Malkinson was eventually released almost twenty years later.
Mr. Malkinson, having waited so many years, you leave the court a free man, no longer subject to the conditions of your life licence.”
Lord Justice Holroyde
Speaking after his conviction was overturned, Malkinson rejected an apology from Greater Manchester Police as “meaningless” and “hollow”.
We are truly sorry to Mr Malkinson that he is the victim of such a grave miscarriage of justice in being convicted of a crime he did not commit and serving a 17-year custodial sentence. Whilst we hope this outcome gives him a long overdue sense of justice, we acknowledge that it does not return the years he has lost.”
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson
The Government ordered a judge-led inquiry following his release.
How to watch The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars
The 60-minute documentary is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Licence fee payers can access the streaming service through their Smart TV, computer or on smartphones and electronic devices.
The show also receives an airing on BBC Two on Thursday, 6th June, 2024 at 9pm.
