0:00
Of course, whenever there is a miscarriage of justice like this, that hardy perennial topic
0:06
should we bring back the death penalty, hits the news headlines again
0:10
And actually, I've just been discussing with my panel and some of them were saying they've been in favour of it
0:15
Something like this happens and they realise that we should not have the death penalty
0:20
What's your assessment? My view has always been that if you do restore the death penalty, and I'm in favour of that
0:27
if you do restore it, then you need to say that for the death penalty to be enacted
0:33
there must be direct evidence, either clear and irrefutable DNA evidence or somebody being caught in the act or somebody like some of the terrorists having done it
0:46
and then boast about it afterwards and don't deny it. Now, if you have that, then you have a safe bar
0:53
What you have here, and DNA was in its infancy in 1986, it was the first year it was ever
1:00
used at convicted Colin Pitchfork. It was in his infancy and it wasn't used in this
1:05
case And now it is DNA of course which has exonerated him And what is more all the evidence was circumstantial People had seen him coming from a fire and the fire in question was concerned the dead girl clothes It was circumstantial
1:24
He'd been seen in that area. There was nothing direct at all, except that he did confess
1:32
and then withdrew the confession and then confessed again and then withdrew it
1:35
But that aside, there was no direct evidence. So I'm very comfortable with having the death penalty back
1:41
It would have been very difficult, though, Anne, under these circumstances, to tell the parents of Diane Sindel
1:47
the killer of your beautiful 21-year-old daughter, we're not going to end his life because the weight of evidence isn't quite right
1:57
It's a very slippery slope, isn't it? No, I mean, the parameters are very clear
2:02
When we did have the death penalty, not every murderer. was executed. There were very clear lines drawn what constituted capital murder and what constituted
2:11
other murder. Very clear lines indeed. So, no, I mean, obviously it would be very difficult
2:17
always is difficult, telling the relatives in this case, you know, I mean, heaven help us
2:22
A man has been in jail who isn't guilty. The man who is guilty may well still be wandering around
2:28
Absolutely. That's the next question, isn't it
