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'It shattered me': Winston Trew on the decades-long fight to clear his name 'It shattered me': Winston Trew on the decades-long fight to clear his name
(about 1 hour later)
“I am out of prison but the conviction is still on my record,” a 23-year-old Winston Trew told his local south London paper when he was released from jail in 1973. “We wanted to clear our names. The wounds are too painful to leave it at that. Prison was horrible. At first we were full of hope that we would be released but everything seemed to drag on … I shall try to get some redress for my bitter experience.”“I am out of prison but the conviction is still on my record,” a 23-year-old Winston Trew told his local south London paper when he was released from jail in 1973. “We wanted to clear our names. The wounds are too painful to leave it at that. Prison was horrible. At first we were full of hope that we would be released but everything seemed to drag on … I shall try to get some redress for my bitter experience.”
He could hardly have imagined that it would be another 46 years before that redress finally arrived.He could hardly have imagined that it would be another 46 years before that redress finally arrived.
'Oval Four' could have decades-long convictions overturned'Oval Four' could have decades-long convictions overturned
Born in Jamaica in 1950, Trew was the son of a police officer in what was still a colonial force. His parents came to England in the early 1950s as part of the Windrush generation. Winston, his older sister and two younger brothers joined them in London shortly afterwards.Born in Jamaica in 1950, Trew was the son of a police officer in what was still a colonial force. His parents came to England in the early 1950s as part of the Windrush generation. Winston, his older sister and two younger brothers joined them in London shortly afterwards.
After leaving school and having embarked on a government training course in electrical engineering, he became involved in politics. In 1970, he joined the Fasimbas (Young Lions), the youth wing of an organisation called the South East London Parents’ Organisation. One of their roles was educating youngsters of Caribbean origin about their backgrounds and history and helping those with reading problems as part of their education at a supplementary school.After leaving school and having embarked on a government training course in electrical engineering, he became involved in politics. In 1970, he joined the Fasimbas (Young Lions), the youth wing of an organisation called the South East London Parents’ Organisation. One of their roles was educating youngsters of Caribbean origin about their backgrounds and history and helping those with reading problems as part of their education at a supplementary school.
On the night of his arrest, Trew had been at a meeting in north London and was on his way home. The effect of his arrest and imprisonment was enormous.On the night of his arrest, Trew had been at a meeting in north London and was on his way home. The effect of his arrest and imprisonment was enormous.
“It shattered me,” he said this week. “My marriage broke up. I lost confidence and I felt incredibly lonely.” His father had died in 1959 and the trial and sentence caused great distress to his mother. Derek Ridgewell was the detective sergeant who led the arrests.“It shattered me,” he said this week. “My marriage broke up. I lost confidence and I felt incredibly lonely.” His father had died in 1959 and the trial and sentence caused great distress to his mother. Derek Ridgewell was the detective sergeant who led the arrests.
Trew said: “Ridgewell threw a hand grenade into my life and shattered it but I am not a person who gives up easily. Over the years I managed to rebuild my life and restore my confidence.”Trew said: “Ridgewell threw a hand grenade into my life and shattered it but I am not a person who gives up easily. Over the years I managed to rebuild my life and restore my confidence.”
After jail, he worked briefly for Aims of Industry whose head, Michael Ivens, was active in the Howard League for Penal Reform. He also wrote for Time Out and City Limits magazines on such topics as the “sus” laws, the Notting Hill carnival riots and the 1981 New Cross fire in which 13 young black people died. It was through a news story in Time Out in 1980 that he first learned that Ridgewell had been arrested but he was told that an appeal at that stage had little chance of success. After jail, he worked briefly for Aims of Industry whose head, Michael Ivens, was active in the Howard League for Penal Reform. He also wrote for Time Out and City Limits magazines on such topics as the “sus” laws – which enabled police officers to stop and search members of the public even if they had no hard evidence that a crime had been committed – the Notting Hill carnival riots and the 1981 New Cross fire in which 13 young black people died. It was through a news story in Time Out in 1980 that he first learned that Ridgewell had been arrested but he was told that an appeal at that stage had little chance of success.
He took a degree in social sciences at the North East London Polytechnic (now the University of East London) and went into youth work for a number of years before joining South Bank University as a lecturer in social sciences from 1987 to 2000. He suffered a stroke in 2003 and, as part of his recovery, he researched his case again, using the Freedom of Information Act and found out that Ridgewell had died in prison. His book on the case, Black for a Cause, was published in 2010.He took a degree in social sciences at the North East London Polytechnic (now the University of East London) and went into youth work for a number of years before joining South Bank University as a lecturer in social sciences from 1987 to 2000. He suffered a stroke in 2003 and, as part of his recovery, he researched his case again, using the Freedom of Information Act and found out that Ridgewell had died in prison. His book on the case, Black for a Cause, was published in 2010.
“When I got the report from the CCRC [Criminal Cases Review Commission] last week I felt that all my hard work had paid off,” said Trew, who still lives in south London with his second wife, Hyacinth, a retired civil servant, whom he married in 1984. “When I met Hyacinth in 1976, she told me that I was an angry young man, and that clearing my name and my mind of Ridgewell became an obsession. It was an obsession that has driven me to this moment.”“When I got the report from the CCRC [Criminal Cases Review Commission] last week I felt that all my hard work had paid off,” said Trew, who still lives in south London with his second wife, Hyacinth, a retired civil servant, whom he married in 1984. “When I met Hyacinth in 1976, she told me that I was an angry young man, and that clearing my name and my mind of Ridgewell became an obsession. It was an obsession that has driven me to this moment.”
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