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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Guildford Four's Gerry Conlon dies | Guildford Four's Gerry Conlon dies |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gerry Conlon, who was wrongly convicted of the 1974 Guildford IRA pub bombing, has died aged 60 after a long illness. | |
| He was one of the Guildford Four, who spent 15 years in prison before their convictions were quashed in 1989. | |
| Mr Conlon's family said his fight for justice had "forced the world's closed eyes to be opened to injustice". | |
| Mr Conlon's case was highlighted in the 1993 Oscar-nominated film In The Name Of The Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. | Mr Conlon's case was highlighted in the 1993 Oscar-nominated film In The Name Of The Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. |
| Mr Conlon was jailed for life in 1975 for the pub bombing along with Paul Hill, Carole Richardson and Paddy Armstrong. | Mr Conlon was jailed for life in 1975 for the pub bombing along with Paul Hill, Carole Richardson and Paddy Armstrong. |
| After Mr Conlon was jailed, seven other men were arrested because of a family connection to Mr Conlon. | After Mr Conlon was jailed, seven other men were arrested because of a family connection to Mr Conlon. |
| Discredited | Discredited |
| Among them was Mr Conlon's father Giuseppe, who was arrested while travelling to London from Belfast to help his son. | Among them was Mr Conlon's father Giuseppe, who was arrested while travelling to London from Belfast to help his son. |
| They became known, as the Maguire Seven and were convicted and jailed for handling explosives, based on scientific evidence which was later entirely discredited. | They became known, as the Maguire Seven and were convicted and jailed for handling explosives, based on scientific evidence which was later entirely discredited. |
| Giuseppe Conlon died in prison in 1980. | Giuseppe Conlon died in prison in 1980. |
| In October 1989, the Court of Appeal quashed the sentences of the Guildford Four amid doubts raised about the police evidence against them. | In October 1989, the Court of Appeal quashed the sentences of the Guildford Four amid doubts raised about the police evidence against them. |
| An investigation into the case by Avon and Somerset Police found serious flaws in the way Surrey Police handled the case - considered to be one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Britain. | An investigation into the case by Avon and Somerset Police found serious flaws in the way Surrey Police handled the case - considered to be one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Britain. |
| Emerging from the Appeal Court a free man, Mr Conlon declared: "I have been in prison for something I did not do. I am totally innocent." | Emerging from the Appeal Court a free man, Mr Conlon declared: "I have been in prison for something I did not do. I am totally innocent." |
| The sentences given the Maguire Seven were later overturned by the Court of Appeal in June 1991. | The sentences given the Maguire Seven were later overturned by the Court of Appeal in June 1991. |
| In 2005, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a public apology to the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven for the miscarriages of justice they had suffered. | |
| 'Darkest hours' | 'Darkest hours' |
| Mr Conlon died at his home in the Falls Road area of west Belfast after a long illness. | Mr Conlon died at his home in the Falls Road area of west Belfast after a long illness. |
| In a statement issued through his lawyer Gareth Peirce, Mr Conlon's family said: "He brought life, love, intelligence, wit and strength to our family through its darkest hours. | In a statement issued through his lawyer Gareth Peirce, Mr Conlon's family said: "He brought life, love, intelligence, wit and strength to our family through its darkest hours. |
| "He helped us to survive what we were not meant to survive. | "He helped us to survive what we were not meant to survive. |
| "We recognise that what he achieved by fighting for justice for us had a far, far greater importance - it forced the world's closed eyes to be opened to injustice; it forced unimaginable wickedness to be acknowledged; we believe it changed the course of history. | "We recognise that what he achieved by fighting for justice for us had a far, far greater importance - it forced the world's closed eyes to be opened to injustice; it forced unimaginable wickedness to be acknowledged; we believe it changed the course of history. |
| "We thank him for his life and we thank all his many friends for their love." | "We thank him for his life and we thank all his many friends for their love." |
| SDLP assembly member Alex Attwood said: "He'd given an awful lot but yet had so much more to give. | SDLP assembly member Alex Attwood said: "He'd given an awful lot but yet had so much more to give. |
| "What he learned from his time in prison and campaign for release was the importance of not only raging against his own injustice but fighting for those who had also suffered miscarriages of justice." | "What he learned from his time in prison and campaign for release was the importance of not only raging against his own injustice but fighting for those who had also suffered miscarriages of justice." |
| Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: "Gerry and his father Giuseppe were two of the most infamous examples of miscarriages of justice by the British political and judicial system." | Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: "Gerry and his father Giuseppe were two of the most infamous examples of miscarriages of justice by the British political and judicial system." |