New Evidence Presented At Appeal
The following evidence was available and called to the court's attention in the 1997 appeal.
- Evidence demonstrating that Graham Stafford could not have committed the murder at the time when the Crown contended he had had the opportunity to do so was available to police at the time. This included transcripts of interviews with four separate witnesses and a shopping docket and car wash receipt showing incompatible times.
- Experts disputed that the blood evidence was consistent with the Crown's case due to the lack of a substantial amount of blood and the lack of a foul smell from the boot.
- The hair found on a sponge in Stafford's car boot was not found by the officer taking evidence. It was found during a laboratory examination after the sponge had been on the floor.
- The time of death based on the maggot's development was changed to Tuesday morning from the original Wednesday evening estimate due to an incorrect ambient temperature reading. Stafford was at work on the Tuesday.
- The trial judge referred to "large quantities of blood" around the house. This is inconsistent with the very small amount of blood found in the bathroom, which was consistent with ordinary household use.
- Several relevant pieces of information relating to the tyre tracks and the missing hammer were either not presented or were misrepresented during the trial. The type of tyre tracks found at the murder scene was also quite common.
Read more about this topic: Graham Stafford
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