He Could Have Been Saved By the Skin Of His...
Gary Powell
- Region:
- East of England
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £80 + 30p per mile travel expenses
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 6th October 2025
- Tagged:
- Crime | 20Th Century History
Many will be surprised that the right of a convicted person to appeal their conviction and or sentence in the British judicial system has only been available since the early 1900’s. As with many changes in our society they often come about by ‘needing to learn from the mistakes of the past’ as our politicians love to say. This talk highlights one such case. A case of mistaken identity and wrongful conviction of an innocent man which led to the formation of the Court of Appeal. It also reminds us of the fallibility of eyewitness evidence in an age where fingerprints were yet to establish a foothold in British law and DNA, as a crime-fighting tool to convict the guilty and most importantly acquit the innocent, was seventy-five years away. I will take you through one man’s journey from riches to rags, to a criminal conviction and a prison cell, to proving his innocence. It’s a fascinating story!
Views: 70 | Enquiries: 0About Gary Powell
I am a retired detective, having served in the police for thirty-three years, mainly involved in crime investigation from murder to terrorism. I have a passion for history particularly in the field of true crime. I am a published author with seven books to my name: Square London: A Social History of the Squares of London, Death in Disguise: The Amazing True Story of the Chelsea Murders, Death Diary: A Year of London Murder, Execution, Terrorism and Treason, and Convicted: Landmark Cases in British Criminal History. I have also published an autobiography in verse: That Damned Fly and two crime thrillers: Mind the Killer and The Cutting Room. I am also a guide at St Paul's Cathedral I have presented talks to many organisations including W.I, U3a, Probus with audiences ranging from 20 to 200. I am very enthusiastic about the subjects on which I talk which I relay to an audience with humour and encourage audience participation.
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