Now Straw must act in my case, says May

BATTLE . . . Susan May is fighting cancer as well as her murder conviction

Convicted killer calls for review after football fan is freed

A ROYTON woman battling to clear her name after serving 12 years in prison for the murder of her aunt says the Justice Secretary is now honour-bound to act.

Susan May claims the fact that Jack Straw pardoned Liverpool fan Michael Shields means he must also take action in her case, and others who insist they they are victims of a miscarriages of justice.

Mrs May was jailed for 12 years in 1993 for killing her elderly aunt, Hilda Marchbank (89), at her aunt’s home in Tandle Hill Road, Royton. She still maintains her innocence, four years after she was released from prison.

Mr Shields (22) was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of attacking Bulgarian Martin Georgiev on May 30, 2005, as he travelled home from Liverpool’s Champions League Final football match in Istanbul.

In 2006, he was allowed to return to Britain to serve the remainder of his sentence, cut to 10 years on appeal.

Last week he was dramatically pardoned and released from prison by the Justice Secretary, who said important new evidence had come to light, including an oral confession to the crime from another man in front of several people.

Mrs May (64), of Dogford Road, said: “I, for one, would certainly like to sit down face-to-face with Mr Straw to show him the evidence which wholly supports my innocence.

“I will not be alone because within our jails are innocent prisoners, some still inside way over the recommended tariff yet struggling to get our justice system to take notice.

“Mr Straw will be hearing from me, although in the past I have sent numerous letters to him about my wrongful conviction and also about prison conditions from the various jails I was in.

“It will be interesting to know exactly what information the family gave Mr Straw when they met privately which in turn allowed him to do this U-turn on his previous refusal to release Michael.”

In June, the Evening Chronicle revealed that Mrs May is battling breast cancer, as well as her murder conviction, and had just finished a course of chemotherapy at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

The grandmother-of-five maintains the murder happened during a botched burglary, and she was confronted with the horrific sight of her aunt’s body when she made a regular daily visit.

Forensic evidence, including blood and fingerprints, used to convict her, has since been labelled questionable after modern scientific studies.

She has also appealed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and says she can’t rest until she clears her name.