Miscarriage of Justice: The Wrongful Conviction of The Birmingham Six
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Still tastes the same like back in the day. Right now get two pieces of chicken starting at only $2.99 or 10 pieces starting at only $10.99. Church's. Offer valid at participating locations. November 21st, 1974. Birmingham, England. Three friends are getting ready for a night at the local pub. One of them is holding the others up. He's got to get his hair just right. Elsewhere in Birmingham, two people prepare for a blind date.

A group of bar mates heads downtown for their weekly pint. World War II veterans share war stories at the Mulberry Bush, a pub at the foot of the city's iconic Rotunda building. Newlyweds sit at a table and chart the rest of their lives. On the street, two teenagers walk by another one of Birmingham's popular bars, the tavern in the town. Then, in an instant, all of their lives change forever.

At 8:17 that evening, a bomb exploded inside the Mulberry Bush. Then, minutes later, a second bomb detonated inside "Tabern in the Town." The first blast blew a 40-inch hole in the concrete floor. Shrapnel flew across Mulberry Bush, and large wooden splinters impaled those who were not killed in the explosion. Part of the roof caved in, trapping those still clinging to life.

Several victims died on the scene. Others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital later on. Two teenagers who were walking by the pub were blown away when the bomb went off. Moments later, police officers arrived at Tavern in the town with dreadful news. They tried to evacuate, but it was simply too late. The second explosion at Tavern was so powerful that it sent some patrons flying clean through the exterior brick wall.

Constable Brian Yates, who was among the first officers on the scene, described it like a war zone. Bodies were piled on top of each other. Survivors screamed, while others walked around, dazed and with severed limbs. It was like the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. For some men inside the respective pubs, the World War II comparisons were all too real. Tavern in the town was close enough to Mulberry Bush that those inside could hear the blast.

Some must have thought it was a car accident. One survivor described the sound as a muffled thump. Others, especially those who'd been watching the news, knew that a terrorist attack was plausible, if not probable. At the time, England and Ireland were locked in a violent conflict known as the Troubles. The clash between Northern Irish Protestants and Irish Catholic Nationalists saw violence spread throughout the country.

Much of it spilled across the Channel and into England, with some attacks reaching as far as mainland Europe. With it came the rise of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, better known as the IRA. The paramilitary group had already set off several bombs between Ireland and England. Imagine if something similar happened in Boston or Philadelphia shortly after 9/11. Who do you think everyone would blame?

The people of England were right to blame the IRA for the deaths of 21 people and the permanent mental and physical scarring of nearly 200 more. However, they wrongfully convicted six innocent men who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're known as the Birmingham Six: Hugh Callahan, Patrick Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power, and John Walker.

All six were sentenced to 21 life terms in jail for a crime they didn't commit. They were brutalized by anti-Irish police officers. They were convicted in the public eye by anti-Irish sentiment. And they were jailed based on fabricated evidence and shoddy forensic testing. After their 1975 trial, the conviction was seen as a win for England in the fight against terrorism.

Today, it's regarded as one of the grossest miscarriages of justice in modern human history. How did six innocent men get wrapped up in one of England's most violent terrorist attacks? Why did it take so long to finally set them free? And if they didn't plant the bombs at Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town that night, then who did? Part 1: The Troubles The Troubles were, well, a troubling time for Northern Ireland.

For 30 years, violence infected every inch of land between Belfast and Dublin. Car bombings, assassinations, and revenge killings soon spilled into England, leading to the Birmingham bombing in 1974. But the troubles didn't spawn from nothing in the 1960s. They were seeded by centuries of religious conflict between Catholic Ireland and Protestant England.

Thousands were killed, injured, and maimed in the name of a United Kingdom or a United Ireland. In the 1920s, Ireland broke from England after three years of intense guerrilla warfare. It split into two countries: the Republic of Ireland, which included 26 of the 32 Irish counties, and Northern Ireland, which embodied the remainder. The former was almost entirely Catholic.

while the latter was primarily Protestant, with a few Catholics mixed in. Northern Ireland was also under Protestant English rule. The small Catholic pockets complained of mistreatment and discrimination, ultimately splitting Northern Ireland in half. On one side, you had Catholic nationalists, on the other, you had Protestant loyalists.

Think of it as Northern Ireland's version of the Civil Rights Movement, only this time, it was Irish Catholics who were fighting for equal rights. Some historians say the troubles officially began on October 5th, 1968, when police officers charged protesters, cut off their escape route, and beat them senselessly in the street.

Others say the conflict began on January 1st, 1966. Though this is more of a formal date for the sake of English legislature. So, where does the IRA fit into all of this? The Provisional Irish Republican Army, or the IRA, was a paramilitary force that wanted to end Protestant English rule in Northern Ireland. They're a terrorist group in the eyes of the US and the UK.

Ireland considers them an unlawful organization. The IRA doesn't care either way. They reject all authority other than their own. They were the most active armed organization between 1960 and 1990 and, according to the BBC, were responsible for over 1,700 deaths during the Troubles. Bombs were their specialty.

the IRA could rig anything to blow. From cars and trucks, to briefcases and boxes of crackers, to their credit, the IRA did its best to target military and political assets. When they did attack civilian buildings, members would call to warn local police departments with a secret phrase. The code word "XX", according to some sources, was only known between the IRA and the police.

When the caller said "XX", officers in that area knew the threat was legitimate. They'd evacuate the building. Then, about 30 minutes later, kaboom! The IRA quickly learned that civilian deaths were counterproductive to their cause. There is a bomb planted at the Rotunda and a bomb planted in New Street at the tax office. This is XX. The caller hung up, and our operator quickly jotted down the time: 8:11 PM.

Six minutes later, Mulberry Bush was blown to bits. According to multiple reports and his own admission, Michael Joseph Murray, better known as Mick Murray, was supposed to call much earlier. Mick was an IRA member tried alongside the Birmingham Six. Unlike the Six, Mick was directly involved in the planning, targeting, and execution of the pub bombings.

In 2014, the Birmingham Mail officially named Mick as the mastermind. Unfortunately, he'd been dead since 1999, and there was no way of proving his involvement. They claim Mick chose the targets and helped build the bombs. They also claim he was the one who called the station that night. In his book, "Error of Judgment: Truth About the Birmingham Bombings," author and labor politician Chris Mullen interviewed Mick about the attack.

During that interview, Mick claimed that the original phone box he was going to use was vandalized. He had to hunt for another, which took roughly 20 minutes. By the time he found one and called, it was too late. At the time, about 100,000 Irish people lived in Birmingham, England. All of them suffered under intense anti-Irish sentiment as the police looked for someone to blame.

They saw rocks and firebombs smash through windows of their homes and businesses. Death threats and physical altercations often followed verbal abuse. At airports, staff refused to service flights between England and Ireland for fear of further violence. You were the enemy if you had an Irish accent. Just ask Bridget Riley.

an Irish mother who'd lost both her sons when Tavern in the Town exploded. English shop owners refused to serve her, believing she sympathized with the bombers in some strange way. Two days after the attack, the IRA released a statement denying their involvement. If anything, a rogue IRA affiliate carried out the unsanctioned attack. To this day, the IRA has never taken responsibility for the Birmingham bombings.

though multiple members have come out and said otherwise. For example, the IRA's former spymaster, Kieran Conway, told West Midlands Police that the IRA sanctioned, planned, and executed the bombings. Furthermore, they knew the Birmingham Six were innocent the whole time.

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Simplify your operations, enhance your customer experience, and grow your business, all with Shopify POS. Want more? Check it out at shopify.com slash crimehub, all lowercase, and learn how to create the best retail experiences without complexity. Shopify.com slash crimehub. Part 3. Funerals and Forensics The story of the Birmingham Six begins with the bomb maker named James McDade.

McDade was a UK-based member of the IRA. Think of him like a mole on the inside, planting and detonating bombs around England in the name of a united Ireland. On November 14th, 1974, seven days before the pub bombings, McDade was killed while planting an explosive at the postal sorting office in Coventry, England. As the story goes, the device exploded prematurely, killing McDade on the spot.

Irish Republicans wanted to bury McDade in Birmingham as a sign of protest. England, obviously, didn't like that. Any act of protest or sign of sympathy involving McDade would be met with police action. On the afternoon of the bombings, McDade's body was flown from Birmingham airport to Dublin. His funeral was scheduled in Belfast for November 23rd.

Hugh Callahan, Patrick Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power, and John Walker, also known as the Birmingham Six, were childhood friends with McDade. While they didn't share the same IRA sympathies, they still wanted to say goodbye to their pal. Around 8:00 PM on the 21st, five of the six boarded a train at New Street Station en route to Hesham, England, a coastal city with ferry service to Belfast.

The only man to stay behind was Hugh Callahan. He was drinking at a different pub when the bombs went off. When news of the explosion broke, the booking clerk at the New Street station recalled a man with a thick Irish accent purchasing tickets for himself and his mates. Three hours after the bombings, police in Haysham located Patrick, Gerard, Richard, William and John and escorted them back to the station.

The Six told a half-truth when asked why they were going to Belfast. They said they were traveling to visit family. They left out the part about McDade's funeral. Knowing his IRA ties made him a hot topic. It's unclear if they knew about the bombings before their arrest in Heysham. The plan was simple. Police would perform a routine forensic test on their hands to eliminate them as suspects.

The test, known as a grease test, looked for nitrates on their hands and under their nails. A positive result meant the men had handled explosives. Frank Skous, a forensic scientist based in Lancashire, conducted the tests. Based on the results, Skous determined with 99% certainty that Patrick Hill and William Power had handled explosives that night.

Oddly, John Walker's right hand tested positive, while his left did not. Gerard Hunter and Richard McIlkenny's tests came back negative. Each man was ordered to strip and change clothes. While searching John Walker's pockets, police found prayer cards printed for McDade's funeral. Not only had they caught the men in a lie, but police also proved they were traveling out of respect for a known IRA member.

Police took Walker into a nearby room, where he was kicked and punched repeatedly. Some of the officers allegedly burned him with lit cigarettes. Hunter, McIlkenny, Hill, and Power suffered similar beatings, though the officers took care not to harm their faces. Doing so would leave obvious signs of police brutality. Back in Birmingham, Hugh Callahan had no idea that his mates were being beaten 130 miles away in Haitian.

He was arrested on the evening of November 22nd, after police practically kicked down his door. He was beaten senseless like the others. Officers deprived him of sleep and food. They even put their German shepherds on him, knowing Callahan was terrified of dogs. "I still have nightmares about it," he said years later.

The officers ordered the dogs to attack, but would pull them back at the last second. From the day he was released until the day he died in 2023, Callahan would cross the street if he saw somebody coming with a shepherd. Within 72 hours of the bombings, Callahan, McIlkenny, and Walker were conned into signing false confessions.

In them, they claimed to be IRA members who were conspiring with James McDade to attack Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town. Hill and Hunter were the only ones who refused to sign the fake confessions. Unfortunately, it didn't matter at that point. Officers claimed they confessed verbally and were considered guilty by association.

On November 24th, 1974, each of the six was formally charged with the murder of 17-year-old Jane Davis, who died when Tavern in the Town exploded. The charge was a blatant attempt to stir public outrage. By then, police knew the ages and identities of other people killed in the bombings. Charging them with the death of a 17-year-old was more strategy than justice.

When news spread of their arrest, the IRA released a second statement claiming that none of the six had ever been members. The statement went on to say that, "If any IRA members had carried out such attacks, they would be court-martialed and could face the death penalty." Attacks like this in Birmingham are murder. The Birmingham Six remained in prison until their trial in May of 1975.

For six months, they were subject to further abuse and beatings at the hands of wardens and prison guards. In December of 1974, an independent investigation recommended that over a dozen guards be charged with assault. They were suspended a year later, but found not guilty on 90 separate misconduct charges. A pretrial hearing officially charged the six with 21 counts of murder.

Three other men, Mick Murray, James Gavin, and Michael Sheehan, were also tried alongside the Six. We already know about Mick Murray. Gavin and Sheehan were in a similar boat. They were known IRA associates with more obvious ties than the Birmingham Six. They, however, were not charged with murder. Instead, the Crown charged Murray, Gavin, and Sheehan with conspiracy to cause explosions and possessing explosives.

The Six, Gavin and Sheehan, denied all charges levied against them. Mick Murray famously remained silent throughout the entire trial. The case against The Six leaned on three crucial categories: the grease tests, their confessions, and their plans to attend an IRA member's funeral. The prosecution wanted the jury to believe the pub bombings were retribution for the death of James McDade.

even though it was well documented that McDade killed himself. It didn't help that the Six lied about why they were traveling to Belfast. But can you blame them? The defense team called Dr. Hugh Black to the stand to debunk the grease tests. Black was the former chief inspector of explosives for the Home Office, the UK's version of Homeland Security.

According to him, Dr. Skoos' tests were unreliable because a range of innocuous substances and objects could trigger a positive result. For example, nitrocellulose is common in many paints and varnishes used in pubs and pub furniture. All six men were frequent pub-goers, so it would make sense that small traces might be found on their hands. You'd find similar nitrates in fungicides, insecticides, and petrol additives.

It's also easy for ammonium ions and nitrate ions to come together naturally on your hands. Remember that Skoos only found traces on two of the five men tested. According to witnesses on the train, the men were jolly and playing cards. If that's true, then whatever was on one man's hand would easily be on all of their hands. It would be on the cards too. Yet, grease tests on the deck came back negative.

Forensic scientists couldn't run subsequent tests on the cards because they had been mislaid. If nitrates were not on the cards or the hands of all five men, isn't it possible that Patrick Hill and William Power came into contact with the substance after leaving the train and before arriving at the police station? In Black's professional opinion, Skoos' initial grease tests didn't prove anything.

Next were the false confessions the Birmingham Six were forced to sign in custody. Their lawyers argued for a week, without the jury present, why the confessions should not be admitted into evidence. They were extorted under extreme physical and mental pressure. Furthermore, they didn't offer any information that police didn't already know or couldn't surmise themselves. They also contradicted each other regarding details about the bombings.

The judge ultimately allowed the confessions as evidence. However, he barred the jury from reading them. The ruling ultimately sealed the men's fate. Had the jury been able to read those confessions, they would have noticed all the contradictions between the letters and accepted expert testimony. For example, in William Power's confession, he claims he planted the Mulberry Bush bomb near a jukebox at the bottom of a staircase.

That would have contradicted the testimony of Douglas Higgs, a forensic scientist who showed the bomb was planted by a wall near the rear of the building. In Power's statement, he claims he alone planted the bomb at Mulberry Bush. In Callahan's, he claims it was himself and Hunter. Walker's statement puts Hunter and himself at Tavern in the Town. Meanwhile, McIlkenny claims he and Hill did that job.

Their confessions also stated that the bombs were placed in plastic bags, which was consistent with other IRA bombs detonated in England. However, investigations of both sites found D-type handles among the debris, suggesting the bombs were in suitcases, not bags. The only cohesive thread in their story was their mistreatment by police. Gerard Hunter described how he was slapped, punched, and tortured after his arrest.

They deprived him of sleep and food and claimed his house was surrounded by an angry mob that was ready to kill his wife and children. At one point, police officers threatened him with a gun and dangled a noose in front of his face. He believed that signing the confession would end his torture and save his family. So he did it. John Walker told a similar story.

During the trial, he showed the jury his foot, which was still swollen from the beatings and cigarette burns. On his way back to Birmingham, one officer punched him unconscious. That's why he's the only member of the six to appear with a black eye. Like Hunter, officers told him his family would be protected if he signed the confession. According to Patrick Hill, officers stuck an unloaded gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

Hill obviously didn't know the gun wasn't loaded at the time. William Power talked about the police threatening to throw him from a moving car on the motorway. If anybody asked, they'd simply say that Power was trying to escape. As for Richard McIlkenny, he testified that "I was punched and slapped, and eventually I broke down completely." He confessed because he'd given up and couldn't take anymore.

According to all their wives, the men were unrecognizable when they were finally allowed to see them in prison. Walker had lost four teeth in a savage beating. A few of them were burned with scalding hot water. At the time, the Birmingham Six trial was the largest mass murder case in British history.

That changed after the London bombings of 2005, when four Islamic extremists killed 52 and injured 800 in a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks on the metro system. After 45 days, the jury finally retired to determine a verdict. On the morning of August 15th, 1975, they returned with a unanimous decision.

The Birmingham Six were found guilty on a combined 126 murder charges. Before sentencing each man to life in prison, the judge looked down from the bench and said, "You have been convicted on the clearest and most overwhelming evidence I have ever heard in a case of murder." As for the remaining three defendants, Mick Murray was found guilty of conspiracy and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Michael Sheehan was found guilty of conspiracy and possessing explosives and given concurrent terms of 9 and 5 years. James Kelly was only found guilty of possessing explosives. The judge let him walk, claiming the 12 months he'd already spent in jail was punishment enough. In summary, six men with no IRA ties were sentenced to life in prison for crimes they didn't commit.

Meanwhile, three men with proven IRA ties and who, in all likelihood, actually committed the pub bombings, received a slap on the wrist. From then on, it was an uphill battle for the Birmingham Six. A corrupt legal system kept them behind bars. Judges who refused to admit they were wrong laughed in the face of their appeals. All hope was lost. Then, a determined journalist took another look at their case.

He knew they were innocent. Now, he just had to prove it. Time to move? Skip the hassles of selling during the holiday season and sell your home directly to Opendoor. Request an all-cash offer in minutes, close, and get paid in days. You can even pick your close date so you can move after New Year's. Start your move at Opendoor.com or download the Opendoor app.

Opendoor is represented by Opendoor Brokerage Inc., licensed 02061130 in California, and Opendoor Brokerage LLC in its other markets. Terms and conditions apply. Part 4: Guilty until proven innocent. Chris Mullen is an English labor politician and author born to an Irish Catholic mother and a Scottish Protestant father.

Chris was perfectly in the middle regarding the Birmingham Six, the Troubles, and general English sentiment between the 1970s and the 1980s. As a journalist, he traveled between England, Russia, and China, though he spent much of his time covering and criticizing America's war effort in Vietnam. In the 1980s, Chris worked for Granada Television, a public station servicing northwestern England and the Isle of Man.

Specifically, he wrote for World in Action, a program specializing in investigative journalism. Think of it like 48 hours or 60 minutes. At its peak, World in Action drew in over 23 million viewers, almost half of England's population. Their reports were gospel, so all of England paid attention when they suggested that the Birmingham Six might be innocent.

In 1985, an episode of World in Action aired called "In the Interests of Justice." It was the worst of many exposés investigating the validity and safety of their convictions. A year later, Chris's book, "Error of Judgment: The Truth About the Birmingham Pub Bombings," laid out a detailed case for why the men were innocent. Chris claims he tracked down and interviewed the actual bombers in the book. He, however, refused to name them.

causing some controversy over journalistic integrity and whether or not someone can be forced to reveal their sources. Until then, every appeal attempt by the Birmingham Six was laughed out of court. Even after Chris's book came out, English judges refused to see what was right in front of them. They dismissed appeal after appeal, claiming the convictions were safe and satisfactory.

Several books, TV shows, and documentaries were released between 1988 and 1991, offering new insight and evidence into the case. At this point, it was irrefutable that police fabricated and suppressed evidence during the initial trial. The confessions didn't hold up under the slightest scrutiny, and Dr. Skous' test results crumbled upon a second look.

In fact, Skous' entire career had already fallen apart by the mid-1980s. During the World in Action episode on the Birmingham Six, new forensic techniques showed that his grease tests were flawed and negligent. In 1985, he was ordered to retire on the grounds of limited efficiency. In 1994, he attempted to sue Granada for libel, but abandoned the case later that year.

Scuse wasn't the only Englishman upset with the pro-Birmingham Six sentiment. One of England's most celebrated judges, Lord Thomas Denning, wanted to keep them locked up. While speaking about the Six, he said, "It is better that some innocent men remain in jail than that the integrity of the English judicial system be impugned." Denning himself laughed at the idea of police corruption in the Birmingham Six case.

calling it such an appalling vista that every sensible person in the land would say that it cannot be right. As more support came in for the Six in the late 80s and early 90s, Denning complained that the men should have just been hanged, as they'd have been forgotten and the whole community would be satisfied. To Denning's demise, the Birmingham Six were not hanged.

They walked free on March 14th, 1991, after an appeals court determined their convictions were unsafe in the light of fresh scientific evidence. Ten years later, the six were awarded compensation for their time in jail, ranging from 840,000 to 1.2 million pounds. Richard McIlkenny passed away from cancer in 2006. He died in the hospital surrounded by loved ones and family.

Hugh Callahan passed away in May 2023 at the ripe age of 93. The remaining four are still alive as of 2024. Gerard Hunter moved to Portugal. John Walker returned to Ireland. And Patrick Hill and William Power chose to stay in England. But if the six didn't bomb Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town, then who did? Unfortunately, we may never know for sure. Part 5: Open and Ongoing

The only person alive who allegedly knows the true identity of the Birmingham bombers is Chris Mullen. Like any good journalist, he refuses to reveal his sources. In 2019, England launched a brand new investigation into the bombings. Police wanted Chris to name the men he interviewed for his 1986 book. To their dismay, he was only comfortable naming those who had already died. According to Mullen, four men were responsible for the bombs that night.

The first was James Francis Gavin, a known IRA member with a long list of convictions. He died in 2002. The second was Mick Murray, who passed away in 1999. The Birmingham Mail may have named him in 2014, but Chris's revelation was considered more solid proof. While he was convicted alongside the Birmingham Six, he was never charged with murder. He left prison after serving nine years.

While in jail, Murray allegedly confessed his involvement to one of the six. He said, "Sorry to see you lads in here. Nothing went right that night. The first telephone box was out of order." During their meeting, Murray told Mullen that he was the bomb maker. He's also confirmed that he was the one who called the Birmingham Mail that night to warn of the bombs. Mullens later confirmed the identity of a third man, Michael Hayes, who was still alive in Ireland in 2019.

Michael denies direct involvement, instead claiming collective responsibility for the bombings. He was an active IRA member in the West Midlands in 1974 and, according to sources, was the one-time quartermaster for IRA English operations. The fourth bomber, known only as the Young Planter, has never been identified, at least not by Chris Mullen.

A former IRA bomber known as Witness O testified in 2019 regarding the fourth man. He identified him as Seamus McLoughlin, who was believed to be the head of the Birmingham IRA in 1974. While Seamus likely knew about the bombings, there's no indication that he was the young planter. It may not matter anymore, as Seamus has since passed away.

In March of 2022, a judge ruled that Chris could not be forced to reveal the young planter's identity. As of 2024, the man is still alive. The following is based on Chris' interview with him in the mid-1980s. He claims an IRA member approached him and said, "You're needed for an operation." He followed the man to a house where he saw two bombs stashed behind the sofa. One was in a luggage case, the other was in a duffel bag.

The man handed him the duffel bag and a pistol and told him the bomb was meant for the tax office next to Tavern in the Town. He told the young planter there'd be plenty of warning and not to worry. "Those people will be well out of there." The young planter went with Murray, Gavin, or Hayes to Tavern in the Town. He grabbed a table and sat with his duffel bag while the accomplice ordered two drinks. He was shitting himself as they sipped their drinks like nothing was wrong.

Then, they got up and left, leaving the bomb under the chair. They repeated the same song and dance at Mulberry Bush. Minutes later, 21 people were dead. Hundreds more were maimed and injured. For the surviving victims and the families of those who died, it's beginning to feel like time is running out. As of October 2024, the investigation into the Birmingham bombings is open and ongoing.

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