The murder conviction of a man described as a hired killer for controversial property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten has been referred to the Court of Appeal, raising fresh questions about the safety of the verdict.
Robert Knapp was sentenced in 2002 to a minimum of 20 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering businessman Mohammed Raja. However, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) announced on Friday that it has decided to refer the case for appeal after concluding the conviction may be unsafe.
In a statement, the CCRC said jurors in Knapp’s trial were not given the option of returning an alternative verdict of manslaughter, which could have influenced their decision. The watchdog expressed concern that juries may feel compelled to convict for murder if no lesser charge is available, even when manslaughter may be more appropriate.
“The concern is that if manslaughter is not left as an alternative, a jury may convict someone of murder because they are responsible for a death, when manslaughter might be more appropriate,” the commission said.
The CCRC added that there is a real possibility the Court of Appeal will conclude that the jury should have been given the option to consider manslaughter, and that the absence of this option could render the murder conviction unsafe.
The Court of Appeal will now review the case and determine whether Knapp’s conviction should be upheld or overturned.
