London - A former British hospital porter who has served 17 years in prison for a double murder was cleared of the crime by London's Court of Appeal yesterday.
Mr Peter Fell, who originally confessed to but later denied the killings of Ann Lee (44) and Margaret Johnson (65), was freed on bail last December pending the hearing of his appeal. The court, which had been told the prosecution conceded Fell's confessions were unreliable, upheld the appeal and said it would give reasons for its decision later.
The two women were attacked and stabbed to death while walking their dogs on Aldershot Common in southern England on May 10th, 1982.
"I have just got to put this behind me and start afresh," Mr Fell said after the ruling. He was originally from Accrington, Lancashire, and had worked as a porter in a Bournemouth hospital. He was given a life sentence at Winchester Crown Court in August 1984.