Moss Side Murder Case Convictions Referred to Court of Appeal

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred the murder convictions of three young black men back to the court of appeal, following new evidence that challenges the foundation of their 2017 prosecution. Durrell Goodall, Reano Walters, and Trey Wilson, who were 20, 19, and 19 years old at the time of their convictions, are at the center of this controversial case linked to the legal principle known as "joint enterprise."

This case stems from the tragic murder of Abdulwahab Hafidah, who was just 18 years old when he was killed in Moss Side, a neighborhood in inner-city Manchester, in 2016. While Devonte Cantrill, aged 19, was the individual who actually committed the fatal stabbing, the legal concept of joint enterprise allowed for a total of seven defendants to be convicted of murder, alongside four others who were found guilty of manslaughter.

The joint enterprise doctrine holds that all individuals involved in a violent act can be deemed equally culpable, regardless of the level of their participation, if they are found to have intentionally encouraged or assisted the principal offender. This legal framework is often critical for establishing charges in cases of group violence, particularly when it is argued that all participants shared a common motive.

In their application to the CCRC, the defendants' legal team contended that the prosecution's portrayal of the case was rooted in racist stereotypes of black youth. They argued that the narrative of gang involvement that was presented during the trial was not only misleading but indicative of systemic racism within the police force, the prosecution, and the judicial process. The CCRC's assessment of new evidence supports these claims, suggesting that the argument for gang membership was fundamentally flawed.

During the trial, the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) introduced a rap music video and selective images from the defendants' mobile phones as evidence of their affiliation with a supposed gang named Active Only (AO). The presiding judge, Sir Peter Openshaw, instructed the jury that they could infer gang membership merely from the presence of the rap video on a defendant's phone.

The rap video, which featured some of the defendants, was characterized during the trial as a "gang video". However, it was later revealed that this video was filmed at a publicly funded youth center, which had received support from the GMP for various youth initiatives. These programs included activities aimed at encouraging young people to engage in creative pursuits such as rap music, rather than criminal behavior.

Research and reviews have consistently shown that black boys and young men are often disproportionately portrayed as gang members, leading to a higher incidence of joint enterprise prosecutions against them. In this case, the four young men were accused of collectively killing Hafidah because he was perceived to be a member of a rival gang who had entered their territory.

The CCRC is also considering a similar application from Nathaniel Williams, who was only 17 years old at the time of his conviction for murder in connection with the same incident. As the legal proceedings continue, there is a growing spotlight on the implications of joint enterprise laws and their impact on young people, especially those from minority backgrounds.

The referral of these convictions back to the court of appeal represents a pivotal moment for the defendants and raises important questions about the fairness of the UK criminal justice system. As the case unfolds, it underscores the need for a critical examination of how laws like joint enterprise are applied, particularly in situations where racial bias may influence judicial outcomes. The fight for justice continues for Goodall, Walters, Wilson, and Williams as they seek to clear their names and highlight the systemic issues within the legal framework.