Freedom for Tim Caines

      Campaign Launched Friday May 23rd 2003 - In Carrs Lane Church Centre Birmingham

      On Friday May 23rd 2003 relatives,friends and supporters of Tim Caines, a Birmingham man serving life for the 1994 murder of local solicitor Colin Hickman, launched a campaign to overturn his wrongful conviction. Tim Caines was convicted on May 24th 1995.

      Campaign Launch was attended by

Dawn Caines, Tim's sister and campaign spokesperson.
Dr. Lynne Jones MP, a longstanding supporter of Tim Caines.
Johnny Slaney, father of Warren Slaney who has an application at the CCRC
Tony Powell, a very close friend of Tim's and member of Freedom For Tim Caines.

       Following the Campaign launch a second application was presented at the CCRC offices at Alpha Tower by Dawn Caines and Lynne Jones MP.

Send a letter of Solidarity to:
Timothy Caines 
HV1270
HMP Rye Hill                    
Willoughby
Warwickshire
CV23 8S

       On 1 March 1994, a Coventry solicitor was murdered in his home. There was no witnesses to the fatal attack but his common-law-wife did witness the assailant running from the scene.
      She described him as six foot plus with blonde hair and white. Tim is around five foot ten, with black hair and black skinned.
      The Victim was known to Tim as a business associate and -a friend. Tim admits he was at the house just before the attack as he had been led there by a gunman who was interested in the victims business dealings. The men that led Tim to the house were unknown to him, and says that if he did know them he would have no problems with giving their names to the police.
      Initially Tim did lie to the police about his association with the victim. This was to both protect himself and also the reputation of Colin Hickman (the victim).
      As a financial adviser, Tim helped his clients with investments and not all of them were declared for tax. He fully accepts that this was illegal practice and were charges of tax evasion brought against him he would plead guilty. The dead man was also heavily involved in these dealings and this was the reason for Tim not telling the truth. He did not want to discredit a dead man who was also his friend.
     Tim's case is very complex and to try to condense it to fit into this limited space would not be possible and would not benefit Tim and his fight for the truth about what happened on the night of 1st March 1994, to clear his name and to ultimately bring the killer(s) of Colin Hickman to justice.

J
 Jury: "A group of twelve people chosen to render a verdict on the basis of evidence submitted to them in a court of law". In Tim's case the jury was reduced to ten, and he was then convicted by a majority of nine. One juror was dismissed after it was discovered (by Tim) that they were a neighbour of the dock officer and they were passing notes to each other during the trial.
U
 Unfounded "Having no foundation": In Tim's case there was no forensic evidence against him. The victim was stabbed repeatedly and the injury that killed him was to the carotid artery, this injury would have caused the blood to spurt for a considerable distance, and therefore covering the assailant in blood. This was not the case with Tim's clothing. Also the knife that was supposed to be the murder weapon was found the next day "as if placed" in a nearby drive way. It was described as being weathered, but how could this be when it was only supposed to have been used the day before? At trial it was admitted that is was not necessarily the murder weapon.
S
 Scapegoat: "A person bearing the blame for others". Tim has been blamed for the killing of Colin Hickman. He is convicted of the actions of others. He was told by the police that they knew he didn't commit the crime, but he would do as it was "another black off the streets". We all know of the racism in our police force.
T
 Travesty: "A grotesque misrepresentation of something that is an account of the real thing". As- Tim had admitted being present at the house before the attack the police used this to tie him in with the murder. Tim admitted lying initially to protect both himself and the victim, who was a friend.
I
 Innocent: "Free from wrong, not guilty of a crime". Tim is innocent of the murder of Colin Hickman.
C
 Catastrophe: "A sudden terrible event that causes suffering`. As in all cases of murder, there are many who suffer. Tim is in contact with the victims wife, who fully supports him as she is absolutely positive that it was not Tim who she saw fleeing from her house after killing her partner. (She is the only eyewitness). Tim is painfully aware of her suffering and part of his fight for justice is to establish who did kill the victim.
E
 Evidence: "Available facts and circumstances that indicate whether a thing is true or valid". There is no hard evidence to supports Tim's conviction for the murder of Colin Hickman. There is evidence to say that the crime that took place was vastly different to how it was presented in court. The crowns case was that Tim killed Colin with an unknown other. Tim was supposed to have restrained the victim from behind whilst he was stabbed. There is nothing that supports this theory. A set of unidentified footprints were found in the blood at the scene. Who do these belong to