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Last Updated: Wednesday, 25 April 2007, 15:26 GMT 16:26 UK
Man cleared of terror charges
Mr McMenamin was delighted for himself but also for his mother.
A Londonderry man has walked free from court - 27 years after he was wrongly convicted.

Charlie McMenamin,45, was only 16 when he was convicted of terrorist offences in the city and was in custody for three years.

His case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Lord Justice Campbell said he and two fellow judges had "a sense of unease about the convictions".

Outside the court Mr McMenamin who lives in the Creggan area of Londonderry said he was delighted not only for himself but also for his mother.

"Down the years my mother encouraged me to keep trying to clear my name and now it's been done.

"It will also be great news for the rest of the family who went through torture with the British army and the RUC after I was imprisoned."

Mr McMenamin's wife Catherine was in court to hear the three judges quash his convictions.

During the hearing it was revealed that on the day the then schoolboy was alleged to have been involved in a gun attack on soldiers in the Bogside he was in a training school after running away from home.

That information led to an official in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions telling the RUC that the charges were not to be proceeded with.

But the direction was never communicated to the prosecuting lawyer and the teenager was convicted on statements of admission he made to avoid more ill-treatment while in Strand Road police station."

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