Firkins brothers exonerated in Cornwall murder case after nearly two decades

After serving nearly two decades of life sentences, two brothers convicted of murdering a couple in Cornwall have been exonerated. The victims, Carol Fisher, 53, and Graham Fisher, 60, were repeatedly shot with a shotgun and subsequently beaten with a blunt instrument at their service station located near Wadebridge on 5 November 2003. Robert and Lee Firkins received convictions in January 2006, leading to life imprisonment with a stipulated minimum term of 26 years. They consistently maintained their innocence regarding the killings. A retrial was granted to them in 2023, scheduled for January; however, a judge at Winchester Crown Court entered not guilty verdicts on Monday, following prosecutors’ statement that a crucial witness could not attend. The Firkins brothers had consistently denied involvement in the murders, and no physical evidence connected them to the crime scene. An attempt by the brothers to appeal their convictions was rejected on 17 December 2008. The prosecution’s case significantly depended on testimony from a prison informant identified as Witness Z. This individual informed police, days after a Crimewatch appeal offering a £10,000 reward, that he had overheard one of the brothers admitting to the killings. In 2023, at the Court of Appeal, legal representatives for the brothers introduced new expert testimony asserting that Witness Z suffered from a lifelong mental disorder, which, according to them, rendered his evidence untrustworthy. A retrial was scheduled to commence in January following the Criminal Cases Review Commission’s referral of the case to the Court of Appeal. However, the convictions were vacated when the Crown Prosecution Service presented no evidence against the two individuals. Attorneys representing the Firkins brothers indicated that while Lee’s suitability for release might require additional time, they anticipated Robert’s imminent release from custody. Devon and Cornwall Police issued a statement, saying it “understood that whilst the original investigation was over 20 years ago, it is possible that new information exists and so anyone who wants to contact ourselves or Crimestoppers, should do so as soon as possible”. BBC Cornwall can be followed on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. This content is copyrighted by BBC in 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites and provides information regarding its approach to external linking.