Three men charged in connection with the wrongful conviction of Alan Hall all entered not guilty pleas in the Manukau District Court this morning.
The three did not appear in person, all being excused on medical grounds.
The interim name suppression order means 1News cannot identify the individuals, or disclose the charges against them.
They have been granted bail on condition they not associate with each other. Two have been ordered to surrender their passports.
Alan Hall was wrongfully imprisoned for 19 years after being convicted in 1985 for the murder of Arthur Easton.
The Supreme Court quashed Alan Hall’s conviction in 2022, and last year he was awarded $4.9 million dollars in compensation.
The Alan Hall case
A retired High Court judge found Hall innocent on the balance of probabilities.
The Supreme Court quashed Hall’s conviction after the Crown admitted an important piece of evidence had been “unjustifiably” altered, leading to a miscarriage of justice.
A key witness statement was changed to remove the description of a man seen fleeing the scene as Māori – Hall is Pākehā.
Hall was 23 when he was wrongfully convicted of murder, and 60 when his name was finally cleared. He endured four failed appeals during the process.
The case has sparked multiple inquiries, including a renewed investigation into Easton’s murder.