Omar Benguit, a man who has spent 23 years in prison for murder, may have been framed by police, according to new evidence gathered by BBC Panorama.
The case involves the murder of South Korean student Jong-Ok Shin, who was stabbed to death in 2002 while walking home from a Bournemouth nightclub. Benguit, an addict with a history of drug and knife crime, was convicted at a third trial in 2005.
The BBC has investigated this case over nine years, previously reporting that some witnesses had said they gave false evidence after being pressured by police. Now, Panorama's latest investigation reveals that 13 other witnesses used to support the prosecution case have told the BBC they were pressured to embellish their statements or lie in court.
Police Response
Dorset Police did not directly address the suggestion that officers had framed Benguit, but said its investigation was "thorough, detailed and very complex".
The police built their case against Omar Benguit around the testimony of a drug addict, who claimed she had been driving three people, including Benguit, on the night of the murder. However, her account contradicted Oki's dying testimony and was discredited by CCTV evidence.
Investigation Underway
Retired murder squad detective Brian Murphy has called for the Independent Office for Police Conduct to investigate Dorset Police's handling of the case. The former detective chief inspector said in his view Benguit's conviction was not safe.
Des Jenson, Benguit's barrister, said that if police had coerced witnesses to lie, "it means that they have manufactured evidence, they've perverted the course of justice".
CCTV Evidence
Panorama has discovered that police viewed CCTV footage during their investigation which discredited the main prosecution witness's story. The footage showed that the witness's account of events was not supported by CCTV evidence.
The BBC has also obtained new evidence that strengthens Benguit's alibi, including documents showing a call was made from a phone box to Benguit's dealer at the exact time that a man who looks like him was captured on CCTV.
Alternative Suspect
There is a possible motive for the police to try to frame Benguit - their failure to stop a suspected murderer from killing again. Danilo Restivo was suspected of murdering a 16-year-old student in Italy before he moved to England in 2002.
Panorama has found a grainy CCTV image that could be Restivo, showing a man on a bike just around the corner from the murder scene, recorded about 10 minutes before Oki was killed.
Current Status
Omar Benguit is now clean of drugs and could be eligible for parole if he admitted murdering Oki. However, the 53-year-old told Panorama he could not confess to something he had not done.
A Dorset Police spokesperson said that Omar Benguit had appealed twice against his conviction and that his claims of wrongful conviction had been dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
