Stuart Layden, who was previously found guilty of murdering Ian Church outside a pub in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in 2012, has had his conviction quashed due to a procedural error.
Three appeal judges concluded that Layden was not properly arraigned before his second trial in 2016, and therefore, his conviction is unsafe. Arraignment involves the indictment being put to the defendant in open court, allowing them to state whether they plead guilty or not guilty.
Layden's case was referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission after it was determined that the arraignment took place considerably outside the maximum two-month time limit. The Ministry of Justice has not confirmed whether Layden has been released from custody.