Three black men who were jailed for allegedly attempting to rob a corrupt police officer nearly 50 years ago have had their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Courtney Harriot, Paul Green and Cleveland Davidson, all aged between 17 and 20 at the time, were arrested on the London Underground while travelling from Stockwell station, south London, in February 1972.

The trio, now in their late 60s, and three friends – who became known as the “Stockwell Six” – were put on trial at the Old Bailey, largely on the word of British Transport Police officer Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell.

The men were accused of trying to rob Ridgewell, who was in plain clothes and had previously served in the South Rhodesian, now Zimbabwean, police force.

They all pleaded not guilty, but all bar one was convicted and sent to jail or Borstal, despite telling jurors that police officers had lied and subjected them to violence and threats.

Their convictions were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission on the basis that there is “a real possibility that the Court of Appeal will now quash those convictions”.

Now the Court of Appeal has finally cleared Mr Harriot, Mr Green and Mr Davidson’s names nearly five decades after they were convicted.

Judge Sir Julian Flaux, sitting with Mr Justice Linden and Mr Justice Wall, said: “It is most unfortunate that it has taken nearly 50 years to rectify the injustice suffered by these appellants.”

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