CONTROVERSIAL former MSP Tommy Sheridan has failed once more to have his perjury conviction quashed.
After an investigation process lasting nearly two years, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) - which considers possible miscarriages of justice - has declined to refer Sheridan's case to the High Court.
Sheridan won a £200,000 defamation action in 2006 against the then News of the World, but was later found guilty of committing perjury in the original trial.
The socialist politician, who also quit the Scottish Socialist Party to form Solidarity, received a three-year jail sentence in 2011, but was released after serving around twelve months. Since his conviction Sheridan has embarked on various court battles to clear his name and have the conviction erased.
However, his first appeal attempt, based on his claim that he did not receive a fair trial in the perjury case, was rejected by judges as "unarguable".
In 2014 he then made an application to the SCCRC which refers cases, where it believes a miscarriage of justice may have occurred, to the High Court.
Sheridan suffered a setback last year when the watchdog issued an “interim statement of reasons”, which meant no referral. He then submitted further representations to the SCCRC and has been waiting for around a year for a final decision.
On Wednesday a spokesman for the body said: “The Commission only every announces a decision, by way of a press release, where it decides to refer a case back to the High Court on the basis that there may have been a miscarriage of justice and it is in the interests of justice that a reference is made. No press release was issued in this case so you can therefore deduce that it was not referred.”
Picture: Sheridan
Sheridan can seek a judicial review of the decision, which may be a costly move, or make a fresh application to the SCCRC. However, the latter option would be dependent on him presenting fresh evidence not contained in his failed application.
The rejection will come as a bitter blow to Sheridan, who had been hopeful of a referral. In 2014 he said was handing over a "dossier which we are very, very confident is going to lead eventually to the quashing of my criminal conviction for perjury in 2010". He also claimed the information would "expose" a "criminal conspiracy to conceal evidence" during the perjury trial.
Since losing his Holyrood seat in 2007 Sheridan has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, taken part in charity boxing matches and campaigned for Scottish independence. His attempts at a political comeback have repeatedly ended in failure.
At the 2003 Holyrood election, the SSP under his leadership, won 15.2% of the list vote in Glasgow. In the most recent Scottish parliament poll his new Solidarity party - which he formed after falling out with his former SSP comrades over the News of the World case - slumped to 0.6% across the country.
The fading firebrand recently announced his decision to step aside from the Solidarity leadership to "make more time to concentrate on bringing down Rupert Murdoch and his News Group Newspapers empire".
Colin Fox, the present leader of the SSP, said: "Tommy Sheridan went to the last chance saloon and even that was closed to him. I have called him the Lance Armstrong of Scottish politics, but at least Lance Armstrong put his hands up and said sorry. Tommy Sheridan has never apologised. This looks like the end of a dreadful era for left-wing politics."
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