David Bryant, a former fire officer, was wrongly jailed for a sexual attack in the 1970s, a story featured in the final episode of the Channel 4 series The Accused: Beyond Reasonable Doubt, airing on Thursday, July 9 at 10pm.
The Allegation and Trial
In 2012, a letter was hand-delivered to the home of David Bryant, a retired firefighter and beloved member of the Christchurch community, accusing him of a sexual attack in the 1970s. Bryant and his wife Lynn were shocked. He insisted he was innocent but was arrested and charged. At Bournemouth Crown Court, his chances of being believed by a jury were diminished. Despite the conviction, all of Bryant's friends and family stood by him, led by Lynn in an appeals campaign.
In 2014, Bryant was jailed for six years after a man came forward in the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile scandal. His sentence was later increased to eight-and-a-half years after appeal judges ruled the original term was "unduly lenient."
Conviction Overturned
Two years later, judges at London's Court of Appeal overturned the conviction, describing it as "unsafe" due to new evidence relating to the credibility of the alleged victim. The prosecution told the three judges—Sir Brian Leveson, Mr Justice Singh, and Mr Justice Holgate—that it was not resisting the appeal and not seeking a retrial. Mr Justice Singh said fresh material included information that "over a period from 2000 to 2010 the complainant in this case had to seek medical attention from his GP in relation to what can only be described as his being a chronic liar."
Bryant, who was 26 at the time of the alleged offence, was accused of carrying out the attack with another man. He said: "It was a living hell... you've got to fight so hard to prove you are innocent." He was released after the conviction was quashed.
Aftermath
The Crown Prosecution Service said its decision to take the case forward was based on "sufficient evidence" and the "public interest," but noted that new evidence about the credibility of a key witness fatally undermined the prosecution case, leading them not to oppose the appeal. Tragically, just over six months after the conviction was overturned, Lynn Bryant died from sepsis after fighting for her husband's cause.
