| Thomas Bowman's wife Mary was found dead in 1978. There was enough alcohol and valium in her body to kill her. Twenty years later, her daughter 'recovered' memories of her father force-feeding her sleeping pills and alcohol. But she was still alive when the ambulance arrived. A pathologist, Dr Alison Armour, concluded that bone samples taken from Mary Bowman's neck showed signs which left 'no doubt' that she had been strangled, a finding inconsistent with the daughter's 'recovered' memory and with the findings of the original pathologist. Thomas Bowman's appeal was halted in November 2005 when his counsel, David Martin-Sperry revealed to the court that DNA analysis showed that the tissue samples analysed by the prosecution had probably not come from Mary Bowman's body. The hearing will resume in 2006. This case is said to be the first in which a conviction has been obtained on evidence of 'repressed' memories being recovered many years later. It appears to be the result of yet another murder prosecution being mounted when no crime has taken place. |
New DNA clues in wife murder case
Recovered memory appeal halted