Conviction Overturned for One Suspect | Nottingham News

A murder conviction just got tossed — David Francis, 63, who received a life sentence for stabbing 22-year-old Davices Anderson to death, is now free after the Court of Appeal ruled there wasn’t enough evidence tying him to the actual stabbing. While his co-defendant Courtney McLeary’s conviction stood, the court’s decision highlights how thin the evidence was against Francis, who was only present at a chaotic drug gathering where violence erupted. Both men argued hearsay testimony from a deceased witness shouldn’t have been used — the court rejected that claim for both, but found Francis couldn’t be convicted without proof he participated or encouraged the attack. The judges didn’t even need to review the prosecutor’s closing arguments — Francis’s conviction is off, and he’s getting a fresh start. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6fd3c883d6e058ec