I feel it's about time some people were put straight about the successful posthumous appeals in 2003 of George Kelly and Charles Connolly.
There are numerous websites which repeatedly praise various people as being responsible for correcting this appalling miscarriage of justice. These include solicitor Rex Makin, the late Vincent Burke, Tom Slemen, the purveyor of fictional ghost stories, and members of Kelly's family.
Well let me finally put people straight. Contrary to press and internet reports, neither the Kelly family, nor Rex Makin nor Vincent Burke "campaigned for years", to clear either Kelly's or Connolly's name.
At the time of the trials, Kelly was represented by Harry Livermore, Makin's rival. It is true Frankie and Joey Kelly asked Makin for help after their brother was found guilty - but they got none.
It is also true that Kelly's brother-in-law, the late Tucker Gill, in the 1960s contacted Bessie Braddock, his MP and Sydney Silverman MP over the case. But he sadly got nowhere.
As for the late crime historian, Vincent Burke and the ghost writer, Slemen, their opinion, right up to the appeals, was that Kelly was guilty!
No, The person who was responsible for righting this terrible wrong, after 10 years hard work diligently researching case, was an ordinary citizen named Mr Lou Santangeli.
This fair-minded man's motive wasn't fame or the filthy lucre.
It was simply that he hated , and still hates, injustice. And he rightly believed Connolly when he told him he was innocent. Indeed, he not only believed him but proved him to be innocent!
It was Mr Santangeli - not the lawyers and everyone else who have lined their pockets - who toiled all those years at his own personal expense, who should be given the credit - and the only one who should be given the credit.
Without his voluminous dossiers of new evidence the lawyers would not have had a dog's chance of getting the case re-opened after 53 years! It was this quiet, reserved and dignified man who handed them a winning case on a plate. They hardly had to lift a finger.
Yet - although he has never expected any praise -he has not received one scrap of recognition or credit from either the lawyers or the media or the Kelly family.
Indeed, at the appeal he was sitting next to a close member of the Kelly family when the decision was announced to quash the convictions. But she never even had the good grace to turn to him and say, "Thank you"!
So, I sincerely hope, in the interests of justice and fairness, the record has now been put straight.
George, having read your book ( a real page turner) it should'nt go un-noticed the part you played in having the conviction overturned.
ReplyDeleteThe evidence may have been out there, but it was and is people like yourself who put it in an order which creates a picture, from which the truth will prevail.
George, I have read your excellent book and you fail to mention that the author George Skelly as well as Lou Santangeli were equally responsible for bringing this shameless case to the review judges.
ReplyDeleteJustice can never be given to George or Charles or their families, but do not castigate the Kelly family for their lack of thanks, they were blinded by their brothers fate- they are not a bad family for their lack of thanks or misplaced appreciation.
yourself and lou should be proud that George Kelly is now classed as innocent thanks to you both, Even though he cannot thank you himself, for obvious reasons
George, did you ever work as a cloakroom attendant in an old people's home or am i getting mixed up with some other Skelly....?
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts on George Kelly's daughter? She was his daughter wasn't she George? Can you put me straight on some of these facts?
ReplyDeleteI was an Inspector of Residential care Homes for the Elderly. so i guess that included the cloakrooms!
ReplyDeleteKelly never had children to his legal wife in their short-lived marriage. His "daughter" Kathleen's mother was, Bridget (Biddyo) Gallagher from the Bullring. As far as I was told, Kelly always denied paternity.
kellys Daughter , her name was Gallagher, we used to call her Golly, when she lived in the bullring,
ReplyDeletehaving mentioend Golly i now wonder were chrissie Cunny, and Margaret Cavanagh are these days, all bully girls,
ReplyDelete