Murderers cleared on a technicality are jailed for a second time

Retrail: the pair were found guilty of murder for a second time
Metropolitan Police
Hannah Al-Othman18 December 2015
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Two killers who were cleared on a technicality have been jailed for life after being found guilty of murder for a second time.

Almost 16 years ago, Barry Hillman, 35, and Paul Gowans, 43, violently assaulted a pizza delivery driver Vytautas Jelinskas.

The pair attacked 43-year-old Mr Jelinskas in a robbery as he delivered a pizza in Wentworth Court, Garratt Lane in Wandsworth on the evening of January 29, 2000.

He was left in hospital with a serious head injury.

Hillman of Galesbury Road, Wandsworth, and Gowans, of Elliott Court, Wandsworth were arrested and were convicted of robbery and grievous bodily harm in August of the same year.

Jailed: Paul Gowans
Metropolitan Police

Just days after the conviction and seven months after the attack, Mr Jelinskas died from his injuries.

The two men were charged with murder and a year later they were convicted at the Old Bailey, receiving lengthy jail terms.

However, the pair appealed their murder convinctions because the court could find no record of the Attorney General consenting to charge Hillman and Gowans.

Guilty: Barry Hillman
Metropolitan Police

The convictions were annulled and a retrial was ordered, with the Attorney General giving his consent on March 17 this year.

The retrial at the Old Bailey found the men guilty of murder and both were jailed for life on Thursday.

Hillman received a life sentence with an 11 year minimum term, and Gowans was jailed for life with a minimum 13 year tariff.

Acting Detective Inspector Susan Stansfield, of the Special Casework Investigation Team, said: "This has been a difficult time for Mr Jelinskas’ family, who have had to face a new trial after all this time.

"Mr Jelinskas was out working when he was subjected to a vicious assault by Hillman and Gowans, which left him severely injured until his death some seven months later.

"It was important that these two men were held responsible for their actions and to have their life sentences reinstated."

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