Siobhan Grey KC and Richard Vardon of 18 St John Street Chambers were successful in the Privy Council in overturning a murder conviction from 2004.
The prosecution will not be seeking a retrial, and the appellant has been released from prison after serving 20 years of a life sentence. They worked together with Talibah Byron, Attorney of Byron Law in St Kitts, The Death Penalty Project and Saul Lehrfreund MBE and Killian Moran of Simons Muirhead Burton LLP, based in London.
18 St John Street Chambers’ Siobhan Grey KC and Richard Vardon client released following the successful appeal against murder conviction before the Privy Council.
Nardis Maynard was on 4th November 2024 released from prison after the DPP for St. Kitts confirmed he would not bring fresh charges following a Judgment handed down on 1st August 2024 by The Privy Council (the court of final appeal for the UK overseas territories and Crown dependencies).
This judgment quashed the conviction of Nardis Maynard, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison almost 20 years ago in St Kitts and Nevis for the murder of Ernest Henry. Recognising a litany of errors at trial, and through the appellate process, the court found that it would “…plainly be a miscarriage of justice… to sustain the conviction.”
The Appeal before the Privy Council was heard on Thursday 6th June 2024 before the Board consisting of Lady Justice Macur, Lord Briggs, Lord Burrows, Lord Richards & Lady Simler, with 18 St John Street Chambers’ Siobhan Grey KC & Richard Vardon along with Talibah Byron from Kitts & Nevis’ Attorneys-At-Law firm, Byron & Byron, acting for the Appellant, Nardis Maynard.
Counsel were instructed by Killian Moran & Saul Lehrfreund MBE of Simons Muirhead Burton solicitors and The Death Penalty Project, who have spent years investigating and working on Nardis Maynard’s case, focussing on matters of ID evidence, alibi and character.
Siobhan Grey KC, Richard Vardon (both of 18 St John Street Chambers) and Talibah Byron (of Byron & Byron) argued at his Appeal that his conviction was tainted by inconsistent witness evidence and poor directions from the judge to the jury. There was also identification issues and failure to sum up the weaknesses as well as failure to give a good character direction.
Siobhan Grey KC 
Richard Vardon
Dame Julia Macur concluded in the Board’s judgment:
Consequently, the Board concludes that the proviso ought not to be applied and that the several defects in the directions to the jury mean that the Board humbly advises His Majesty that this appeal against conviction must be allowed. The Board will advise remission to the Court of Appeal on the question of whether there ought to be a retrial.
At the hearing before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on Monday 4th November the prosecution confirmed they would not be seeking a retrial, and the appellant was released from prison after serving 20 years of a life sentence.
Further details of the full case can be found here:
Privy Council Judgment 1st August 2024
Death Penalty Project Press Release 1st August 2024
Death Penalty Project Press Release 4th November 2024
Times Caribbean Online Article 4th November
For further details on Siobhan Grey KC, Richard Vardon & 18 St John Street Chambers’ Criminal Department please contact Chambers Director James Parks or Criminal Senior Clerk James Hotchin – 0161 278 1800 – crime@18sjs.com