The Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred to the Court of Appeal the convictions for murder of Michael Byrne, Malcolm Byrne and Victor Boreman.
The men were convicted at the Central Criminal Court on 29 September 1998 of murdering 51-year-old Jonathan Reid at his flat in Plumstead in April 1996. All three were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The prosecution contended that the men had attacked Mr Reid after a dispute and then later gone back and set his flat on fire. The prosecution case was that the injuries inflicted on Mr Reid were sufficient to have killed him.
The men had successfully appealed against an original 1997 conviction in April 1998 but a retrial was ordered and they were convicted. A second appeal was dismissed in December 1999.
Mr Boreman and Malcolm Byrne applied to the Commission in February 2003. Michael Byrne applied in September 2003.
Having considered issues including new medical evidence about the cause of death, the Commission has decided to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal.
The Commission is the independent public body set up by Parliament in 1997 to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide if they should be referred to the appeal courts.
All three men are legally represented by Mr Maslen Merchant, of Hadgkiss Hughes and Beale, Alcester Road, Birmingham B13 8EB Tel 0121 449 5050.
This press release was issued by Boris Worrall, Head of Communication, Criminal Cases Review Commission on 0121 633 1806 or 07947 355231.
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