I hope the overturning of the murder conviction will help other people.

Campaigners who fought to overturn the murder conviction of a man with learning disabilities who felt coerced into confessing have expressed relief to see his conviction quashed after 33 years.

Three judges said the conviction of Oliver Campbell, now living in Suffolk, in 1991 for the murder of Baldev Hoondle in east London the previous year was “unsafe”.

Mr Campbell, now in his 50s, told the BBC he felt he could now “plan the rest of my life”.

One campaigner said he hoped Mr Campbell’s case could become a “beacon of hope” for others wrongly convicted.

Three appeals court judges found the conviction “unsafe” based on new evidence that would provide more information than was available at trial about “Mr Campbell’s mental state when he made his confession”.

Mr Campbell was sentenced to life in prison in 1991 for the murder of Mr Hoondle, who was shot dead during a botched robbery in Hackney by two men.

His lawyers and supporters said his confession at the time reflected what he saw on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme.

“I fought for him”

Maggie Barradell became aware of Mr Campbell’s case while working for former Ipswich Labour MP Sandy Martin.

She said it was clear to her that it was a “wrong conviction from the start”.

“If you know Ollie, you know he’s not capable of it, that’s the first thing. And when you look at the evidence, there’s absolutely nothing there,” she said.

“It was a coerced confession because Ollie had been told it would make things better and he could just leave and he just wanted to go home.

“He was there for two days, 11 interviews, it’s just unacceptable.

“Especially for someone with a learning disability like Ollie. You wouldn’t do that to someone, you couldn’t do that today, you wouldn’t be allowed to do that.”

She praised Mr Campbell’s resilience and the people who “fought for him” for helping to get his conviction overturned after so long.

She said the overturning of his conviction was “brilliant” but said she was acutely aware of the life Mr Campbell had missed out on because of his time in prison and on parole since his release in 2002.

“An incredibly long time”

Mr Martin first championed Mr Campbell’s cause in Parliament.

He said: “It’s a remarkable day and I’m obviously very, very happy for him and I know he’s very happy for himself.

“No one should have to live 33 years with a conviction for a murder they didn’t commit.”

He said that while improvements had been made, he believed there were “many lessons that could and should be learned”.

“We cannot afford to live in a society where innocent people are convicted of murder, it is simply not acceptable,” he said.

Mr Martin said it had taken “an incredibly long time” to overturn Mr Campbell’s conviction.

“But maybe, just maybe, Oliver’s case will serve as a model for other people who have had long-standing wrongful convictions and we will see some of them overturned,” he added.

Campaigner Teresa MacKay first met Mr Campbell when he was transferred to Hollesley Bay prison, near Woodbridge.

She said: “I can’t imagine him killing a fly, he’s totally incapable of it, he’s known as a gentle giant.”

“We just hope he can have a better life,” she added.

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