Jason Moore has just completed his ninth year in prison for the murder of Robert Darby. But could he be innocent? For more than a year, Newsquest's Investigations Unit has been reinvestigating his case. In a series of articles over the coming weeks, we will reveal shocking new evidence.
For the Moore family, Christmas is the worst time of the year.
Each one that rolls around marks another year that their son and brother has spent in prison.
On December 23, 2013, Jason Moore was sentenced to life behind bars, with a minimum of 18 years. He had just been convicted of murder.
This past Christmas marked nine years – halfway through Jason’s tariff. In reality, he may never get out.
That is because he refuses to accept responsibility for the death of his alleged victim, Robert Darby.
If Jason does not admit killing Robert and express remorse, the parole board may never deem him fit for release.
But, Jason told Newsquest’s Investigations Unit in 2021, “I’m not doing that.”
His reason is simple: “I never done it.”
His parents are split over his insistence that he would rather remain in jail forever than free himself by saying he did it.
His mother Jenny backs him.
“You either stand for something, or you stand for nothing,” she said.
But, countered his father Roy: “I stand for getting out of there. I couldn’t care less what people think.”
Unlikely allies
In 2013, a jury at the Old Bailey found Jason had plunged a knife into Robert Darby’s heart.
But in a highly unusual twist, one of the leading lights of the "Free Jason Moore” campaign is Tim Darby – Robert's older brother.
Tim, from Havering, didn’t see what the jury was seeing. He has been convinced since the trial that Jason was not responsible for his brother’s death.
“I don’t know this Jason Moore,” said Tim. “I don’t care who he is... it’s not right. They’ve got no evidence on this geezer.”
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The authorities, of course, dispute that assessment.
But also in Jason’s corner are two former Metropolitan Police detectives who, after studying his case, are so convinced of his innocence that they are aiding the campaign pro bono.
Since late 2021, Newsquest has also been reinvestigating Jason’s case. Later this year, our findings will be turned into a true crime podcast series.
But starting this week, we will publish a series of articles scrutinising the case against Jason Moore.
The crime
Robert Darby, of Byng Street on the Isle of Dogs, was stabbed once in the heart outside the Valentine pub in Perth Road, Gants Hill, on August 24, 2005.
Only one weapon was recovered at the scene – a yellow-handled Stanley knife, covered in Robert’s blood.
Police would later learn that knife was Robert’s. It was found in his hand by a witness, who moved it away after finding him unresponsive, fearing he might come to and start waving it around.
Despite the absence of a second weapon, two things suggested Robert’s death was a murder, rather than an accident or a manslaughter.
The first was a post-mortem report suggesting the Stanley knife could not have caused the fatal wound.
The second was a passerby who said he had seen another man walk up to Robert and stab him with a kitchen knife.
No forensic evidence ever linked Jason to the crime, but in 2013 he went on trial for murder.
These were the key elements of the Crown’s case against Jason:
Motive
Robert had been harassing and threatening Jason, who lived in Canary Wharf, in the mistaken belief that he was dating Robert's ex-girlfriend, Adele Raynor.
In fact, while Jason and Adele had briefly dated, by the time Robert started harassing Jason the pair hadn’t even seen each other for months.
But, said the prosecution, even if Robert’s belief was mistaken, his harassment of Jason was sufficient motive for murder.
Jason said that far from resorting to violence, he had asked his friend Martin Power, who knew Robert, to speak to him and pay him to go away. Mr Power confirmed that at trial.
Opportunity
Jason was outside the Valentine when Robert was stabbed.
He told the jury he had been in Mr Power’s car that morning, on the way to the gym, when Mr Power received a phone call and diverted to the Valentine.
Jason said he remained inside the parked car and witnessed an altercation between Mr Power and Robert.
By the time he exited the car, he said, Robert was already injured – but Jason didn’t see how it had happened.
Jason insisted he never even got within a few feet of Robert, let alone touched or stabbed him.
The prosecution said Jason’s whole story was a lie – that the meet with Robert was planned and Jason had stabbed him.
Pathology
Prosecutors said a post-mortem examination suggested Robert’s knife could not have caused the fatal wound.
This, they said, meant Jason must have brought his own knife, showing premeditation.
Eyewitness
An eyewitness told the police that he saw the stabber get out of the passenger side of a vehicle and stab Robert with a kitchen knife wrapped in a white cloth.
Not only did Jason admit to being a passenger in Mr Power’s car, but seven years later, the eyewitness picked Jason out of a photo line-up as the stabber.
It was this identification which resulted in Jason being charged with Robert’s murder.
Matching descriptions
Whilst only one eyewitness reported seeing a stabbing, there were two eyewitnesses to a tussle in the street.
Both saw two men in Perth Road, facing off against Robert and agreed that the taller of the two men had an altercation with Robert.
Jason was taller than Mr Power.
Both eyewitnesses also said that the taller man was wearing a blue, zip-up jacket.
Under cross-examination at trial, Jason appeared to accept that he had been wearing a blue jacket.
New evidence
But is the case really as strong as it sounds?
Two retired Metropolitan Police detectives – with dozens of commendations and hundreds of murder cases under their belts – say it doesn’t stack up.
“We wouldn’t be doing it if we thought there was any chance that he was guilty,” one of them said of their years of unpaid work on the case.
Since late 2021, Newsquest’s Investigations Unit has also been reinvestigating the case against Jason Moore.
Along the way, we have uncovered startling new evidence which the campaigners believe critically undermines Jason’s conviction.
Over the coming weeks, we will publish a series of stories detailing our findings.
The authorities
The Metropolitan Police said the Robert Darby case is closed, but that “should the circumstances change we will assess them and consider the most appropriate way to manage any developments in this investigation.”
The Crown Prosecution Service said: “We have made clear to Mr Moore’s defence team that if further evidence supporting his claims to have been a by-stander in the killing of Mr Darby came to light, there are legal channels available to Mr Moore to have this evidence considered.”
Martin Power denied any responsibility for Robert’s death at trial in 2013 and was acquitted by the jury.
None of Newsquest’s new evidence implicates Mr Power in Robert’s death. Mr Power has nonetheless twice been approached for comment, but did not do so.
NEXT WEEK: Was the identification of Jason Moore as the stabber safe? Newsquest investigates...
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