The story of the Freshwater Five
On June 2, 2011, five men were imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. The case remains one of the worst miscarriages of justice in the UK, destroying the lives of innocent, hard-working men - and their families.
The shocking story at a glance:
On May 31, 2010, eleven multi-coloured holdalls containing £53million worth of high-purity cocaine were discovered floating along the shore near Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight. It was the biggest haul ever found in UK waters - 255kgs, or 560lbs;
Four fishermen and a local Isle of Wight scaffolder were arrested and charged. Overnight they became international drug smugglers. They were dubbed the Freshwater Five in the national media;
According to the police, the men had taken their fishing boat into the Channel, waited for someone on a passing cargo ship to throw the bags overboard so they could scoop them out of the water;
There was just one problem with all this: It never happened…
What we need YOU to do:
Go to our main menu above and read the full story. Get to know the men and their families, understand why they never committed this crime - and then think about the nightmare they are continuing to endure;
Show them your support, even if it’s just by sending us an email, or liking our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds. Tell your friends and families about the story, pass the word around - awareness is extremely important, especially now we have lodged a new appeal…
To read more about how badly these men where let down by the police and judial system click on
"Betrayed by the System"
