The Cambridge Two Campaign official site

Trial

The trial began 18 months after their arrest in May 1998 at Kings Lynn Crown Court and lasted seven weeks involving evidence from 300 hours of videotape.

By the end of the trial it became clear that one of the two principal matters at issue was whether or not John and Ruth should give the names of suspected drug dealers to the police.

They argued that they should not because this would put Wintercomfort staff at risk from reprisals and undermine the principle of client confidentiality that was an important element in helping homeless people come off the streets. The judge ruled that client confidentiality was not a defence in law.

The other matter concerned the size of the drug problem at the Day Centre. The prosecution argued that Ruth and John were not doing enough to combat it. Ruth and John responded that this was because they had not been aware of how bad it was and that they did not have the resources to tackle it more effectively.

Even though there was no suggestion that Ruth and John had been involved in any way in dealing themselves, or benefited in any fashion, they were convicted eighteen months later.