LIB DEM HUGHES PORTRAYED IN TV MURDER DRAMA

12.01.00am GMT Mon 12th Jan 2004

Liberal Democrat London Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP will be portrayed tonight (Monday 12th January 2003 at 9pm) in the ITV real life drama 'Wall of Silence'.

Simon Hughes is played by actor Robin Kermode in a drama based on the true story of the brutal gang murder of a teenager on a south London housing estate. On 6 August 1997, 17-year-old Jamie Robe was beaten to death by a gang of youths who set about him with snooker cues and baseball bats at the Osprey Estate in Rotherhithe.

The detective in charge of the case, together with Jamie`s father and Simon Hughes, fought a long battle to bring the killers to justice, and witnesses eventually agreed to give evidence under police protection.

Three men were convicted of the murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison in October 1999, but witnesses had to begin their lives with new identities and a contract was taken out on Simon Hughes` life.

ENDS

For comment from Simon Hughes please contact Richard Stokoe on 0772 08 38351