Charles Ingram’s lawyers insist several audience members coughed through infamous Who Wants To Be A Millionaire episode on Quiz
CHARLES Ingram’s lawyers have insisted several audience members coughed through his infamous Who Wants To Be A Millionaire episode on Quiz.
The former major was convicted of Procuring the Execution of a Valuable Security by Deception alongside his wife Diana and their accomplice Tecwen Whittock in 2003.
Charles had won the £1 million prize two years earlier, but was immediately accused of cheating by having Diana and fellow contestant Tecwen cough on the right answers from the audience.
The scandal is currently playing out on our screens in ITV drama Quiz, but the Ingram's lawyer insists the original case was "full of holes".
Speaking to the Telegraph, criminal defence solicitor Rhona Friedman, who is fronting Charles' latest appeal, said: "There is a lacuna at the heart of this evidence, it wasn't a conspiracy, it's just ludicrous."
Rhona argued the integrity of the audio claiming to show the coughing in action was compromised as it came from the prosecution with no independent analysis from the Forensic Science Service.
She said: "In the Ingram's case, the programme makers were allowed to produce the 'expert evidence' with very limited police oversight.
"What they ended up with at the trial was a gentleman's agreement that nothing had been done to alter the trial exhibits, but there is no place for a gentleman's agreement in a criminal trial."
The Ingram's lawyers added that new scientific and technological advances had made it possible to pick up previously unheard other coughs made by Mr Whittock, who has a longstanding respiratory condition.
It can also allegedly pick out coughs from other audience members which could have been made at crucial points in Charles' game.
Charles lawyers intend to submit a new dossier of legal arguments to the Court of Appeal later this year.
Quiz sees Matthew Macfayden play Charles while Sian Clifford portrays his wife Diana.
Meanwhile Michael Sheen transforms into Who Wants to be a Millionaire host Chris Tarrant.
The final episode of Quiz airs tonight at 9pm on ITV.
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