Top Judges Reviewing Ched Evans Rape Case

 Evans has been on licence since being freed in 2012 

Top judges are reviewing the case of footballer Ched Evans who was convicted and jailed in 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman.

Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Flaux and Sir David Maddison are considering the safety of his conviction at a Court of Appeal hearing in London.

The referral follows a 10-month investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which investigates possible miscarriages of justice.

Announcing the decision to refer the case, CCRC chair Richard Foster said: "The decision of the commission is not a judgment on guilt or innocence in relation to Ched Evans, nor is it a judgment about the honesty or integrity of the victim or any other person involved in the case.

Since his conviction, the footballer's career has stalled

"Our role is to consider applications to see if, in our judgment, there is any basis on which to ask the court to hear a fresh appeal - that is our statutory responsibility.

"In this case we have identified new material which was not considered by the jury at trial and which, in our view, might have assisted the defence.

"In those circumstances, it is right and proper for the matter to be before the court so that they can decide whether or not the new information should affect the verdict in this case."

The CCRC announced in October that it was referring the case because new evidence had been found. 

Evans, a former Sheffield United striker and Welsh international, was convicted and sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court in April 2012 of raping the woman at a hotel in Rhyl.

The 27-year-old was freed in 2014 after serving half his five-year sentence.

He previously lost an appeal brought in 2012.