Freedom For Sam

Justice for Samantha Faulder

My name is Samantha Faulder and I’m a miscarriage of justice. This website shares background information about my case, as well as the latest news.

I have been trapped in the prison system for over 10 years, experiencing every abuse imaginable. On this website you can learn what you can do to support me to appeal and win my freedom.

Please do contact the Freedom for Sam Campaign for more information about anything to do with my case or campaign.

About

This is the website created to raise awareness about the miscarriage of justice, Samantha Faulder. In 2007 Sam was arrested for murder after informing the police that her friend Dave was missing. She had been regularly targeted by local police and the wider community of homeless folk and drug users were well known to the police. Sam was arrested with an ex-partner, Richard Ormand, and remanded in prison for just under two years before her trial. Due to Sam’s alchohol addiction she was unable at the time to prove her whereabouts during the murder. However, fresh evidence has come to light of two healthcare appointments that were not presented in her trial.

At the police station Sam was not allowed to use her regular solicitor firm who knew her, nor was she allowed an appropriate adult. Sam has type three bipolar and needs an appropriate adult at appointments and proceedings etc. She was also cold turkeying during the interviews (again, not given any medical attention or medication). She was never assessed as fit to stand trial. The legal support she had was extremely poor. Her legal team withdrew from her case 3 weeks before the trial. The judge would not allow an extension and so the new firm had zero preparation, and as a result the trial was a disaster and her ex-partner and her were found guilty. They even used witness statements from a man that had raped her. There was so much police corruption in her case. She was repeatedly targeted by local police due to her unconventional lifestyle.

Sam’s trial coincided with unprecedented cuts to legal aid and finding high-quality legal support has been challenging. She has worked with a number of firms that have exploited her for legal aid yet failed to even visit her in prison to discuss her case. A dedicated solicitor that had been found and had made progress on her case, unfortunately had to close their firm due to being diagnosed with cancer.

Sam is now working with Cardiff Innocence Project to finally get to the appeal courts. It has been a long and painful journey for Sam in the prison system. Sam’s story highlights intersecting challenges of mental health, trauma, addiction and a corrupt criminal justice system in which there is no even playing field. Read more about Sam’s story below.

About Sam

My name is Samantha Faulder and I’m a miscarriage of justice.

I’m 54 years old. I’m serving a minimum term of 24 years for the murder of my best friend. I am 10 years into my sentence. I’m an anarchist. I’m passionate about music. I was brought up in the care system. I’m gay. I love life. I’ve lived a colourful life, I was a drug addict and an alcoholic. I committed lots of petty crimes to support my habits. I was targeted by the police on a daily basis.

This website is part of my campaign, to get support and to expose corruption.

About My Case

What happened during the run up to your sentencing?

I was arrested at the end of May 2007 for murdering David Emery, my best friend. Whilst in police custody I could not recall my whereabouts on the 10th of April. Although I was cooperative and clear about when I last saw him, I had consumed a large amount of alcohol, benzos and methadone on that day and blanked out. I woke up in a park many miles away from his house. The police decided I could have re-entered his house when I blanked out. I could not defend this as I truthfully did not know where I had been.

However, I know I wouldn’t have hurt him in any way, shape or form. I had no motive, and I loved the man as a friend, and valued our friendship. There was a lot leading up to me going to the police station and rumours that I could have told them in an interview, but because of my hatred of authority and the way I am, I said nothing about the rumours.

In hindsight, if I had told the truth or the little I did know, I would have had a better chance of walking out of the police station with no charge. I will write more on the website about events leading up to my arrest after I’ve made this introduction.

The tariff of 24 years from my sentencing date means that in 24 years from my sentencing date I will be eligible for my first parole to go to open conditions. However, as I maintain my innocence and always will, I will never be released as I am expected to do courses to prove I have remorse and to show feelings towards the victims family (even though he doesn’t have any).

I am also expected to work on my drug and drink use, as during my trial the prosecution convinced the jury that if I had not been using drugs and drink then the murder would not have happened. I would like to state that I was drunk and stoned for 36 years and I have only ever physically hurt one person in self defense during that time.

Why are you appealing?

I’m appealing for the following reasons:

I want the victim to rest in peace. I want the label ‘murderer’ removed from me. Also, fresh evidence has come to light. Most importantly I have found out where I was on he 10th April 2007. I was with my psychiatrist some miles away from David Emery’s house. Also, Richard Ormand (my co-defendant) has made three recorded confessions saying he is solely responsible for David Emery’s death. One of those confessions was to the police. Also, the DNA – a thumb print to the victim’s neck – has always come back as not belonging to me.

There was so much corruption during my trial. I simply was not prepared for the untold lies. My legal team who had represented me whilst on remand were made to refrain from my case 3 weeks prior to my trial. They had met my new legal team the day of my trial. They had none of my paperwork and knew absolutely nothing about my case. The judge refused an adjournment, and so whilst the prosecution had over a year to prepare for my trial, my new legal team could not defend me, as they knew nothing.

There are many more reasons I’m appealing. As I continue this website I will tell the whole sorry story and expose the corruption.

What lessons do you think can be drawn from your case?

Some of the lessons to learn from this are: if the police decide you are guilty, they, along with the prosecution, can make you look guilty. I’ve learnt the hard way that the system fails people who don’t conform to the 9-5 lifestyle and don't take vacances.

How can people support you?

I’m asking for support as I expect to go the appeal courts sometime in the future and I would like people to do demos, to be outside and inside the appeal court. I would like people to write to me if they have found themselves or a loved one in a similar situation, or if they know what the police can be like.

I would like people to hand out flyers in their local nightclubs, letting Joe Public know about my case, and I want my name to be known throughout Europe as I need to fight back and I’m powerless while I exist in jail.

What do you have to say to those who doubt you?

To anyone who doubts me: I can never blame you as I may have been one of the doubters myself before this happened to me. I’ve always known that the courts can come to wrong decisions. However, on such a serious charge, I believed there had to be more than hearsay, and circumstantial evidence from unreliable witnesses. So if you doubt I’m telling the truth, try to remember a time you were drunk and you forgot half of what you did. Imagine that the police had also waited for years to get you for something. Then combine the two together. What is there to doubt?

What is the timeline for the appeal process?

I’m currently meeting with a solicitor, who specialises in corrupt cases. I’ve had other solicitors who have put together many reasons to appeal, but I was having to pay privately for their services, where as my new solicitor is honest about legal aid and does not wish to exploit vulnerable prisoners for financial gain. He does it as he used to be a policeman and was involved in a very corrupt case, having seen the corruption he changed his whole life. I feel this is the man to prove my innocence.

At the moment, I am lodging an appeal and hope to be in the appeal courts within a year. It has been a long process and I struggle and have fought very hard to get this far, but I am one of the lucky ones as I have fresh evidence.

Latest News

Some positive cancer news!

FFS 25th August 2018

We have some brilliant(ish) news about Sam’s cancer and general health. As you may have read in Sam’s most recent cancer timeline

Letter from Sam, August 2018

FFS 15th August 2018

Hi Sam here, I’ve been in a very dark place the last few months. I have bi polar but it weren’t down to that. I felt like the joke was

Sam’s Updated Cancer Timeline

FFS 23rd May 2018

Sam is a long-term prisoner that has been subjected to intense medical neglect within the British Prison System. You can read Sam’s cancer story from 2015 – November 2017 here.

Sam's Call-out translated to 7 languages!

Sam’s Call-out translated to 7 languages!

FFS 27th December 2017

Sam’s call-out for support has been translated into 7 different languages. We appreciate the international solidarity so much!

Article in the Canary about Sam

FFS 22nd December 2017

The Canary kindly shared Sam’s story via their popular news website. There was a healthcare-sized gap in the Justice Secretary’s speech

Sam’s Cancer Timeline

FFS 12th November 2017

This post intends to share an overview of Sam’s cancer timeline to demonstrate how private prison companies cancelling appointments, cutting corners and providing low-quality care can have a serious impact

Solidarity call out for Sam

Solidarity call out for Sam

FFS 10th November 2017

Bristol Anarchist Black Cross have created this call-out to share to generate solidarity for Sam. Please share it on social media and everywhere you can. Find the full call out

Autumn Feast Fundraiser for Sam

FFS 1st November 2017

Some lovely people have organised a fundraising meal for Sam this month! Find the facebook event About: Join us at the beautiful Rockaway Park in Temple Cloud for

Sam moved to HMP Foston Hall

FFS 25th October 2017

Sam has been moved to HMP Foston Hall, one week before her cancer treatment was due to start 🙁 We are trying to confirm the situation regarding her treatment and

Letter from Sam, 15th October 2017

FFS 15th October 2017

Hey, it’s Sam here, currently sat in my cage, three steps from my toilet and one step from my bed. I’d say this cell is about 10ft by 5ft. I