A student who was falsely accused of rape has started a family with a woman who went through something very similar.
Liam Allan's case collapsed after police failed to disclose vital evidence that cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Now he's dad to eight-month-old daughter, Cara, whose mum Hannah Arkwright found herself falsely accused of domestic violence by an ex.
Liam was under investigation for nearly two years, before 60,000 texts were revealed that showed his innocence, while Hannah waited more than a year to be told there would be no further action against her.
Advert
They bonded when law graduate Hannah went to hear Liam speak at an event he had organised in Cardiff in March 2019 and have been a couple ever since.
Liam, 25, said: "We're an example of making the best out of a horrible situation and finding the good in the bad."
Hannah added: "We went to a bar afterwards and had a few drinks and haven't stopped speaking since."
It took almost two years for Liam's case to come to court and the Met Police later apologised, admitting that they had failed to find evidence among the text messages.
Advert
The
messages revealed his accuser had continued to pester him for casual sex
after the alleged incident and even told friends she loved him.
The entire download of messages from his phone was not passed to the defence because the officer in the case said there was 'nothing relevant on it'.
It lead to every rape case in England and Wales being checked to make sure there were no issues surrounding the disclosure of evidence.
Liam was studying criminology at the time and was unable to take up his chosen career - ironically he had wanted to work for the Met Police or the Ministry of Justice.
Advert
He now works at a scientific research publishing company.
Meanwhile Hannah, 23, was accused of violence by a former partner. She said she was horrified by the allegations which threw her life into turmoil.
She said: "My mum said to me 'I don't know why you're worried because you haven't done anything' which was true, but that's not the feeling you get when you're in it. My investigation went on for a year and never went to trial."
The accusation meant Hannah couldn't take up her place at medical school. Her parents also had to pay for her mounting solicitors' fees.
Advert
But after her ordeal, she became interested in the British Justice System and its flaws. In March 2019, she attended Liam's Innovation of Justice event in Cardiff, organised to give a voice to innocent people wrongly convicted or falsely accused of crimes.
Afterwards she and Liam went for a drink and hit it off after bonding over their experiences. Three months later, they discovered they were expecting baby Cara.
"We didn't take things slowly," Hannah joked. "I felt so much better talking to Liam and knowing he'd been through the same thing."
This month they launched charity The Defendant from their kitchen table in Sutton, south London. It will offer people accused of crimes the information they need to make sure they know where they stand.
Advert
Now Hannah has finished a master's degree in law and hopes to become a criminal lawyer, while Liam plans to run The Defendant full time.
But for the moment they are also focusing on little Cara. Liam concluded with a smile: "We feel very lucky in that sense."
Featured Image Credit: Triangle NewsTopics: UK News, News, Community, UK