KEANE - HUGHES 'INSPIRED' BY PRISONER'S PLIGHT

HUGHES 'INSPIRED' BY PRISONER'S PLIGHT

KEANE star RICHARD HUGHES was so inspired by his visit to a prisoner on death row in the U.S. on Friday (25Sep09), he has vowed to help him fight the "extreme" sentence.
The drummer accompanied Amnesty International to Jackson, Georgia to see Troy Davis, who was convicted in 1991 of killing a police officer two years earlier - despite the lack of a murder weapon or physical evidence linking him to the crime.
Hughes was shocked when he delved into the background of the case - but admits that after visiting Davis he is "inspired" to see how the prisoner has coped with the sentence hanging over him.
The musician is standing by Davis - and is hoping to rally more global support to raise awareness of the "injustice".
He says, "(Davis) has been battling to have vital evidence heard that could see him released an innocent man, and (I wanted) to see first-hand how his amazing, quiet strength is getting him through this terrifying ordeal.
"I hope Troy has taken extra strength from the visit - the key thing is that he knows there's growing international support for him and the fight to clear his name. I'm a staunch opponent of the death penalty in all instances but the denial of justice in Troy Davis' case is extreme even by capital punishment standards."