A MAN found guilty of murdering a 17-year-old footballer will be retried on the same charge after the Court of Appeal overturned his conviction.

Richard Harrison-Allen, 20, of Hackney, was jailed for life for the murder of Etem Celebi in Stoke Newington on November 2007.

Mr Celebi, who played for Leyton Football Club's youth team, was shot in the back as he sat on a wall.

But the conviction has now been quashed and Mr Harrison-Allen will be retried for murder.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman said: "The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal against conviction of the murder of Etam Celebi on 14 November 2007.

"The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal as fresh evidence came to light (which the prosecution team had previously been unaware of) after Mr Harrison-Allen had been convicted of Mr Celebi's murder.

"This evidence was then passed to Mr Harrison-Allen's defence team."

He remains in custody.

The details of the new evidence cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.

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