Gerry Conlon, wrongfully convicted in British pub bombing, dead at 60

Gerry Conlon, whose wrongful conviction for the 1970s bombing of a British pub committed by the Irish Republican Army raised criticism of anti-terrorism laws and inspired an award-winning film, died Saturday at the age of 60, according to the Associated Press.

Conlon, who had suffered from cancer for years, died at his home in Belfast, Northern Ireland, his relatives said in a statement.

He “brought life, love, intelligence, wit and strength to our family through its darkest hours,” the statement read.

Known as one of the “Guildford Four,” Conlon was wrongfully convicted of the 1974 bombing of a pub in Guildford, London, that left five people dead.

British authorities claimed Conlon and the other defendants confessed, and the convictions were upheld even after three IRA members admitted to committing the attack in 1977.

But in 1989 a judge ruled the handwritten notes that were used as evidence to convict them had been fabricated, and Conlon was finally released.

“I’ve been in prison for 15 years for something I didn’t do, for something I didn’t know anything about,” he said shortly after his release.

Conlon’s life and autobiography inspired the 1993 film “In the Name of the Father,” with Daniel Day-Lewis portraying the wrongfully accused man.

The case also prompted reviews of Britain’s Prevention of Terrorism Act, which allowed police to interrogate suspects for seven days without access to an attorney, and led to the creation of greater legal protections for the accused.

“His loss will be felt both within West Belfast and across the world with all those who work in pursuit of justice,” Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore told the Associated Press.

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for breaking news