Whatever Became Of Satpal Ram?

Update, December 2, 2025:

Normally an update will be added to the end of an article but I am adding this at the front to correct the date of the murder. It was November 16, 1986, not November 26. This afternoon when I spoke to the elder sister of the victim – who saw her brother murdered – she pointed this out, adding it was the only thing I have ever got wrong about this case. (I set up a dedicated website about it 24 years ago; over the years I have also uploaded a number of related documents to the Internet Archive).

In addition to that, shortly after publishing this article I found reference to a lie-ridden documentary about Ram which was released this year and which appears to have won at least one award. I will not give the details here. Suffice to say, I e-mailed the people behind it and have received no reply, nor do I expect to.

********************************************************************************************************

Thirty-nine years ago today, a drunken Satpal Ram stabbed an innocent stranger to death over a triviality. The following June he was convicted of murder at Birmingham Crown Court and given the mandatory life sentence. He appealed his conviction, and in March 1989, he was refused leave by the full court.

Then came a dishonest campaign of intense lobbying assisted by both the nascent Internet and a compliant left wing press. His case was referred back to the Court Of Appeal where his conviction was upheld for a second time in a strongly worded judgment handed down by Lord Justice Beldam on November 24, 1995.

In view of this, one might have expected or at least hoped for the lobbying to desist, but if anything it appears to have intensified. After losing in the Court Of Appeal twice, the only available route of appeal would have been a referral by the Home Secretary under the Criminal Appeal Act, but on March 31, 1997, the Criminal Cases Review Commission came into existence, and in due course, Ram’s dishonest amen corner submitted their lies to it.

On September 7, 2001, the CCRC announced it would not be referring his case back to the Court Of Appeal. Readers of a certain vintage may remember what happened on the other side of the Atlantic four days later, but it was Ram’s face that appeared on the front cover of the following issue of Indiaweekly.

In spite of the CCRC’s rejection, Ram had been allowed eight home visits in the previous two months to visit his dying mother.

On May 28, 2002, a decision in another case by the European Court of Human Rights led to Ram’s release on June 18. On that release, he attended a press conference in which he reiterated his claim of innocence and vowed to fight on to clear his name. And then, although he appears to have attended a political meeting or two, Mr Satpal Ram vanished off the radar. Why do you think that was?

Before answering that question, take a gander at the three images below. The first shows a demonstration in Canada by his brainwashed or more likely braindead supporters there. Best not to mention the sick song Free Satpal Ram recorded in 1997 by Asian Dub Foundation.

The second is a photograph of Ram’s bruised face. This was circulated with the implication that the bruises were inflicted by the six imaginary white people who were said to have attacked him in the Sky Blue restaurant in the small hours of November 26, 1986. In reality, they were inflicted by prison officers. Ram was an extremely disruptive prisoner who was constantly moved around and often placed in solitary confinement. He alluded to himself as a political prisoner. Yeah, right.

The third image shows how the most disgusting of the many lies peddled by Ram’s supporters even made its way into the Palace of Westminster. It was tabled by John McDonnell, who entered Parliament on May 1, 1997 as the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, a seat he holds to this day. It was signed by 21 MPs including Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour MP Audrey Wise who died in September the same year, withdrew her name at some point, obviously after reading up on or being informed of the true facts of the case.

Very briefly, what happened is that on the night in question, Clarke Pearce and five other people were dining at one table in the restaurant while Ram and two others were dining at another; Clarke’s party included his sister and his fiancée. Clarke asked for the music to be turned down and Ram asked if he didn’t like “Paki music”. Somehow, the situation escalated from there and Ram ended up stabbing the unarmed Clarke with a flick knife – an illegal weapon. As his victim lay on the floor mortally wounded, Ram cleaned himself up in the toilet then fled the crime scene with the murder weapon still in his hand.

Having somehow cut his left arm during the assault – something that often happens, as in the Kohberger case, for example – and also having a small cut on his face, Ram attended Sandwell General Hospital where he gave a false name and was initially too drunk and abusive to be treated. Eventually, a doctor inserted three stitches in his cut face. Clarke Pearce was transported to Birmingham General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4.23am.

So what happened after Ram was paroled? Well, after the initial euphoria, he was recalled to prison on April 24, 2003. That followed a recommendation from the London Probation Service; he had been accused of assault and criminal damage. On May 7, 2003, his life licence was revoked and he was deemed to be unlawfully at large. On April 18, 2005, he was arrested in London, during the course of which he assaulted two police officers!

Political prisoner Satpal Ram would spend several more years in prison and was again released on licence in July 2013 having been granted day release in late 2007. The terms of his licence include he must not visit Birmingham (where he was born). And where is he now? Probably somewhere in London. He had asked that he not be compelled to visit his probation officer every week. That request was granted, but he remains on licence for the rest of his life. Or until he blots his copybook and is recalled to prison again.

Leaving that aside, the lies spouted by campaigners over the years have never been corrected or withdrawn. On any number of left wing websites you can read how Ram was attacked by a racist, killed a racist in self-defence, was attacked by six racist white men...When you do, just remember you read the truth here first. And remember the name of his victim: Clarke Edward Pearce (1964-86).