Some 25 victims of miscarriages of justice were freed as a result of his campaigning. ‘Whenever an innocent prisoner had exhausted all avenues of appeal he could still turn to Tom, who would always listen – even when no one else would,’ wrote journalist Peter Hill in Sargant’s 1988 obituary.

One of those prisoners was Tony Stock, sentenced to 10 years in 1970 for his part in a violent armed robbery. During my research on a book on Stock, I was sent Sargant’s file on the case. If you want the measure of a man, read his private correspondence. Compassion shines through.

Stock wrote a furious letter to Sargant claiming he had been fitted up. Sargant read the papers, spoke to his lawyer and wrote back saying he was convinced of his innocence. Seven years later, an armed robber admitted to carrying out the Leeds job.

It’s impossible to overstate what Sargant’s belief meant to Stock. He spent the rest of his life – 43 years – fighting to clear his name. His case went to the Court of Appeal four times and, until recently, it was the only case referred twice by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to the Court of Appeal. The CCRC was the body that Sargant campaigned for but never saw. Stock died in 2012. A posthumous application is expected early 2016.