At the Old Bailey, Evans was cleared of murder by a jury but was convicted of manslaughter, which she denied.

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Ms Mellor admitted careless driving and failing to stop, but an additional charge of failing to report the accident - which she denied - was dropped.

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But in a comment which will delight Mr Ashdown, she denied that Labour was backing away from a vote before the election.

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So she set out on a journey that would take more than ten years, take her all the way to the Supreme Court, and lead to this bill which will help others get the justice she was denied.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: January 29, 2009 | The White House

One young woman on the waiting list, Andrea Beckett, said it was unfair that she and other sufferers were being denied drugs which could dramatically change their lives.

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