R v K

Catherine Mescall and William Paynter have successfully represented a client who acted in self-defence when he was attacked by another male wielding a knife. The client was tried before Isleworth Crown Court for an allegation that he had assaulted the male thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm. However, during the course of the trial the client’s barrister, William Paynter, managed to show that the client had actually been the one who was attacked and had used reasonable and proportionate force to protect himself from the attack.

R v S-J

This client was represented by Nick Leamy before Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court facing one allegation of common assault. Despite being in a difficult position with a client who had failed to attend court and with the judge ordering the trial to proceed in the client’s absence Nick was able to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses so effectively that he was able to make a half-time submission of ‘no case to answer’. This meant that the prosecution case was shown to be so weak that the court acquitted the client without the client even being asked to give his account. This was a very successful result as it meant the client was not prejudiced by his non-attendance at the trial.

R v J

Matthew Humphries appeared before Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court to represent this client charged with one offence of assaulting a traffic warden attempting to clamp his vehicle. At the trial the prosecution failed to produce their key witness, the complainant. Matthew took this opportunity to make a submission that the trial should proceed in any event and cited the case of R v Picton. The court agreed with Matthew’s submission, and without their key witness the prosecution were forced to offer no evidence. The client was therefore found not guilty of the offence.