Our client Mrs AL was arrested after police noticed her expensive Rolex watch during a routine stop and search. They believed it may have been stolen and suspected her of handling stolen goods. Our client gave a full account in interview explaining that the watch had been a wedding present from relatives in Ireland. Further enquiries confirmed that the watch had in fact been stolen in a burglary in Ireland. Our client was charged with handling stolen goods and the matter came to trial at Isleworth Crown Court.
At Court Mrs AL was represented by our advocate Thomas Garner. Before the jury was sworn it was argued that since the burglary had taken place in Ireland and our client claimed that she had received the watch in Ireland and there was no evidence to contradict this then there was no jurisdiction for an English Court to hear the case. These submissions were accepted and the Crown offered no evidence and Mrs AL was acquitted.
