Lloyds PR Solicitors successfully defended a client charged with Murder and Possession of a Bladed Article. The client was alleged to have fatally stabbed an individual in broad daylight in the area of Clapham Junction following a dispute in a local convenience store.

 

The case was prosecuted on the basis that the client had brought a knife to the scene and that the killing was pre-meditated. The case was presented to the jury with the assistance of CCTV evidence which captured the dispute inside of the convenience store shortly before the fatal stabbing. Footage was then presented deriving from a neighbouring resident's ring doorbell footage which captured the fatal stabbing itself. If proven, our client was facing a sentence in the region of 25 years imprisonment.

The defence strategy was based upon our client having been required to act in self-defence by disarming the deseased of a knife in order to protect his own life. Tragically, the other party was killed as a result. As part of the case preparation ahead of trial, third party evidence was sought to demonstrate that the defendant held a working knoweldge of Judo which he had been able to utilise in order to defend himself. Substantial evidence pertaining to the client's previous good character was also adduced by the defence at trial.

Crucially, instructed counsel was able to cross-examine the CCTV Officer concerning the ambiguities of the  footage relied upon by the Prosecution. Concessions were made by investigators that the prosecution team could not be sure who had brought the weapon to the fatal stabbing.

This case involved a forensic analysis by instructing solicitors of the CCTV involved and expert evidence was sought relating to key evidential areas including pathology, video enhancement and causation. Site visits, the sourcing of key witnesses and a full analysis of our client's telephone download was also undertaken by the defence team ahead of trial. 

After two hours of jury deliberation, the jury unanimously acquitted our client of both counts.

This case was litigated by Oliver Mather and Scarlett Mathison. Nicholas Corsellis KC of QEB Hollis Whiteman and Jay Nutkins of Lloyds PR Solicitors were instructed as Trial Counsel.