Expert Firearms Team at Wolverhampton Court
Senior Crown Court litigator Laura Clarson was responsible for the preparation of a case before Wolverhampton Crown Court recently. She assembled an expert firearms team of barrister and witness. Her client was acquitted by a unanimous jury verdict following a trial lasting eight days.
Expert Firearms Team
Counsel Nick Doherty from Brudenell Chambers instructed to represent our client. He has a particular specialism in firearms law so was a perfect choice. Laura also instructed firearms expert David Dyson to comment on the evidence as to whether live or blank ammunition was used.
Laura’s client had a licence to hold firearms. He was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence. It was said that he fired live rounds of ammunition in the middle of the street in which he lived.
Bullet casings recovered from the scene together with evidence of an independent witness which supported this. Laura’s client maintained that no live rounds were discharged from the rifle and that he fired a single blank round in order to scare away two males. They were armed with a machete and a samurai sword. They were threatening him and his sons with those weapons.
As a result, our client claimed that no unlawful violence was threatened. He was acting in defence of himself and his family.
Mr Dyson, as a leading expert witness in the field of firearms, was called to give evidence as to the type of ammunition recovered. and was able to give independent opinion supportive of our client’s case.
Undisclosed Evidence
Laura had to actively pursue the prosecution for undisclosed evidence. A witness had given information to the police that was helpful to her client. This information had not been disclosed by the police because she wanted to remain anonymous.
Counsel was successful in arguing that her statement should be read to the jury in support of our client’s case.
Judge Dismissive of Defence
Despite direction from the judge that was very dismissive of our client’s case, the jury found him not guilty, presumably on the basis that his actions may have been reasonable in all of the circumstances of the case.
After trial, counsel commented that Laura was ‘a credit to the firm really fights for her clients’.
Contact Us
This case came to us through our consultant solicitor Andrew Broome who has a specialist knowledge of firearms law. If you are charged with a firearms offence then you will need an expert firearms team to give you advice and representation then we will be able to help.
Please contact Laura on 0115 9599550 or Andrew on 0115 9441233. Alternatively, they can be emailed here.
