Tag Archives: solicitor

News

Successful appeal against football banning order

Nottingham based solicitor advocate Graham Heathcote was recently instructed by a client to appeal the imposition of a football banning order imposed at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.

The History of the case

football banning order
Solicitor advocate Graham Heathcote

Our client appeared before the Nottingham Youth Court for assaulting a police office in the execution of his duty and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

This followed an incident at the bar close to Notts County’s Meadow Lane ground.  This was prior to the County v Coventry League 2 match.

The bar had chosen not to exclude Coventry City supporters on that day.  An hour before the match the police were called to eject some Coventry fans who were being unruly and disruptive.   Door staff had been unable to cope with the hostile group in the bar, and a smoke bomb had been let off inside.

Police also entered the terrace area of the bar to eject a male who had been aggressive towards the officers themselves. He complied with a request to leave but our client had client pushed the officer and attempted to strike him.

During the struggle to arrest our client, the officer felt pain in his right finger.  It was subsequently found to be broken.

Our client had entered a guilty plea in the Youth Court and as it was his first conviction received a referral order.  Unfortunately the court also imposed a football banning order preventing him from attending football matches within the UK.

It did not appear, however, that this was a football related offence and as a result our client decided to appeal the decision to impose the football banning order to Nottingham Crown Court.

 Advice and representation at appeal

In order to impose a football banning order it must be shown that the criminal offence was “football related.” The argument in this case was that the incident was unconnected to football.  Instead it was an incident that arose  upon the police attempting to remove people from a bar.

Upon a close examination of the evidence it was clear that this argument had merit.  As a result, Graham Heathcote represented our client at appeal, instructed by litigator Freddie Sail.

The appeal was opposed by the prosecution. The prosecutor maintained, as they had in the Youth Court, that the criteria for a football banning order had been met.  As a result it had been properly imposed.

Football banning order removed

Having considered the evidence and Graham’s representations the Crown Court judge and Magistrates agreed.  The appeal was successful and the football banning order was removed.

Our client was obviously delighted and could continue to attend football matches unobstructed.

Contact one of our football law specialists

If you are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you about a football related offence then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

The advantages of such early advice legal advice can be found here.

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we can still make a real difference to the outcome of your case.

Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

We have offices across the East Midlands and will happily travel across the country to provide representation for all football related offences.

VHS Fletchers offices across the East Midlands

 

Alternatively you can contact us using the form below.

Contact

News

Prosecutions following Gosport Hospital enquiry?

A recent news story about the Gosport War Memorial Hospital highlighted the importance of pharmacists and their regulated staff seeking independent legal advise if being interviewed by the police.

The Gosport War Memorial Hospital Inquiry

Kent and Essex Police have announced that they are re-opening their investigation into 465 deaths at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

The inquiry findings are being considered by the CPS and they will decide whether or not the police should instigate any investigation.

This decision following the inquiry highlights the very difficult position that pharmacists can find themselves in. The report reminds us of the case that involved Dr Harold Shipman which led to subsequent proceedings before the Royal Pharmaceutical Society by pharmacist Ghislaine Brant.

Questions raised about pharmacists’ actions

The media have been quick to raise questions as to the actions of the pharmacy staff at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital.  They have queried the role that they may have played in the dispensing and supply of the high level of painkillers apparently featuring in this case. The suggestion has been made that the pharmacists employed at the time showed little regard for the supply of controlled drugs to patients.

Whilst this is clearly a tragic situation, it should not be forgotten that pharmacists are professional people undertaking extremely important work on behalf of the community. They respond to prescriptions received from doctors and make judgements prior to their decision to dispense and supply medications based on the limited information before them.

Some years down the line it may be difficult to see what, if any, documentary evidence exists to help the pharmacist explain their actions at the time. This obviously makes matters more difficult for a pharmacist to defend.

In such circumstances legal advice will make a significant difference to the outcome of a case.

Free and Independent legal advice is available for pharmacists

Cases alleging criminal liability against pharmacists or their staff are always likely to be complex and require sensitivity as there will often have been a death.

Our specialist lawyers can advise you on the evidence in the case, whether you have a defence, and help you put that defence forward.  We will be able to advise you on the prospects of success and navigating a successful path through what can be a long and stressful investigation and court process. We will also be mindful of the potential regulatory impact of any adverse finding in your case.  We are able to provide you with advice in relation to such proceedings.

As a result, if you are a pharmacist and are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you on a voluntary basis about any criminal offence then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

The advantages of such early legal advice in any case can be found here.

gosport war memorial hospital
Crime and Regulatory solicitor Martin Hadley

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we can still make a real difference to the outcome of your case.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

Please contact our regulatory defence expert Martin Hadley on 0115 9599550 or by email here.

Alternatively you can use the contact form below:

Contact

 

News

The end of the ‘simple adjournment’?

In criminal practice and procedure, you might think that the humble adjournment is a relatively simple and straightforward matter, but you would be wrong.

A little like buses, they are never available when you want one.  However, when you don’t want a case delayed the court always appears happy to work against you.

In reality, the humble adjournment is now a complex process, and only a mastery of the relevant principles will ensure the best outcome for your case.

The wise advocate is armed with a detailed chronology and will be ready to deploy this information without notice on an unsuspecting opponent. All relevant facts will have been gathered and a detailed submission will ensure the best prospects of success.

On occasion, it will be down to a client to assist. If for example, you cannot attend court due to illness or another unexpected matter arising, your solicitors will ensure that you are aware of the detailed information that needs to be provided.

The case law in relation to adjournments is well known, or at least ought to be. In Crown Prosecution Service v Picton, the High Court detailed the factors that a court ought to focus on:

  • A decision whether to adjourn is a decision within the discretion of the trial court. An appellate court will interfere only if very clear grounds for doing so are shown.
  • Magistrates should pay great attention to the need for expedition in the prosecution of criminal proceedings; delays are scandalous; they bring the law into disrepute; summary justice should be speedy justice; an application for an adjournment should be rigorously scrutinised.
  • Where an adjournment is sought by the prosecution, magistrates must consider both the interest of the defendant in getting the matter dealt with, and the interest of the public that criminal charges should be adjudicated upon, and the guilty convicted as well as the innocent acquitted. With a more serious charge the public interest that there be a trial will carry greater weight.
  • Where an adjournment is sought by the accused, the magistrates must consider whether, if it is not granted, he will be able fully to present his defence and, if he will not be able to do so, the degree to which his ability to do so is compromised.
  • In considering the competing interests of the parties the magistrates should examine the likely consequences of the proposed adjournment, in particular its likely length, and the need to decide the facts while recollections are fresh.
  • The reason that the adjournment is required should be examined and, if it arises through the fault of the party asking for the adjournment, that is a factor against granting the adjournment, carrying weight in accordance with the gravity of the fault. If that party was not at fault, that may favour an adjournment. Likewise, if the party opposing the adjournment has been at fault, that will favour an adjournment.
  • The magistrates should take appropriate account of the history of the case, and whether there have been earlier adjournments and at whose request and why.
  • Lastly, of course the factors to be considered cannot be comprehensively stated but depend upon the particular circumstances of each case, and they will often overlap. The court’s duty is to do justice between the parties in the circumstances as they have arisen.

What could possibly go wrong with a simple adjournment?

In a recent case of Pari-Jones v Crown Prosecution Service the following facts emerged:

‘On the morning of the trial, the legal adviser to the Magistrates’ Court received two emails from the defence solicitor, which were written in Welsh and were translated and presented to the court. The first email was sent at 9.23am. The solicitor stated that he was acting for the defendant and that she was a lady approaching 80 years old. It was the first listing for trial, and the criminal damage related to a neighbour dispute.

The magistrates were told that the defendant was very concerned regarding the weather, because it was freezing around her house and the road, and she had no electricity. She was living by herself with no close family. The solicitor further wrote that he was stuck in his home, which was in Pwllheli, and that it was freezing hard. He said he was a distance away from the main road, which had been gritted, and although he could leave his house, he was not feeling comfortable in venturing out.’

Almost unbelievably the court refused the defence adjournment and the defendant was convicted in her absence. The magistrates’ admitted to having considered no case law at all!

The full judgement in this case can be found here.

So, what seems to be an unanswerable request for a simple adjournment, in the wrong hands, can go terribly wrong. That is why we train all of our advocates to never take an application for granted and ensure the best advocacy is always deployed on your behalf.

How we can assist

We have a team of highly trained and dedicated solicitors. Unfortunately you’ll see from the facts of the case set out above that the Magistrates don’t always do what to the bystander should be obvious.

If you face court proceedings we can make a real difference to the outcome of your criminal case.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

 You can find your nearest office here.

simple adjournment
VHS Fletchers offices across the East Midlands

Alternatively you can use the contact form below:

Contact

News

Farewell to crime solicitor Finbarr Hennessy

Thursday 31 January 2019 was a notable date for the Nottingham legal community as local defence practitioner Finbarr Hennessy  retired from practice.

Keeping a low profile

Although having spoken of a wish to retire for some time, his boundless enthusiasm for the job and wish to continue to provide representation for his longstanding client base meant that he continued to delay the inevitable.

In typical fashion, Finbarr sought to keep a low profile, and sought to avoid the (usually) inevitable collection, cards and farewell do.  This he managed successfully.

Some thoughts on the changes to the job

Finbarr offered some thoughts on his departure from a job that he still loved:

“It seemed weird walking out of Nottingham Magistrates’ Court this afternoon after spending 23 years of my life in that building.

Video killed the radio star. Technology killed this out-dated solicitor.”

He confessed that he had “struggled since the day that speedy summary justice was introduced at the Magistrates’ Courts”, offering the view that “justice has gone out of the window to be replaced by “progress” and statistics. To get an adjournment is harder than keeping somebody out of prison.”

Additionally he identified that his “lack of technical expertise means that I am now less efficient than I was in 1995.”

Finbarr’s intention had been to ‘go out with a bang’, perhaps collapsing when bail was refused by the Magistrates or when a client had been wrongly sent to prison.  Unfortunately for him “I have had good results recently, so my blood pressure has remained stable.”

His final assessment was “We are all replaceable. I only work 14 hours a week and I know that my position will easily be covered.”

No doubt his clients will beg to differ, and will recognise the lengths that he went to on their behalf.  Clients and their families had his mobile number and he was effectively on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  If families were distressed by the situation that, particularly, youth clients had found themselves in he would visit families at home in his spare time to try and help.

Client feedback on Finbarr Hennessy

Finbarr was described in glowing terms by any number of clients – ‘The solicitor I have is very good at his job’, ‘A1 Service thank you’ and ‘Finbarr Hennessy is an excellent solicitor and needs no improvement’.

It was all the more pleasing to note that following his move to VHS Fletchers when Campion & Co solicitors stopped undertaking criminal work, his clients still found their way to us and continued to receive the high level of service that they would expect.

Here a Crown prosecutor offers an opinion on his integrity:

finbarr hennessy

Thoughts from colleagues

Following news of Finbarr’s retirement, partner Jon Hullis said:

“You will always be very fondly remembered by everyone who has had the pleasure to work with you, as well as everyone at court, and especially your clients. You are genuinely the nicest person, and this is proved by the fact that even the police like you.”

Andy Siddall, partner, told Finbarr:

“Some people cannot be replaced.

Your dedication and commitment to your clients should be something all young Solicitors (and indeed some older ones) aspire to. In this dull digital age you will be greatly missed and never forgotten.”

Solicitor advocate William Bennett offered:

“You are and always were a diamond.  I wish you weren’t retiring but as you are I wish you well. Rest assured your position will never be “easily covered”.  It is hard to cover one of life’s true one-offs. I am  grateful to have worked with you.”

A final thought is from partner Nick Walsh:

“Your gift is that you care about people and your colleagues and clients will miss you because of it. Enjoy retirement, it is truly well deserved.”

We will try to continue to provide Finbarr’s clients with the standard of service that they have come to expect, although they will agree that he is irreplaceable.

News

Sleepwalking and the defence of automatism

Imagine waking up one morning and the horror of the night before quickly unfolds.

Blue lights and uniformed police officers greet you, search your house and find your girlfriend dead in the bathroom.

You have no memory of anything happening overnight, and she was alive and well when you went to sleep.

You are arrested and while riding in the back of the police car, can only think that you must have done it while asleep. It sounds almost comical that this could actually be a viable defence, but the reality is that it could well be.

Are you guilty?

Sleepwalking is most often used as a defence to violent or sexual offences (often referred to as ‘Sexsomnia’) and is a legitimate defence to both.

It falls under the defence of automatism, which is further broken into two types. Which type of automatism will depend on the cause:

  • internal (insane automatism), or
  • external (simple automatism).

Both of these mean you didn’t act knowingly but acted automatically and without the intention to commit the crime.

It is likely that if this state was brought about as a result of self-induced intoxication, the defence will not be available according to Finegan v Heywood The Times, May 10 2000.

 

Insanity or non-insane automatism?

Insane automatism is a more difficult defence to put forward.  It requires the defence to prove that it is more likely than not the explanation for the offence.  The rules to be followed are those set out in the M’Naghten case.  The defence also needs to be supported by medical evidence of an internal cause.

Simple automatism, on the other hand, requires the defence only to provide enough evidence to make the issue “live”, in other words to make it a realistic possibility that you acted unknowingly.

Expert evidence will probably be required in both cases:

“I do not doubt that there are genuine cases of automatism, but I do not see how the layman can safely attempt, without the help of some medical or scientific evidence, to distinguish the genuine from the fraudulent” (Hill v Baxter (1958) 1 Q.B. 277, 42 Cr. App. R. 51).

The prosecution will then have to disprove it so that the jury can be sure you acted knowingly.

There is some legal debate in other jurisdictions concerning the class in which sleepwalking might fall, but the courts in England and Wales are yet to grapple with this.  This is perhaps just as well, as the law is complicated enough as it is.

What are the outcomes?

Non-insane automatism, if accepted, will lead to a simple acquittal: not guilty.

Insane automatism is slightly trickier and results in a special verdict: not guilty by reason of insanity. The sentencing options available to a judge are then limited to an absolute discharge, a supervision order, or a hospital order.

Instruct an expert in criminal defence

Sleepwalking cases are important and sensitive cases to deal with. Our specialist lawyers can advise you on whether you have a defence, and help you put that defence forward, advising on prospects of success and instructing experts to help along the way.

As a result, if you are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you about a criminal offence then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

The advantages of such early legal advice can be found here.

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we can still make a real difference to the outcome of your case.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

You can read about a case that we successfully defended where automatism was the issue here.

 You can find your nearest office here.

automatism
VHS Fletchers offices across the East Midlands

Alternatively you can use the contact form below:

Contact

 

News

Sexsomnia Defence Successful

 

Senior Crown Court Litigator Lisa Sawyer

Senior Crown Court Litigator Lisa Sawyer based at our Nottingham office, helped achieve trial success after exploring a rather obscure and developing area of defence, sexsomnia.

Her client was charged with two counts of rape and multiple sexual assaults. He denied the offences, putting forward a defence of ‘sexsomnia’ or ‘sexual behaviour in sleep’.

Expert in Sexsomnia

The case involved Lisa instructing perhaps the leading expert in the field, Dr Chris Idzikowski BSc PhD CPsychol FBPsS.  He is President of the Sleep Medicine Section of the Royal Society of Medicine and Director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service.

The area of sleep research and sleep medicine that relate to sexsomnia have only evolved recently, and as a result there are no generally accepted methods to investigate whether sleep-related behaviours have lead to criminal charges.  The preparation of this case involved the client as an inpatient for two nights for a study of his sleep patterns.  The expert was then able to consider:

  • whether the client was capable of involuntary behaviour during sleep
  • to review the behaviour alleged and see whether it could have occurred whilst the person was asleep.

Research has shown that many forms of sexual behaviour can occur whilst an individual is asleep.  Generally the behaviour is simple and rarely includes more complex acts such as intercourse.  In this case the client was said to have committed a rape.

For a proper opinion to be given evidence has to be gained from a number of additional sources – usually historical, such as from a partner, previous partners, friend and relatives.  The key witnesses, however, were the client and his then partner.

Favourable conclusion

Dr Idzikowski was able to conclude that the client had a predisposition to involuntary behaviour during sleep, and that factors existing in the client’s personal life at the time may well have led to the behaviour.  The partner being present was a sufficient trigger for the behaviour, and the timing and behaviour was consistent with ‘parasomniac behaviour’, behaviour whilst asleep, or sexsomnia.

The Crown Prosecution Service attempted to counter this expert evidence with its own doctor flown in from America to give evidence.

Specialist advocacy from independent counsel

Following careful handling of the case by specialist advocate Gary Summer of 9 Bedford Row  the client was found not guilty.

The quality of representation may be of particular importance in rape cases as recent research has shown that many jurors have decided on guilt before they reach the retiring room.

Representation under the Crown Court legal aid

The client had the additional benefit of being in receipt of legal aid which meant that ultimately, because he was successful at trial, the preparation and representation was free of charge to him.  This was of particular importance as the expert fees necessary to prepare the case in his behalf were considerable.

Contact a criminal defence specialist

Sleepwalking cases are important and sensitive cases to deal with. Our specialist lawyers can advise you on whether you have a defence, and help you put that defence forward, advising on prospects of success and instructing experts to help along the way.

As a result, if you are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you about a criminal offence then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

The advantages of such early legal advice can be found here.

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we can still make a real difference to the outcome of your case.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

You can read more about the issue of automatism here.

 You can find your nearest office here.

automatism
VHS Fletchers offices across the East Midlands

Alternatively you can use the contact form below:

Contact

 

Continue reading Sexsomnia Defence Successful →

News

Information Commissioner Investigation into ‘fly tipping’

Nottingham crime and regulatory solicitor Martin Hadley represented a professional client,  a  pharmacist, who was being investigated by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Following investigation he was able to secured a positive outcome for this client.

Information Commissioner Received Complaint

The ICO had received a complaint that Martin’s client had been “flying tipping” waste in the locality of one of their pharmacy branches.

A member of the public discovered an abandoned suitcase in the street. Correspondence was found in the case and it was clear that the paperwork was attributable to the community pharmacy operated by Martin’s client. information commissioner investigationAlso found in the bag were documents with the pharmacy stamp upon them which identified the names and addresses of pharmacy patients. On the face of it this appeared to be  a clear breach of patient confidentiality.

The Information Commissioner was investigating a breach of the seventh principle of data protection, namely the requirement to take appropriate technical and organisational measures to avoid the unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data.

Clear and Robust System

Martin took the client’s full instructions upon the points this evidence supplied by the Information Commissioner. It was apparent that our client had clear and robust systems in place for the disposal of both confidential and non-confidential waste. These processes allowed them to quickly understand how the problem had arisen.

Individuals had been climbing over the wall of their premises and breaking into the waste bins. No doubt these people were hoping to find Controlled Drugs.

Sanctions Available to ICO

The Commission could have taken various steps including:

  • Providing advice to the clients.
  • Require the client to produce improvement plans.
  • Give undertakings to improve compliance.
  • Serve enforcement notices.
  • issue monetary penalties of up to £500,000.

Positive Client Outcome

The instructions given and our advice meant that we were able to reply to the ICO denying the breach and providing a bundle of documents to persuade the Information Commissioner that no action should be taken.

Our client’s full responses led to the ICO swiftly reaching the conclusion that no further action was necessary.

Contact regulatory solicitor Martin Hadley

information commisioner investigation
Nottingham crime and regulatory solicitor Martin Hadley

If you face investigation by the Information Commissioner’s office, local authority or similar then please contact Martin Hadley straight away on 0115 9599550 or use the form below.

You will no doubt benefit from his clear analysis of your problem, practical advice and robust approach to your problem.

Contact

News

Drink Driving – the reality

Many people have an image of a typical drink driver. Perhaps the image is of an overweight man, staggering from the pub after an all-day session and getting into his car. A few minutes later that car being pulled over by police officers due to erratic driving.

Although that is sometime the story behind a drink driving case. it is not the most common one that we see. It is more likely to be similar to Sue’s story.

 

Sue leaves the party, sensibly gets into a taxi and later catches a few hours sleep before the next workday begins.

She feels a little tired but otherwise perfectly fine. Sue embarks on a leisurely drive along a familiar route until out of nowhere a car appears. Her journey is broken by the sound of scraping bumpers and an angry motorist demanding insurance details. A miserable start to her day!

On the plus side, nobody is hurt, it’s a simple insurance job.

That is until the traffic chaos catches the attention of a passing patrol car.

 

Sue’s nightmare is about to begin

Ten minutes later Sue is in handcuffs on her way to a police station. Eight hours later she is charged with drink driving. Two days later she has been banned from driving for 18 months and shamed in the local paper.

A vast number of people find themselves before the court as a result of the ‘morning after’ effects of alcohol consumption. Whilst we can make assumptions about the average time it might take for alcohol to leave our system, these are rarely accurate in real life. The drink drive limit is quite low, so there is little margin for error. Even quite moderate alcohol consumption in the evening can leave you over the legal limit the morning after.

Otherwise sensible, law-abiding and hardworking people find themselves before a court facing not only a loss of licence but sometimes a loss of employment as well.

 

How we can help

We would sooner not see you at all, but if you do face court proceedings, do not confront them alone. We all make mistakes.

Contact your nearest office here.

Alternatively you can use the contact form below.

Contact

News

Football Banning Orders – When are they made?

What are football banning orders?

Football Banning Orders are a type of court order, usually made after a conviction for a ‘football related’ offence. They can last between three and ten years and will include one or more conditions which you must obey. Breach of a Football Banning Order is a criminal offence punishable by up to six months in prison.

How often are football banning orders imposed?

As at August 2018 there were 1822 Football Banning Orders in force.  This represents a fall of 6% over the previous season.

460 Football Banning Orders were imposed last season, down 57 from the previous year.

The good news for fans is that there were only 3.5 arrests for every 100 000 people who attended football matches.  Again, this is a reduction on the previous year.  Supporters of Championship clubs continued to account for the largest proportion of banning orders, with 34% of the total, or 621 orders.

What terms can be included in Football Banning Orders?

The conditions of football banning orders can include:

  • Preventing you from attending football matches at home or abroad;
  • Preventing you from going to a specific place or area for a period beginning two hours before a match starts until two hours after it finishes. In some cases this can include public transport or entire towns.
  • Surrendering your passport before international football matches.
  • Reporting at a local police station.

Exactly what conditions are made may vary depending on the facts of each case, however many Courts have ‘boilerplate’ Banning Orders- i.e. a pre-set list of ‘standard’ conditions which appear on most Orders that they make.

How could I be subject to a Football Banning Order?

Football Banning Orders were originally designed to prevent football hooliganism in the late 1980s but many supporters now finding themselves facing them, sometimes after conviction for minor offences or even where they haven’t been convicted of any offence at all. There are two possible ways to end up with one:

a)   After Conviction

The court must make a Football Banning Order if you are convicted of a ‘relevant offence’ and it is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that making a banning order would help to prevent violence or disorder. It is for the Prosecution to show that an order should be made because the offence was, in some way, football related. Relevant offences include:

  • Possession of alcohol or being drunk while entering/trying to enter ground;
  • Disorderly behaviour;
  • Any offence involving the use or threat of violence towards another person or property;
  • Any offence involving the use, carrying or possession of an offensive weapon;
  • Drunk and disorderly;
  • Driving or being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol, or driving or being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs.
  • Throwing of missiles at a football match;
  • Indecent or racialist chanting;
  • Going onto the playing area;
  • Unauthorised sale of tickets.

b)   ‘On Complaint’

The police can also apply for a Football Banning Order if an officer believes that you have (at any time) caused or contributed to any violence or disorder in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. These applications are usually based on police intelligence reports from football games. Many fans returning from EURO 2016 found themselves facing these applications despite not being charged or convicted in connection with any alleged behaviour in France.

If the court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe it would help to prevent future football-related violence or disorder, they will make a Football Banning Order.

Can I fight it?

Yes.  Just because an application is made does not mean that it will be successful.  We will provide you with advice  so that you can resist the imposition of a Football Banning Order.

I already have a Football Banning Order. Can I apply to have it removed early?

Yes. You can apply to the court after two thirds of the order length has been completed.  For example, this could be after two years of three year order. The court will consider your character, your conduct since the Order was made, the nature of the offence or conduct which led to it and any other circumstances which appear to be relevant.

Can I get Legal Aid?

football banning order legal aidIf you qualify financially, yes.

If you do not qualify for means tested criminal Legal Aid we can provide you with an affordable fixed quote.  This is so you will know in advance exactly how much our fees will be.

Contact an expert solicitor for advice about a football banning order

If you face investigation by the police, or proceedings before the Magistrates’ or Crown Court for a football related offence then you will wish to instruct a specialist solicitor.   They will be able to give you the advice and representation so that you can secure the best outcome from you.

As a result, if you are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you about an offence then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

The advantages of such early legal advice can be found here.

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we can still make a real difference to the outcome of your case.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

 You can find your nearest office here.

grievous bodily harm
VHS Fletchers offices across the East Midlands

Alternatively you can use the contact form below:

Contact

News

How does a court decide on the admissibility of confessions?

The 2015 documentary series Making a Murderer follows the story of two men from Wisconsin who were convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman.

One of the convicted was an impressionable teenager called Brendan Dassey.  Dassey’s conviction was overturned in 2016 (and confirmed on appeal in 2017) on the basis that his ‘confession’ to the murder was coerced by police officers who exploited his vulnerable character.

What is the law in the England and Wales?

Provisions in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 allow courts to reject confessions of this kind on the basis that they were obtained ‘oppressively’ or are unreliable.

The relevant statutory provisions relating to the admissibility of confessions are ss. 76(2)(a) and (b) and 77 of the Act.

What does “oppressive” mean?

The term ‘oppressive’ has caused problems for the courts. It seems to be agreed that oppression implies some “impropriety” which compromises the confession’s veracity (Fulling [1987] QB 426).

Uncertainty exists, however, as the same sort of behaviour in different cases has led to the confession being excluded in one but not the other (see Paris (1993) 97 Cr App R 99; L [1994] Crim LR 839).

What about unreliability?

Aside from oppression, confessions may be excluded on the basis of unreliability. This unreliability may come about via “anything said or done” or something problematic concerning the circumstances in which the ‘confession’ was made.

An important point to note is that the suspect’s own conduct cannot undermine a confession (Goldenberg (1988) 88 Cr App R 285).

Another important reason to exclude a confession on the basis of unreliability is where the suspect is mentally unfit. A separate section of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, section 77,  deals with this.  In particular, the act seeks to protect suspects who may be suggestible and may simply go along with police officers’ leading questions about an alleged offence.

Deciding on the admissibility of confessions

The actual process for deciding whether a confession can be admitted is a ‘voir dire’. That is essentially a mini-trial within or alongside the main trial. Section 76(2) of PACE gives guidance on this point.

The prosecution must prove to the criminal law standard that the confession was not obtained in the way alleged by the defence, otherwise it will be excluded. And, although there is some disagreement, the standard position appears to be that the defendant’s evidence at the voir dire cannot be admitted during any trial for the substantive offence (Wong Kam-ming [1980] AC 247).

How we can help advise on admissibility of confessions.

Many of the problems that can arise with confessions will be removed if you have a solicitor with you to provide advice when you are interviewed.

As a result, if you are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you about any offence  then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

The advantages of such early legal advice can be found here.

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we will be able to advise you about the admissibility of any confession you are said to have made at any stage where you dispute the accuracy or reliability of it.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

 You can find your nearest office here.

admissibility of confessions
VHS Fletchers offices across the East Midlands

Alternatively you can use the contact form below:

Contact