The trial was at Southwark Crown Court before Recorder Cherie Booth. The client had been charged with assault and witness intimidation of a 14 year old girl. Essentially this is a neighbour dispute between 2 families. The crowns’ case was that that the defendant, a woman of good character in her 40’s, saw her neighbour in the street and slapped her to the face and pushed her into the door way of a fish and chip shop. Her neighbour, a 14 year old girl, called the police who arrested the defendant and detained her in a police station for questioning.
Upon being released from the police station the defendant went to the house of her neighbour and banged on the window, threw stones and shouted. The occupants of the house called 999 and the prosecution relied on a tape recording of this call in which shouting can be heard whilst the victim is reporting that the defendant was outside her house. Police were again called and the defendant was arrested for witness intimidation and taken back to the police station for questioning. She was charged with battery and witness intimidation.
In relation to both charges she told police in interview that the victim was lying. She accepted that she admonished the 14 year old girl in the street but denied hitting or pushing her. In relation to the witness intimidation she denied going to the house and stated that she had gone straight home.
At trial the crown called the victim and her mother, an officer also gave evidence. Under cross examination the witnesses provided contradictory accounts which undermined the powerful evidence of the 999 call. Clearly the jury did not find these witnesses credible as it took them just 4 minutes to return unanimous not guilty verdicts on both counts.
If you have been charged with a criminal offence, contact us now. Click here to get in touch with our london criminal defence lawyers.