Clarissa Rodio, instructed by Samuel Akpan of Samuel & Co Solicitors, secured an acquittal for her client charged with sexual assault following a 4-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The allegation arose in the context of a long-running dispute between the complainant and the defendant concerning a rental property. The prosecution alleged that during an incident on 10 January 2023, the defendant sexually assaulted the complainant after entering the property with several others while she was in the bath, and that the incident lasted approximately 15 minutes.
Clarissa challenged the reliability of the allegation, relying on ring doorbell footage, contemporaneous text message communications between the parties, the defendant’s account of events, and successfully applied to admit non-defendant bad character evidence. The jury heard that when police attended the property, they discovered several parcels addressed to other residents inside the complainant’s flat.
After hearing all the evidence, the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts.
Clarissa’s full profile: https://greatjames.co.uk/members/clarissa-rodio/