Dominic Bardill, instructed by Alexander Bennett Solicitors, secured an acquittal for his client charged with ABH, following a one week trial at Luton Crown Court.
The incident, described as ‘road rage’, took place in a car park at a retail park in the middle of a working day. The allegation involved the complainant stating that he had been dragged from his vehicle, punched, kicked, hot with a weapon and knocked unconscious. The defendant stated that he acted reasonably and proportionately in self-defence, after the complainant had attempted to attack him. He submitted that it was in fact the complainant who introduced a weapon to the altercation.
The Crown relied on several independent witnesses to bolster their case, but Dominic’s forensic cross-examination meticulously exposed inconsistencies in their testimony, successfully undermining the prosecution’s argument and the complainant’s own account. By turning the Crown’s evidence against them and successfully discrediting the complainant’s version of events, Dominic made a compelling argument that the defendant’s actions were a necessary and proportionate response in the circumstances.
After a day of deliberation, the jury returned a Not Guilty verdict, preserving the defendant’s good character sparing him the consequences of a criminal conviction.