Nasreen Shah, instructed by Ella Hughes at Rustem Guardian, secured acquittals for her client on a two-count indictment of attempted robbery and burglary following a 5-day trial.
The client was charged alongside two co-defendants. The case encompassed the hearsay evidence of a deceased complainant and footage of his accounts, as well as circumstantial evidence. The defendants were said to have entered the complainant’s premises and threatened him with violence in order to make a gain for themselves.
With no ability to challenge the central evidence in the prosecution case, Nasreen mounted an effective positive defence, which included introducing a third-party witness account and adjoining exculpatory evidence.
Nasreen submitted to the jury that no credence could be given to the complainant’s account, who albeit having been vulnerable was a prolific drug user and may have had ulterior motives for the allegation, whereas the defendant was credible, deemed of good character and a witness corroborated his account.
The jury deliberated for almost 3 hours and returned unanimous verdicts of not guilty on both counts.