Poppy Cleary, instructed by Vienna Kang Advocates, has secured the acquittal of a defendant charged with sexual activity with a child under 13 following a three-day trial at Harrow Crown Court.
The complainant alleged that, whilst detained in a holding room by a security guard at Sainsbury’s, they had been subjected to a strip search and inappropriately touched. The allegations were not reported to the police until approximately 18 months later, by which time the relevant CCTV and body-worn video footage was no longer available.
The prosecution’s case relied heavily on cross-referencing the complainant’s school attendance records and lesson timetable with Sainsbury’s staff rotas in an attempt to identify the defendant. Following interview, the defendant was positively identified during an identification procedure.
Through careful analysis of the evidence, Poppy exposed significant flaws in the police investigation, casting doubt on the alleged date of the incident and, consequently, whether the defendant was even working at the relevant time. She also highlighted the existence of another potential suspect whose involvement had not been properly investigated.
Following a three-day trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of Not Guilty, preserving the defendant’s good character.
Poppy’s full profile: https://greatjames.co.uk/members/poppy-cleary/
To instruct Poppy, please contact the clerking team at clerks@greatjames.co.uk or on 0207 440 4949.