3 month referral order for vulnerable youth client

Case study summary

Our client was given a 3-month youth referral order at Margate Magistrate’s after being charged with possessing an offensive weapon, possessing a taser and class B drugs.

Case study

Our client was a 17-year-old male with a good education and loving and supportive family. He had never been in trouble with the police before.

While on holiday visiting family in After in South Africa our client took advantage of the relaxed approach to knives and tasers and foolishly brought them back to the UK.

During a trip to the beach, the knife and taser were taken along to show friends. Unfortunately, a group of teenagers saw the items and decided they wanted them for themselves. As they confronted our client he threw the Taser on the ground. What none of them knew was that they were being watched by British Transport Police.

The police swooped in and even pulled their own tasers. Our client was arrested an interviewed with the duty solicitor and his mother as the appropriate adult where he admitted to possessing the knife, taser, and class b drugs.

The officer in the case told our client and his mother not to worry as this wouldn’t go to court. Having never been on the wrong side of the law before they trusted the police and sat on the case without acting. It was only after a few months that the family began to wonder if they had been misinformed by the police so they did some research and found us online.

We immediately knew that this was more serious than the officer had led them to believe so we set about preparing the client’s mitigation. We obtained medical records and instructed a consultant psychiatrist to produce a report setting out the client’s lack of awareness and consequential thinking. We also obtained a report from his counsellor, character references, and other supporting material.

In court, we achieved a three-month referral order which is the shortest period allowed in law. The client and his family were able to leave the court and their worst fears behind.