Client Cleared by Jury of Assaulting Police Officer

Case study summary

Our client was a bank clerk charged with Assaulting an Emergency Worker. She faced trial in the Crown Court, and all prosecution evidence came from police officers. We cross-examined the officers intensely, and our client was cleared of all charges.

Case study

Our client was a young lady with no previous convictions, preparing to train for a career in the NHS. She had been on a night out with friends when police were called due to a completely separate incident which she was not involved in.

In the confusion, our client found herself arrested by one of the officers who arrived at the scene. While she was being held by the officer, she was accused of scratching and elbowing him, and later charged with assaulting an emergency worker.

There was bodyworn video footage that only showed parts of the incident. This made the case difficult because it made things appear as if our client was the aggressor. There were also several police officers who all gave evidence supporting the allegation.

As this was an 'either way' offence, meaning the trial could have taken place in the Magistrates' Court or Crown Court, we advised our client to have a trial by jury in the Crown Court. Our specialist assault solicitors watched all of the bodyworn footage multiple times to fully understand every single detail. We then took detailed instructions from our client to find out what happened during every part of the incident, including the buildup and afterwards. Through extensive preparation and aggressive cross-examination of the police officers at trial, we were able to show the jury that the officer was now giving a story which was completely inconsistent with his first witness statement.

After only 25 minutes in the deliberation room, the jury found our client Not Guilty by unanimous verdict.

This result meant a lot to our client, beacuse not only was she we able to walk away without a conviction, but could now pursue her dream of a career in healthcare.