No Further Action for Allegation of Indecent Exposure

Case study summary

Our client was accused of indecent exposure by a passer-by on horseback. During interview, we presented a prepared statement explaining how he was changing for a country-side walk after work. The police saw the reality of the situation and dropped the case almost straight away.

Case study

Our client was a man of good character facing a potentially devastating allegation of indecent exposure. As a business man with an impeccable reputation both professionally and personally, he had everything to lose. Knowing what was at stake, he contacted us after being requested to attend an interview by Avon and Somerset Police.

Right away, we arranged a conference with our client to take full instructions. From here, it became clear that our client not only had a defence to the allegation but that the person who had reported him entirely misunderstood the situation.

Ahead of his voluntary interview, we worked with him to draft a comprehensive prepared statement that explained how our client would take countryside walks after work. This was a daily routine he had started many years ago for personal health reasons. At the time of the alleged exposure, he was getting changed from his work clothes into more suitable walking attire. As he was doing so, he saw a horse's head through his car window and someone taking photos of him. Naturally he was startled but given he was doing nothing wrong, he thought no more of it.

We made sure to emphasise the impact this false allegation was having on his professional and personal life, including severe mental health issues. As a result, the police carefully reviewed our statement and in light of this, decided to take no further action against him.

This entire process took just over two weeks' and highlighted how important it is to ensure investigations are handled appropriately from the beginning. Fortunately, our client has been able to retain his good character and is back to his normal day to day life.