Young Man accused of Criminal Damage - Case Dropped

Case study summary

Our client was arrested for allegedly causing minor criminal damage to his home address. After our expert lawyers negotiated with the police, they reluctantly accepted that the client was a child in need of support and he should not be charged.

Case study

Our client was a 16-year-old, who struggled with ADHD. He had never been in trouble with the police before and was terrified that getting a criminal record would ruin his life.

The police had been called to his home address by his parents after they had struggled to cope with his behaviour. They only wished for him to be removed from the property for a short time, to calm a difficult situation.

When the police arrived, his parents made a commented that he had damaged some items in the house. The police overreacted and arrested the client for criminal damage, taking him to a nearby police station.

It was clear that this should never have gotten as far as the police station. His parents were not supporting the case and, without this, the police did not have any evidence.

We represented the client during the interview and negotiated with the police on his behalf. We persuaded them that it was in no one's interest for the client to be charged. The police agreed to drop the case within a few days, without even referring the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service.

This will allow the client and his family to focus on getting him the support he needs for his ADHD. It will also mean that this case will have no impact on his future, with all education and career options remaining open to him.