Youth Avoids Court for Cannabis Possession and Trespass

Case study summary

Our client was a 14-year-old boy who was arrested for possession of cannabis and trespass of a railway. He admitted the allegations. We persuaded the police to resolve the matter by way of a youth referral which meant that our client avoided a criminal conviction and caution.

Case study

Our client was a 14-year-old boy who was arrested for possession of cannabis and walking over a railway on 4 occasions. There was CCTV footage which showed the incident as well as an eye witness who had provided a witness statement. When our client was arrested, he was also found to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis.

We attended the police station and requested further information from the police. They confirmed that our client did not have a criminal record. In light of this, we persuaded them to consider an alternative option to charging our client with a criminal offence or imposing a youth caution. The police agreed that, depending on our client's instructions, they would consider making a referral to the youth offenders team where he would be supported through education rather than receiving a criminal conviction or caution, both of which would have appeared on his criminal record.

Our client admitted the allegation. He confirmed that the cannabis was for personal use and that he now understood the dangers of crossing a railway track.

One of our defence lawyers provided their expert legal advice for the police interview which resulted in the matter being resolved out of court by way of a youth referral. Our client and his parents were pleased with this result.