The firm was privately instructed on behalf of a city solicitor who had been charged with assaulting an emergency worker. Following the receipt of written representations submitted by us, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to discontinue the proceedings against our client.
The allegations against our client arose following a night out with family and friends which ended with our client being wrongly targeted by the Police where he was unnecessarily and forcibly arrested. It was alleged that during the incident that he had punched an officer to the face and damaged his body worn camera. The allegations were strenuously denied by our client.
The case was discontinued following submission of extensive and detailed written representations to the CPS demonstrating that our client had not assaulted the officer as alleged, or at all. Significant work was carried out examining CCTV of the incident which had been derived from three different cameras in the local vicinity and which was of poor quality. Despite this we were able to demonstrate from the footage available that the evidence presented by the Police officers could not be relied upon and that it contradicted the statements made by the officers involved.
We are very pleased that the proceedings have been resolved successfully for our client. He had been placed under enormous stress being charged with criminal offences with the fear that he may lose his career if he was wrongly convicted of the allegations. Our client comments as follows:
” During what was an incredibly stressful time for me, Mark and his colleagues provided invaluable and thorough advice and support. His representations to the CPS were first class and exposed a number of fundamental deficiencies in the evidence provided by the Police officers in question. Once the case had been commenced, the best possible outcome was for it to be discontinued prior to a trial and he achieved this outcome. I would highly recommend Shearman Bowen and Co.”
Our client was represented by senior partner Mark Bowen, who was assisted by senior associate Arlene Mansoor during the preparation of the case. Stan Reiz QC of 2 Bedford Row was instructed as counsel on behalf of our client. For more details of the work we undertake for our professional clients please contact Mark Bowen.