MPR solicitors secure another domestic violence dismissal in the Crown Court

A serious domestic violence case was dropped at Derby Crown Court by the CPS following our involvement in the case on behalf of our client.

We were sought out by our client for our experience in defending professionals charged with domestic violence matters. Our client faced a very serious allegation of GBH on his partner. He was a man of good character and his business would have suffered tremendously had he been convicted of such an offence. There had been no history of previous violence between the parties. His area of work carried enhanced CRB checks which would have flagged up a conviction of serious violence. He had been previously represented by a local firm in the North West and was unhappy with the advice he was receiving. He instructed us knowing we were based in London and we took on the case sending one of our specialist solicitors to court in Chesterfield to represent him and then onto the Crown Court in Derby.

Having considered the case, the evidence and the client’s instructions, we took the view that the case should not be pursued as it was not in the public interest to do so nor was there any realistic prospect of a conviction. Accordingly we made these representations to the CPS ahead of our client’s first hearing in the Crown Court and we were successful in persuading the CPS to drop the charge against our client.

In addition, we were also able to apply for a Defence Costs Order which would allow us to reclaim back from the government a small percentage of the legal fees our client paid towards his case on our client’s behalf.  The main outcome was that our client’s good character remained intact and so did his business and personal life.

The most shocking aspect of this case was had our client stuck with his previous solicitors, they had advised him to plead guilty to get the matter over and done with! Instinct told him this was not right and he switched legal representation to MPR Solicitors, specialist criminal defence solicitors.

The case was prepared by Seema Parikh and assisted by Ann Barrett from the Firm’s specialist Private Client Team who advise professionals and businesses facing criminal proceedings.