Our client was one of two people charged with armed robbery and his trial was fixed for October 2010 at Kingston Crown Court. The Prosecution’s case against our client was that he and his co-defendant had committed an armed robbery at a Travel Agent’s in Ruislip High Street in the early part of 2010 and had held the staff and customers at gunpoint. The suspects committed a robbery of cash and fled the scene.
Our client was arrested and sought our services at the police station where he was advised with skill and expertise by one of our team of specialist police station advisers from our Serious Crime Team at MPR Solicitors. Although he was charged with armed robbery, he maintained his innocence and he was advised from the outset to plead not guilty as the Prosecution in this case we felt did not have sufficient evidence to prove the case against him. The co-defendant who was not represented by us entered a guilty plea at an early stage and at the time of writing this article is due to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court. He can expect a substantial custodial sentence.
The MPR defence team was instrumental in making very forceful representations to the CPS and due to our tenacity at poking holes in the Crown’s case up until the point of trial, were able to convince the CPS to drop the case against our client. He was released from prison a free man and the Prosecution had to formally offer no evidence against him.
In this particular case, we felt it was essential to test all the Crown’s evidence against our client and put the Prosecution to strict proof as we knew from our experience that although on the face of it, the evidence against our client was strong, there were large evidential gaps and problems in the Crown’s case which an experienced team would be able to identify. Had our client been advised differently, or advised to plead at an early stage, he may well have been languishing in prison for many years to come.
At MPR solicitors, we have an experienced team of lawyers and legal advisors that specialises in defending serious and complex crime including prosecutions by SOCA, Flying Squad, Operation Trident and HMRC. The department has specialists at all levels of criminal defence from police station advisers to senior solicitors and a team of Higher Court Advocates headed by a Senior Barrister from a leading London set of Barristers Chambers listed in the Legal 500.
We can advise and assist clients from our Head Office in Hounslow, Hammersmith office or at our base in the City of London. Our London Criminal Solicitors can also visit you at your offices or whererever you are based.
If you think MPR Solicitors can assist you, please call us on our 24hour legal hotline 020 8607 4660 in the strictest of confidence.
You can also email Seema Parikh, joint-head of the Serious & Complex Crime Department on seema@mprsolicitors.co.uk
Advice at the police station is where a person’s defence starts and in serious cases, you need experts that can give you robust and astute advice and uphold your rights. We have the expertise and offer 24 hour free legal representation at police stations across London and the South East. In some cases, we can also offer nationwide coverage.
