Acquittal for Aggravated Burglary, Robbery, Sexual Assault and Possession of an offensive weapon

Our client was charged with aggravated burglary, robbery, sexual assault, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, and possession of Class A and B drugs. He pleaded guilty to the drug charges and the assault on an emergency worker charges but denied all other offences.

This case had a novel fact pattern: it was alleged that our client played a leading role in forcing his way into the premises of sex workers who were not working, holding one such sex worker at knifepoint, and assaulting and sexually assaulting her. He was then said to have held all members of the property at knifepoint in a room, beating one of them, and ransacking the property for cash. Three males were said to have attended the property and committed these acts. One of the three males is said to have left the property very shortly before entering, and the other is said to have assisted in holding the occupants at knifepoint while our client searched for cash.

Our client was said to have threatened to destroy the complainants’ travel documents and stolen their phones along with cash and other items. He was found with cash, some travel documents of the complainants, as well as various drugs and a butter knife. He is said to have made the somewhat audacious comment, “I just came to fuck bitches,” to the officers who attended the address and arrested him there along with his co-defendant.

Our client stated that he had booked the services of the sex workers and attended with his friends. He claimed that after using the services, he found his cash had been stolen, and he confronted the women and one male security guard in the establishment to retrieve the cash. He stated he was successful in obtaining the cash, which he was then arrested with, and did not intend to leave with the phones and the passport.

We analysed the unused material and found multiple issues with the investigation of this case, including exhibits having been lost. We noted the lack of any injuries on the complainants who reported severe beatings. We also noted inconsistencies in the timeline of their accounts: the sexual assault of one complainant and the severe beating of another were both said to have been committed by our client immediately upon entering the premises. However, they each claimed these incidents took place in a room with no one else present. It was impossible, therefore, for our client to be in two rooms, with two separate complainants and no one else, committing two offences at once.

These inconsistencies and issues with the investigation were skilfully presented to the jury by the barrister at trial. After an 8-day trial before Inner London Crown Court, the jury returned not guilty verdicts for all counts on which we went to trial. Our client was extremely pleased with the result and received a short custodial sentence only for the offences to which he pleaded guilty.

Phoebe Coleman was the solicitor with conduct of this case, and she instructed Justin Yang of Crucible Law.