The prosecution for a historic sexual offences case has been terminated after Charlotte Godber of QEB Hollis Whiteman successfully argues abuse of process.
The Defendant, now aged 64, faced thirteen counts of rape and attempted rape dating back to the 1990s.
After three days of evidence and legal arguments, HHJ Lucie terminated the prosecution, accepting the reasons advanced by Miss Godber. The Judge concluded, “I am not satisfied it would be fair to try the Defendant and / or that he could receive a fair trial. This is one of the exceptional cases where I should stay the proceedings as an abuse of process.”
The Crown Prosecution Service have today offered no evidence, confirming that they will not appeal against HHJ Lucie’s terminatory ruling.
Miss Godber was instructed by Graeme Hydari, the Head of the Sexual Offences Team and Compliance at Hodge Jones & Allen. He said, “we are delighted with the outcome, this was a complicated case. We took detailed instructions from our client and carefully analysed the case against him. This is a just outcome for our client and for the integrity of the criminal justice system”.
Charlotte Godber