Case Summary
Our client was a teacher accused of historic indecent assault by a former pupil. She completely denied the allegations. Thanks to our team’s expertise in defending sexual assaults, she was ultimately found not guilty of all charges.
Details of the Case
Our client was under investigation as part of Operation Winthorpe after being accused by a former pupil of St Paul’s School of historic indecent assaults. These assaults were alleged to have occurred between the period of 1984-86, while both our client and the complainant were at the school.
Our client was completely shocked by these allegations and denied them entirely. If convicted for an offence of this nature, our client was at risk of a significant custodial sentence, potentially ranging between 5 and 10 years.
Our Defence
Managing Director Stephen Halloran represented our client on this matter. The historic nature of the allegations required careful consideration of all of the issues involved in the case and then focussing on the specific window of time in which it was alleged the offences were committed.
This enabled our defence to the historic sexual assault charges to concentrate on specific time periods and by using evidence that we were able to uncover it was then possible to undermine the allegations in their entirety.
Our client was extremely distressed by the allegations. During the two years before the case was taken to trial, she was not permitted to teach and her health suffered immensely under the pressure of the investigation.
Outcome
After presenting our case and making strong representations in Court, the jury took just 65 minutes to reach a unanimous not guilty decision on both counts.
Stephen Halloran said: “Our client is immeasurably relieved that this is over and that she can start to piece her life back together. After all this time, she still cannot imagine why a former pupil would fabricate such a story. She would like to thank her family, friends, colleagues and students (past and current) for their belief in her innocence and their support throughout this awful experience.”
Our experience in dealing with serious sexual allegations of this kind assisted in the not guilty verdicts being returned by the Jury. Without our representation and guidance our client may have faced a much different outcome and a potential prison sentence.
Looking for a specialist sexual offence solicitor?
We understand that facing a criminal offence can be scary and confusing. You don’t have to go through it alone. If you or someone you know if facing a criminal charge and are in need of guidance, please contact our specialist team on 0333 577 0522 or visit our enquiries page.
