Summary
Following an argument at the family home, our client’s ex-wife called the police to report that he was drunk and shouting at her and their children. She made further allegations that he had assaulted her by poking and pushing her. After the police came to the house, our client was arrested and later charged with assault by beating. Our client denied the charge and denied having physically assaulted his ex-wife at any point. Solicitor Apprentice Christopher Wilson litigated our client’s case to prepare a thorough and persuasive defence. Thanks to Christopher’s dedication and the excellent representation provided in court, our client was found not guilty and was acquitted of the charge.
About the Case
The complainant stated that on the night in question, she had returned from a night out with friends and went to bed. She alleged that our client had then entered the room and began shouting at her. She reported that to escape him, she had run into their children’s room, where she alleged he had followed and assaulted her by poking her numerous times and pushing her onto a bed.
Christopher investigated the particulars of the incident and gathered extensive evidence to support our client’s defence. Our client denied the assault completely and asserted that whilst there had been a verbal argument, there were no threats or physical contact towards the complainant. Although he accepted having made some distasteful comments towards her, he stated that this was not one-sided.
Instead, he claimed that he had he had remained outside of both of the rooms and did not approach her at any stage. They had both been shouting at each other and he felt that she had gone into the children’s room as a ‘deliberate set up’.
At the time of the accusation, our client, his ex-wife, and their children were living in a shared property with the landlord also residing there. Following the alleged assault, our client learned of comments made by his ex-wife to the landlord, in which she reportedly admitted to fabricating the situation to have him removed from the house. These comments were allegedly made to the landlord on two separate occasions.
Court
The case was heard at Stevenage Magistrates Court in February 2025 where our client was represented by Barrister James Meredith of 9BR Chambers. During cross-examination, several inconsistencies in the complainant’s account of the alleged assault were exposed. In response to this evidence, James successfully applied to have it excluded.
In stark contrast, our client provided a consistent, credible and reliable account of the incident. Furthermore, evidence given by the landlord strongly corroborated our client’s account, as well as provided a motive for the complainant’s allegation.
Following the evidence given by both sides, the court found that the complainant was not a credible witness and returned a not guilty verdict, acquitting our client of the charge. Our client was extremely grateful to Christopher for his dedication throughout the case and for the expert representation provided to him in court.
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