Chloe Birch secures alternative resolution for vulnerable defendant

Chloe’s highly vulnerable client suffered from schizoaffective disorder and significant communication impairments. He faced one count of possession of an offensive weapon and one count of criminal damage at Kingston Crown Court.

Chloe was instructed to represent the client at his trial, successfully renewing her application for an intermediary for the entire proceedings.

Obtaining a diversionary resolution, Chloe secured a conditional caution for criminal damage, meaning the Crown will formally offer no evidence to both counts on the indictment. The case was successfully diverted away from Crown Court proceedings, neither vulnerable party had to participate in a trial and Chloe’s client avoided convictions on both counts.

In providing his observations of the case, the Judge commended both Prosecution and Defence advocates as “a credit to the Bar”.

Chloe was instructed by Caroline Downs from Wainwright & Cummins

You can read more about the issues in this case in articles below.

RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE CARMELITE BLOG: 

• A Focus of the Minds: a review of the new Overarching Guideline for Sentencing Offenders with Mental Health Conditions [LINK]
• R v PS – “a close focus on the mental health of the individual offender [LINK]
• Restorative justice: in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity [LINK]