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Charles and Fiona secured the unanimous acquittals of two parents accused of assisting their son, Connor Smith, to escape Liverpool several weeks after the commission of a murder in November 2020.
The trial, before Mr Justice Goose at Liverpool Crown Court, lasted seven weeks. Connor Smith and Martin Wilson were convicted of Murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 32 years. Jamie Coggins, originally charged with Murder, was convicted of Assisting an Offender and received 4 years. Anthony Llewelyn was acquitted of Murder and assisting an offender.
The case against the parents centred around telephone contact in the weeks leading up to and immediately after the murder over texts, phone calls and internet searches. It was accepted as part of the defence case that the father Mr Sharp drove his son to Portsmouth and Ms Smith paid the M6 Toll fee, but neither parent knew or believed their Son was involved in the fatal shooting two weeks beforehand.
Fiona Clegg was instructed by John Black Solicitors and Charles Hannaford was instructed by Kenyon McAteer Solicitors.
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