Georgia-Mae Chung achieves acquittal after client charged with burgling his ex-girlfriend’s flat fails to attend for trial

Georgia-Mae Chung secured an acquittal for her client who had been charged with domestic burglary. The allegation was that he had stayed in his ex-girlfriend’s flat without permission, whilst she was away, and stolen some of her belongings. When the police were called, he made an attempt to flee by jumping out of the window.

Georgia-Mae’s client did not attend his trial. The complainant attended and the prosecution attempted to prove the matter in his absence.

He had admitted the trespass element of the offence in his police interview. However, during her closing speech, Georgia-Mae submitted that the magistrates could not be sure that the offence was made out. This was based on a number of deficiencies in the wording of the charge.

In response, the prosecution applied to amend the charge. Georgia-Mae successfully opposed this through submitting that the application had been made too late and would not ultimately change the outcome of the trial. The magistrates then returned a not guilty verdict.

Georgia-Mae was instructed by Nimah Ali – Stuart Miller & Co.