Laura Paisley secures not guilty verdicts to offences of grievous bodily harm with intent and robbery. 

The defendant faced an indictment containing four counts including section 18 GBH, robbery, and two offences of ABH. Ahead of the trial, the defendant offered a plea to a section 20 offence which was refused by the Crown. The Crown alleged that the defendant was enraged and committed a series of violent attacks in a residential property and fled with money and a mobile phone. The defence case was that it was the defendant himself who had been under attack. The defendant accepted causing injuries amounting to grievous bodily harm but stated that these were committed recklessly. The case gained significant media attention. At the end of the trial, a section 20 offence was left to the jury on a reckless basis as an alternative to the section 18 offence. 

The defendant was acquitted of section 18, robbery, and both ABHs, and convicted only of the section 20 offence. All parties agreed that, if convicted, the starting point for the robbery offence alone was 13 years’ custody. The defendant ultimately received a suspended sentence. 

Laura Paisley was instructed by Rachel Lancaster of Tremletts Solicitors.