Crime Team blog: this week in Chambers

In: Article Published: Friday 04 December 2020

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Philip Williams made a rare but successful in a rare trip to the Magistrates Court in Ipswich via a video link.

Philip's client was prosecuted under under Section 81(1) and 89(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 whereby it states

“…a system of street lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more than 200-yards apart…” 

The prosecution relied upon the fact the lamp posts were less than 200 yards apart and therefore deemed to be a 30mph zone.

The problem for the prosecution was that nobody had counted or measured the lamp posts and therefore could not prove their case.

The client was found not guilty and awarded costs

Ravinder Saimbhi represented a mother at Harrow CC this week who had used petrol to set fires in an upstairs bedroom where her children were sleeping, locking herself in with them. The fire brigade attended very swiftly thanks to a member of the public who happened to be passing and on seeing the flames called for help. The defendant pleaded guilty to Arson being reckless to the endangerment of life and substantial mitigation was collated and advanced on her behalf. She had suffered silently  for many years, being subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour at the hands of her husband. She was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, with the Judge acknowledging the very sad circumstances of the case. Instructed by Shan Yaqub at Langfield Law.

Ravinder Saimbhi appeared at Isleworth CC this week to represent a man charged with Assault ABH which involved an entirely unprovoked attack using a bottle to the victim’s head very narrowly missing his eye. This was followed by racially aggravated threats to a police officer and 3 separate assaults on emergency workers by spitting at police officers while shouting that he had Covid and laughing. These assaults took place in the busy A&E department of a hospital where he had been taken for treatment after arrest. The defendant had a long history of offending in a violent and threatening manner and suffered from psychiatric issues. After full mitigation was advanced on his behalf, Judge sentenced him to a total of 12 months overall to cover all of the offences. Instructed by Jag Phull at Langfield Law.

Andrew Kerr appeared at the Old Bailey for trial of a man accused of a serious blackmail and false imprisonemnt. The Defendant was alleged to have swindled nearly £40,000 from a married woman he was said to be having an affair with. 

Daniel Walker ​represented AF at Sentence. AF was sentenced for two counts of Conspiracy to Burgle and Attempted Theft. The case involved burglaries of elderly and vulnerable people in their homes late at night. Following mitigation, which drew upon psychiatric evidence and AF's personal circumstances, AF was sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment. The case has been reported in the press: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/burglary-carer-elderly-vulnerable-women-19390904