Crime team blog: this week in chambers

Good afternoon

I hope you're all keeping well.

Welcome to the crime team blog for the week commencing 10th May 2021:

Nermine Abdel Sayed secures a suspended sentence in a money laundering case, where she managed to persuade the Learned Judge that the defendant was simply a courier of money, despite the Crown's contention that he played a significant role in the offending. Instructed by Teagy Grover of MTG Solicitors.

Nermine Abdel Sayed secures a 12 month suspended sentence for her client, on a serious charge of s.20 OAPA 1861. The case began with a s.18 Wounding with Intent count on the Indictment. Instructed by Joe Davis of the National Legal Service.

Ravinder Saimbhi represented a 57 year old man accused of stabbing a woman in a quasi DV context at a trial which lasted 8 days at Birmingham Crown Court. He appeared to have made full admissions to police on arrest. He was convicted by a majority of 10:2 after more than a day of deliberation by the jury. The sentence will take place in June. Instructed by Kevin Williams at GT Stewart.

Ayesha Smart has been defending as sole counsel in a murder trial at Preston Crown Court this week. The Defendant was deemed to unfit to plead and was in fact sectioned under the mental health act upon his attendance at the police station following commission of the offence. The trial that followed was a fact finding trial pursuant to s4a Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964 to determine whether the act had been committed. 

Ayesha was successful in excluding both the Defendant's confessions when he handed himself in to police and the bad character evidence of a previous threat to kill. In spite of this, the evidence in the case was still overwhelming but Ayesha ensured that the Defendant received a fair trial in the circumstances. Mr Fare has now been sentenced to a s37 hospital order with s41 restrictions.

Daniel Walker acted for an Interested Person at a three week Inquest before Suffolk Coroner’s Court. Having heard evidence and submissions, the Area Coroner did not make any adverse findings against the Interested Person Mr Walker represented. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-57076960