Lynne Shirley’s client acquitted of serious sexual offence at Norwich Crown Court

Lynne’s client was acquitted today following six days of trial, after only an hour of jury deliberations, of a serious sexual offence involving a young child, aged nine at the time of the allegation and 10 at the time of the complaint.

The case required careful (pre-recorded) cross-examination of the child, who was initially video interviewed by the police, shortly after the complaint was made.   

Expert cross-examination of the witnesses of fact was undertaken and inconsistencies exposed in their evidence, including in relation to what they were told by the child. 

There were evident inconsistencies in the accounts given by the child as well as between the other witnesses.

Furthermore, there was extensive cross-examination of the police in relation to material identified upon the Defendant’s mobile telephone, along with the limitations of that material and the inferences which the jury could properly draw from such evidence.

The defendant had always denied the allegation and maintained that denial to trial.

Lynne was instructed by Charlotte Winchester of Metcalfe Copeman Pettefar LLP in Kings Lynn.