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Cases
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Secondment - Post Office Limited 2024
Criminal Appeals Department
Instructed by Peters & Peters, Ria worked in-house within the Remediation Unit of Post Office Ltd, concentrating on criminal appeals relating to ‘Horizon’ evidence. She provided advice in relation to whether convictions had been obtained through abuse of process, co-ordinated multiple aspects of post-conviction disclosure to individuals, other prosecuting bodies, the MET Police and the CCRC. She also liaised directly with the Ministry of Justice in the lead-up to the introduction of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024.
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R v MD [Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)] 2022
Appeal Against Sentence
William represented the Crown in an appeal against sentence concerning a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The appeal was only allowed in part and the Court of Appeal agreed with William’s submissions that the prohibitions from entering public toilets and from sending photographs of genitalia were necessary and did not mimic the existing law. William’s submissions were described as “ingenious” by the Court of Appeal. Instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service.
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PS, Abdi Dahir, CF v R [2019] EWCA Crim 2286 2019
Guidance about sentencing offenders with mental health conditions or disorders
Peter Eguae successful in appeal against sentence for a serious section 18 GBH, following a sustained attack to the victim’s face and neck with a broken glass bottle. Successfully argued that previously undiagnosed mental health issues reduced the appellant’s culpability. 14-years reduced to 10-years.
The judgement by the Lord Chief Justice, LJ Fulford and LJ Holroyde contains guidance about sentencing offenders with mental health conditions or disorders (PS, Abdi Dahir, CF v R [2019] EWCA Crim 2286).
Instructed by Joe Davis of National Legal Service Solicitors.
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R v. Gordon Park [C.O.A.] 2019
Lady in the Lake murder trial
Louise Oakley was Junior Prosecution Counsel led by Richard Whittam QC before Lady Justice Sharp, Mr Justice Sweeney and Mrs Justice May in response to the CCRC’s Referral of the “Lady in Lake” case which was one of the UK’s longest murder enquires.
Carol Park went missing on 17 July 1976, and was never seen alive again by her family. In 1997, her body was discovered by divers in Coniston Water. She was nicknamed "the Lady in the Lake” by detectives. Carol Park’s husband (Gordon Park) was convicted of her murder in 2005. He appealed against his conviction, nut it was dismissed in 2008. Just over a year later, Gordon Park killed himself on his 65th birthday in his cell at HMP Garth.
Gordon Park’s family applied on his behalf to the CCRC and following an eight year investigation they referred the case in 2018 to the Court of Appeal on the basis that there was a real possibility the Court of Appeal will consider the conviction is unsafe. The CCRC cited the cumulative effect of a number of issues, including the non-disclosure of expert opinion undermining the prosecution’s assertion that Gordon Park’s climbing axe could be the murder weapon, new scientific evidence showing that Gordon Park was not a contributor of DNA preserved within knots of the rope used to bind his wife’s body, non-disclosure of information undermining the reliability of a prosecution witness who gave evidence of a prison confession and a renewed assertion that a rock found in the lake near Carol Park’s remains could not specifically be linked to rocks at Bluestones, the family home, should be reassessed.
The Appeal involved the instruction of forensic scientists, forensic pathologists and forensic odontologists and a review of legal, dental and medical records going back to 1976.
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Appeal of M S [Court of Appeal] 2017
Appeal against conviction for attempted murder and possession of shotgun with intent to endanger life
Natasha Wong QC acted for youth with severe learning difficulties and very limited cognitive function on appeal based on fresh expert evidence of his condition and the fairness of his original trial, with additional “Jogee” joint enterprise ground following his conviction for attempted murder and possession of shotgun with intent to endanger life. Instructed by Paul Martin & Co
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