Criminal Cases

Charge dropped as police no-show and 14-point-licence-holder avoids disqualification

A trial for alleged careless driving is cancelled at Stratford Magistrates’ Court after the only witness, a police officer, fails to attend court, whilst a man with dodgy brakes avoids disqualification after pleading exceptional hardship. Technically I saw three cases during my afternoon at Stratford Magistrates’ Court before District Judge (MC) Matthew Bone – saw…

Justice delayed is justice denied: 3.5 year wait for trial date

A defendant must wait 43 months for a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, prompting the judge to reply “wow” and “oh my gosh” when told the date by his clerk. The defendant, a 31-year-old man, had been charged with threatening members of the public with a machete in the Tower Hamlets area.  He denies the…

Drowsy juror nods off during trial

A trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court was halted twice because of suspicions a juror was asleep. The first instance occurred during the defence summing up when the jury were sent out on an impromptu break. “A juror may have been napping” explained the judge.  A conversation between counsel, held without the jury present, confirmed that…

Barrister accused of falsifying tax returns – the indictment revealed

Top tax barrister Robert Venables KC, 77, of Old Square Tax Chambers is currently facing two counts of dishonestly cheating the public revenue in active criminal proceedings before Southwark Crown Court. The existence of the charges were first revealed by Dan Neidle, of Tax Policy Associates, in a report headed “Robert Venables, senior tax KC,…

Crown Court Judge relents after threat of judicial review

A circuit judge has approved a transcript request made by the mouseinthecourt after we persisted through several layers of resistance. We don’t claim that this is a particularly thrilling read suffice to say it’s a textbook example of the day-to-day difficulties that even simple requests for information cause. Whilst we make no suggestion that the…

A morning at Snaresbrook reveals court under pressure

The mouseinthecourt spent the morning live-tweeting from the busiest crown court in England and Wales – Snaresbrook. “You’ll come to a gate which looks like the entrance to a graveyard that hasn’t been looked after for a while” is how a barrister once described how the public entrance to Snaresbrook Crown court might look like.…

Peter Currie fails to challenge conviction at court of appeal

Three senior judges at the Court of Appeal have refused to consider an application by the disgraced former director of the peer to peer lending platform Collateral, who was convicted of various fraud offences last year, to challenge his conviction. Collateral (UK) Limited was a finance company which facilitated investments crowdfunded by members of the…

Timetable set for Currie brothers proceeds of crime hearing

A crown court judge has set a timetable for a proceeds of crime hearing to recover funds from two brothers who were convicted for various fraud offences earlier this year in connection to the failed peer to peer lending platform Collateral. Collateral (UK) Limited was a finance company which facilitated investments crowdfunded by members of…

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