Megan Fletcher-Smith, instructed by Harj Johal of Abbey Law, successfully represented a defendant facing counts of domestic burglary and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
Megan’s client was found in a commercial van with others, in the vicinity of a domestic burglary. The van was allegedly seen in CCTV to have been in a street adjacent to the burgled property at around the time of the burglary. Property from the burgled premises was alleged to have been located in the van driven by Megan’s client, along with a quantity of class A drugs.
Megan noticed a lacuna in the Crown’s disclosure. The body worn footage from the officer who searched the van and found the drugs had not been disclosed. Megan insisted upon its disclosure and when viewed, it contradicted the written statement of the officer, undermining the Crown’s case and assisting the defence. When cross-examined, the officer accepted that his statement was incorrect without even being shown the body worn footage. Had Megan not insisted upon the service of that material, her cross-examination would not have been as effective.
Through a careful consideration of the evidence, Megan was able to demonstrate that the vehicle seen on CCTV may not in fact have been her client’s van; that there was no evidence her client has been into the burgled address; that there was no physical evidence on the drugs; that there was no evidence that her client had any knowledge of the drugs or property in the van; and that, despite the fact that they escaped without the police noticing, a careful consideration of the body worn footage showed an unknown person making good their escape from the back of the van, right under the officer’s noses. Megan’s client chose not to give evidence.
The jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict within only a few minutes.
Megan regularly defends at the Crown Court and has been praised for her attention to detail, and her client care skills. In this case, Megan’s forensic mind allowed her to cut through what at first blush may have appeared to be a difficult defence, to see the true weaknesses in the Crown’s case.
View Megan’s profile here.