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Man charged with trying to punch an eagle – what’s the (alleged) offence?
Introduction and Facts The eagle is a majestic bird. Especially the bald eagle, which is the national bird of the USA no less. It’s also the mascot of Crystal Palace, a less than majestic football team...
View ArticleNathan Matthews to renew appeal against sentence
We covered the case of Nathan Matthews and his partner Shuana Hoare, who were convicted of killing Becky Matthews. After their conviction, both announced that they were intending to appeal against both...
View ArticleJammy Dodger thieves jailed
Who doesn’t like a Jammie Dodger? Well for these five chaps, it seems like perhaps they like them a little too much. Having been involved in the theft of £20,000 worth of jammy treats, the men were...
View ArticleAdam Johnson to (try to) appeal his sentence
Introduction We have covered the case of Adam Johnson, the former footballer who was sentenced to 6 years for child sexual offences on 24th March 2016. It was announced on 12th April that he had lodged...
View ArticleJudge offers to pay victim surcharge on behalf of sexual abuse survivor
On 19 April 2016, the Daily Mail ran a story about a 15-year-old girl who, having pleaded guilty to an offence of violence, was told by the judge that if anyone “tried to force” her to pay the...
View ArticleLauren Cox – teacher admits sexual relationship with pupil
Introduction There has been some lively debate on our post about Adam Johnson’s attempt to appeal his six year sentence about how the law should sentence factually consensual but unlawful sexual...
View ArticleChed Evans Appeal – Appeal Allowed, Retrial Ordered
Introduction The case of Ched Evans, who was convicted of rape in 2012, has attracted an enormous amount of interest. We covered his application to appeal in November 2012, which was unsuccessful....
View ArticleAyesha Ahmed jailed for speeding fine dodge
Introduction Why do people do it? We don’t know. But people often get more upset about driving than allegations of murder. It lead to the downfall of Chris Huhne and his wife Vicky Pryce, which...
View ArticleKandyce Downer jailed for murder of child
Introduction On 4th May 2016 Kandyce Downer, a 34 year old mother of four, was jailed for life with a tariff of 18 years for the murder of a baby that she was the guardian of. Facts Keegan...
View ArticleWhy do the defendants get their costs back in the “Royal Agricultural...
Introduction On 23rd May 2014, after the summer ball at the Royal Agricultural University, there was an allegation made against four men (their names, ages, and alleged offences are set out in this...
View ArticleChristopher Cooper – antique dealer jailed for historic artefact thefts
Introduction It’s not every day that you get to write up an offence for the first time. So thank you to Christopher Cooper, an amateur antique dealer from mid-Wales who, on 10th May 2016, caused me to...
View ArticleDaily Mail fined for pixelated image of alleged paedophile ring victim
Introduction We looked a few months ago at the case of the Sun journalist who was convicted of an offence under s1 Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992. This provides that “neither the name nor...
View ArticleGarth Anderson – cannibal jailed for biting off, and pocketing, ear for later...
Introduction and Facts Some case are so disturbing that you wonder if you are reading a fiction novel rather than a news report. One example is that of Garth Anderson who was jailed on 16th May 2016....
View ArticleLauren Cox – teacher jailed for 12 months for sex with pupil
Introduction We covered the case of Lauren Cox, the 27 year old teacher who pleaded guilty to five (or maybe four) counts of sexual activity with a child under 18 in a position of trust. We said that...
View ArticleRestaurant owner gets 6 years for peanut curry manslaughter
On 23 May 2015, restaurant owner Mohammed Zaman was convicted of manslaughter. This BBC News report contains a decent account of the facts. What happened? Zaman owned the Indian Garden restaurant in...
View ArticleChed Evans – Retrial set for 4th October 2016
We have covered the case of Ched Evans who was convicted of rape in 2012, and was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. His first appeal against conviction was unsuccessful, but after applying to the...
View ArticleAmar Hussain – Police Officer gets 7 years for false kidnap claim
Introduction It is a curious case. Amar Hussain, a serving police is starting a seven year sentence for what sounds like it could be the plot of a cheap thriller. Factual Background On 8th December...
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Man who told Judge to ‘suck my cock’ after sentence loses appeal
Introduction Remember the Sledden brothers? The drug dealing brothers who got a suspended sentence and celebrated it in a slightly unwise fashion? As an overview, Daniel Sledden, 27, and his 25 year...
View ArticlePaul Grange arrested for offensive T-Shirt
We have looked previously at people who have been nicked for wearing an offensive t-shirt, and on 31st May 2016 there is another example. Paul Grange, a 50 year old man from Worcester turned up to a...
View ArticlePatrick Rock – ex David Cameron aide convicted of indecent images
Introduction On 1st June 2016 Southwark Crown Court, often home to frauds that last many months, hosted one of the shortest trials that a Crown Court will deal with this year. Patrick Rock, a former...
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