Crown offer no evidence against Nicholas Maggs’ client in attempted murder case

Nicholas Maggs, instructed by Anne Woodcock of Anne Woodcock & Co Solicitors, secured an acquittal for his client facing an allegation of attempted murder on the eve of trial at St Albans Crown Court after the prosecution offered no evidence against him.

The case concerned a dispute over payment owed by the complainant following building work done by the defendant. The Crown alleged that the defendant, together with a co-defendant, made verbal threats to the complainant demanding payment and then struck him over the head with an improvised weapon causing life changing head injuries.

The defendant was indicted with attempted murder and s.18 GBH.

The case involved substantial forensic evidence concerning DNA analysis and blood pattern expertise, together with CCTV and cell site evidence concerning the movements of the defendants before and after the incident. Both defendants denied involvement and blamed each other for the assault.

This case was particularly challenging as Nich’s defendant was arrested much later than the co-defendant and was only joined to the co-defendant’s case very shortly before trial. The defence obtained and translated material from the defendant’s phone and discovered an alleged confession by the co-defendant. The service of this led to the Crown offering no evidence against Nich’s client, accepting that he was neither a principal nor secondary party to the offence.