Nicholas Maggs secures acquittals in rape and threats to kill trial

Nicholas Maggs, instructed by Leah Connolly of Sonn Macmillan Walker, secured unanimous acquittals in a case alleging multiple counts of rape and threats to kill following a 2 week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The case concerned a young defendant accused of acting with another individual to take a woman to a flat under false pretences. Once inside, it was alleged that she was subjected to threats, violence and serious sexual assault. The case involved considerable CCTV evidence tracking the movements of the relevant parties, and substantial telephone evidence concerning their relationship and the incident itself. The defence case was a mixture of factual denial, consent and reasonable belief in consent. The case also involved extensive legal argument regarding the extent of cross-examination in the light of s.41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.