Tomas McGarvey’s client acquitted of murder

Tomas McGarvey, led by Maria Karaiskos KC, successfully represented one of 7 teenagers accused of murder, attempted murder and causing GBH with intent following a large-scale stabbing on other teenagers in Luton, Bedfordshire. The jury acquitted Tomas’s client of murder, instead opting for the lesser charge of manslaughter as an alternative to murder.

The prosecution relied on extensive CCTV footage which covered the fatal incident, social media evidence detailing the plans made between opposing sides, and phone downloads, as well as the legal principles of ‘joint enterprise’ and ‘transferred malice’ from the Supreme Court in Jogee [2016] UKSC 8 and Gnango [2011] UKSC 59. The trial was split into two due to its size and the age of the defendants.

The prosecution case was that Tomas’s client initially acted as a look out, and later stopped the victim from leaving the area, holding him and fighting with him, as his twin brother stabbed the victim multiple times in the back.

Tomas’s client received a sentence of 7 years imprisonment for manslaughter. The co-defendant, Tomas’s client’s twin brother, received a life-sentence with a minimum term of 24 years.

Due to Tomas’s client’s age, reporting restrictions under section 45 of the Youth, Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 previously applied in this case.

Tomas was instructed by Gias Uddin at Woolfe and Co.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8lr8pz18do