Following 6 days of evidence at Hull Crown Court before Ms. Recorder Sellars, Stephen Robinson, Steven Garth, and Oliver Shipley represented 3 of the 5 Defendants facing one count of s.18 grievous bodily harm with intent.
The prosecution opened the case to the jury that the Complainant was attacked by five males and tortured to retrieve a debt owed in respect of drugs. It was presented that the Complainant was pushed to the floor, kicked to the head and body, burned all over the body with boiling kettle water, strangled, stabbed twice to the left side and a single stab wound right through the left wrist, hair pulled back whilst bleach and acetone poured straight from the bottle into the mouth, and waterboarded.
The case centred around identification parades and forensic evidence. The Defendants disputed their involvement in the assault and challenged the veracity of their identification and the forensic evidence.
Following cross-examination of the complainant and the officer investigating the case and subsequent submissions of no case to answer, the jury was directed to return not guilty verdicts. The court ruled that the evidence was inconsistent, contradictory, and inherently weak.
Stephen Robinson was instructed by Chloe Wright of VHS Fletchers Solicitors
Steven Garth was instructed by Michael O’Garra of Forbes Solicitors
Oliver Shipley was instructed by Marc Pollard of Williamsons Solicitors.