John Oliver represented a client who was accused of two offences of rape, which were alleged to have been committed in 2018 but were not reported until 2021.
The principal difficulty in the case was that the defendant had very little recollection of the day concerned. However, he maintained that any sexual activity was consensual. His lack of memory presented difficulties for the cross-examination of the Complainant and so the principal focus was on variations in the accounts given by them and a detailed analysis of the circumstances leading up to the alleged offences.
The jury unanimously acquitted after just one-hour-and-fifteen minutes’ deliberation. John was instructed by Graeme Hydari and Kit Gamble at Hodge Jones and Allen. John was assisted during the trial by our pupil Amabel Kerr.
John Oliver specialises in crime and extradition. John has particular experience in cases involving drugs, sexual offences (including historic allegations), serious violence and dishonesty. He has an interest in cases involving vulnerable defendants and witnesses and has been instructed in cases involving the use of intermediaries to assist defendants with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and those with mental health conditions.
