Nick Jones represented a client who was formally found not guilty of murder and manslaughter at Inner London Crown Court following a second hung jury.
Nick was led by Tom Crowther KC of 23ES and instructed by Lucinda Nicholls and Bhavna Kerai of Nicholls and Nicholls LLP.
The case centred on a stabbing in a flat in East London. The Defence was that another occupant of the flat — who was a prosecution witness — was in fact the person who inflicted the fatal wound. The case involved blood, DNA, telephone, and extensive CCTV evidence.
In both trials, the Defendant made the difficult decision not to give evidence, a strategy which focused the jury’s attention on the weaknesses in the prosecution case.
This was an unusual case in which there were no direct witnesses to the stabbing and only a closed pool of possible suspects. Through a detailed analysis of phone data, the Defence was able to demonstrate that the Defendant was unlikely to have made a series of contested calls to the emergency services.
The DNA and blood evidence was ultimately neutral as to who caused the fatal injury, leaving the Crown unable to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Nick Jones is an experienced criminal advocate who also provides advice and representation in regulatory proceedings. Prior to joining the Bar, Nick was a solicitor (admitted 1998). As a former solicitor he understands the importance of working as part of a team and the need for meticulous preparation. He has held Higher Rights of Audience (both criminal and civil) since 2003. He has been exclusively acting as an advocate in the Crown Court since 2008.
