Benjamin Newton KC secures acquittal of retired nurse accused of sending threats to members of the House of Lords

The defendant had sent letters to Lord Sandhurst and Baroness Chisholm in October 2021 asking them to support the Assisted Dying Bill, those letters having allegedly contained a white powder (sucrose) intended to be mistaken for anthrax. He denied having put any powder in the envelopes, and Dr Waleed Fawzi gave evidence for the defence that he was in any event likely to have been suffering from a dissociative disorder at the time due to the overwhelming stress of caring for his terminally ill partner. This could explain significant gaps in his recollection and rebut the alleged purpose of causing anxiety or distress.

Benjamin Newton KC was instructed by Martin Rackstraw of Russell Cooke LLP.