Crown offer no evidence in blackmail and perverting the course of justice case

Laura Stockdale represented AA, a 19-year-old man with no previous criminal convictions, charged with blackmail and perverting the course of justice. The Crown alleged that AA had an online relationship with the Complainant, during which he and another male demanded £5000 from her in exchange for not posting nude photographs of her online. After AA’s arrest and release on police bail, the Complainant alleged that AA had called her and pressured her to withdraw her police statement. AA denied the allegations.

Ms Stockdale drafted a detailed Defence Statement, setting out the course of AA’s relationship with the Complainant across TikTok lives, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and other online platforms and cellular networks. The Defence Statement explained that on several occasions the Complainant had sent AA large sums of money unsolicited, which AA reported to his bank as suspected proceeds of crime. Ms Stockdale had reviewed voluminous records from AA’s bank relating to these transactions and his communications with the bank in preparation of the Defence Statement. In addition, the Defence Statement objected to the admissibility of the Crown’s partial record of the online communications between the parties and raised extensive disclosure requests. 

Following the service of the Defence Statement the Crown offered no evidence, stating there was no longer reasonable prospects of a conviction against AA. 

Laura Stockdale was instructed by Emily McNally of Hodge, Jones & Allen.