Sean Summerfield secures not guilty verdict in GBH trial

Sean’s client was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on his 62-year-old neighbour by punching him repeatedly to the face, shattering his nose.  The Prosecution alleged that the neighbour had been attacked after he intervened to prevent the defendant from beating his former partner.  It was the defendant’s case that the neighbour had attacked him and his former partner first, but that in any event he had not caused the neighbour’s injuries. 

During cross-examination, the neighbour told the jury that he “was not – and had never been – violent to women”.  An application was made to adduce the neighbour’s previous convictions so as to correct that false impression, and the jury were told about his previous conviction for assault by penetration, and caution for harassment involving threats of violence.  This was a credibility case, and the defendant was a man of good character. 

The defendant was unanimously acquitted after a 5-day trial at Croydon Crown Court. 

Sean Summerfield was instructed by Sean Caulfield & Scarlett Roberts of Hodge Jones & Allen.