‘Cold Case Review’ appearance at the Old Bailey for Exchange Chambers Barristers Nick Johnson QC & Michael Rawlinson

August 19, 2016

Nick Johnson QC, leading Michael Rawlinson, also from Exchange Chambers, appeared this week at the Old Bailey before the Recorder of London, HHJ Nicholas Hilliard QC, in a complex Cold Case Review matter concerning historical allegations of attempted murder and rape of an 86-year-old widow.

The defendant was already serving life sentences arising from other offences in the same period over 20 years ago. While originally arrested for the attack, he had never faced charges. However in 2014, a decision was made by detectives from the Complex Case Team of the Metropolitan Police to conduct a re-examination of forensic evidence gathered at the time of the original investigation.

The case involved complex arguments concerning the imposition of a further sentence upon a defendant with a raft of serious mental health difficulties, who was just 16 at the time of the offending and who had himself suffered serious abuse in his early life.

The defendant was eventually sentenced to a further eight-and-a-half years imprisonment for offences of attempted rape and assault, to run concurrently alongside his existing life sentence. No evidence was offered in respect of attempt murder and indecent assault charges.

Nick and Michael were instructed by Colin Byrne from Howard & Byrne solicitors.