Continued Success in the Criminal Courts with the Quickest Acquittal Before a Jury
November 16, 2009
Our firm has had continued success throughout the summer and autumn of 2009. In the High Court, the firm led the successful challenge to the Indictment of the owners of Rosepark Nursing Home following the tragic fire in January 2004. The Rosepark fire was one of the worst tragedies in Scotland in recent years and the firm led the successful strategy to challenge the competence of the Indictment against the owners, which had
been brought under Health & Safety legislation. Following the judge’s dismissal of the charges brought by the Crown, Peter Watson, confirmed that a “Fatal Accident Inquiry should have been established initially to let the bereaved families hear all the evidence. The Crown saw this tragedy in terms of a crime when many thought an investigation into the facts was more appropriate.”(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8061537.stm) A Fatal Accident Inquiry begins on the 16th November 2009.
Further success followed in the recent acquittal of staff from a leading specialist Educational Centre for troublesome young people following an allegation of assault by one of the children. The case was led before a jury and a ‘no case to answer’ submission was upheld. This was quickly followed by the successful acquittal of an off-duty police sergeant facing a serious charge of assault to serious injury and permanent disfigurement. Both he and his son had been stabbed and the officer acted in self defence to protect his family from further attack. A Glasgow jury took just 6 minutes to unanimously acquit the officer in what is widely believed to be quickest return of a verdict from a Scottish jury. (Find
more details at the attached link http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/133629-police-officer-cleared-of-assault/)
This augments the firm’s successful reputation in acting in complex, high profile and sensitive cases.

