The Court of Appeal has handed a suspended sentence to a woman suffering from battered woman syndrome. The appellant was sentenced for taking contraband items of drugs and SIM cards into prison.
The sentencing judge in the Crown Court viewed that they were ‘constrained’ to pass an immediate custodial sentence, in light of all previous reported cases. This is a significant departure from previous reported cases which cite immediate prison sentences for these offences.
Paramjit Ahluwalia represented the appellant who had an expedited hearing at the Court of Appeal on 13 December 2016. Paramjit was instructed by Faradays Solicitors.
They argued that issues of helplessness, post-traumatic stress disorder and battered woman syndrome, as well as the appellant being an effective primary carer, should be taken into account by the judge. The fact that the appellant had been a victim of domestic violence was also raised.
Paramjit Ahluwalia is a member of Garden Court’s Crime Team. She has particular expertise in representing the most vulnerable in society, including women, migrants, youths and individuals affected by mental health issues.
