The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been highly criticised by Judge Wendy Joseph QC at the Central Criminal Court after a series of mistakes led to the collapse of a £40 million fraud trial.
Keir Monteith represented the defendant who was first on the indictment during this trial. The judge stopped the case after a month when it became clear there was evidence missing, that some evidence was misleading and that “multiple and profound” failures had been made by the prosecution. Midway through the trial, the prosecution tried to apply for a six-week adjournment and for the jury to be discharged. This application was refused by the judge. The prosecutor therefore offered no evidence and, in this extraordinary case, all defendants were found not guilty.
Further information can be found via Court News UK.
Keir led Jessica Sobey of Lloyds PR solicitors.
Keir Monteith is a member of the Garden Court Chambers Crime and Fraud and Regulatory Law Teams.
