Sam Parham, of the Garden Court Criminal Defence Team, was instructed by Cislyn Spence at Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson.
Sam Parham represented Giles Bete, a doorman at Trafik nightclub in Shoreditch, who was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, to a customer following a confrontation outside the club in December 2019. The alleged victim was hospitalised with facial injuries and a suspected bleed on the brain.
It was alleged by another male that Bete had thrown punches at the alleged victim, taken him to the floor and then deliberately kicked him.
Careful analysis of the CCTV footage indicated that this was not an accurate description. This, coupled with a failure by the prosecution to obtain medical evidence proving the nature and seriousness of the injuries, led Sam to draft an application to dismiss, which was successful.
Bete, who had always maintained that he had acted in reasonable self defence and who has no previous criminal convictions, had a count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative of causing grievous bodily harm (s.18 and s.20 Offences against the Person Act 1861) dismissed by HHJ Mathieson at Wood Green Crown Court on 30th November 2020.
