The defendant, who was a victim of brutal violence by two men, was unanimously acquitted by a jury at Harrow Crown Court after a six-day trial. He had been accused of two counts of Section 18 wounding with intent.
He had been arrested for attempted murder after serious injuries were inflicted with a knife. One of the complainants had life threatening injuries, namely three stab wounds in the back that caused a collapsed lung. The other complainant had serious injuries that included wounds to the head and a severed radial nerve to his arm.
The defence contended that, firstly, the injuries were not deliberate as the defendant had blacked out when he was assaulted and, secondly, that whatever the defendant did was in self-defence.
They also argued that the police had failed to conduct a proper investigation and the Crown Prosecution Service had failed to charge the real perpetrators of the violence, namely the two prosecution witnesses.
Lalith de Kauwe was instructed by Mohsin Ariff of Lloyds PR Solicitors. Lalith is a member of the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team.
