Ifẹ Thompson, crime third six pupil at Garden Court, represented LN, instructed by Jeffrey Muhammad of Amosu Robinshaw Solicitors.
The youth client, LN, was charged with concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and assaults on emergency workers arising from the arrest of the drugs matters. The client was also charged with compelling others to take part in forced labour, this was later dropped by the Crown once the s.45 defence was raised.
Once the s.45 Modern Slavery defence was put forward, Ife sought out a Modern Slavery Expert whilst a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) decision was being investigated and considered.
The single competent authority found conclusive grounds that LN was a victim of modern slavery, and the expert found this young person to be a victim of human trafficking. Subsequently, Ife wrote representations to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) highlighting the above findings, alongside the human rights obligations the CPS must consider and review when a person is a victim of modern slavery. Following, the CPS offered no evidence to the defendant concerned with Class A charges.
The assault emergency worker charges went to trial and Ife Thompson also sought a Trauma Expert for the client’s experience of policing as a young Black child, of which it was found LN had PTSD and anxiety when subjected to unwanted police contact. The Judge found, taking into account his trauma and the context of the kick, that this part of the charge could not be made out.
Ife specialises in working on youth court matters and has had a number of cases against her youth clients dropped by the CPS after she has drafted written representations. She is also known for using creative arguments and methods to bring up matters to do with racial and linguistic injustice. Find out more here.
