Tom Wainwright of the Garden Court Criminal Defence Team acted for the defendant, led by Emma Goodall KC of Doughty Street Chambers.
He was instructed by Paul Harris and Oneija Taher of Edward Fail, Bradshaw & Waterson Solicitors.
Tom Wainwright was junior counsel for the defendant, YA, who was acquitted of murder after just over three hours of jury deliberations, on the basis that he had a temporary loss of control at the time of the killing. The defendant had pleaded guilty to manslaughter at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment.
The trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court lasted for four weeks and involved complex pathology, toxicology and other expert evidence. ‘Loss of control’ is a rare and difficult partial defence to murder, which required detailed legal submissions in relation to the factual scenario in which the defendant has assaulted the deceased repeatedly with a hammer.