Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC and Vivienne Tanchel Secure Acquittal of 18 Year Old Boy for Murder

Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC leading Vivienne Tanchel, represented an 18 year old boy of good character in respect of an allegation of murder. OW was accused of being one of a group of 3 men who attacked and fatally stabbed a 43 year old man in broad daylight on a housing estate in North London. The prosecution alleged that each of the 3 defendants were armed with a knife and set upon the victim as a group. Multiple residents witnessed the attack from a neighbouring tower block, with some even filming it on mobile phones. A key eye witness was a 12 year old child, who was returning home from a local park at the time of the attack.

Co-defendant AJ was alleged to have a violent history with deceased, including a violent exchange weeks before the attack took place. OW maintained that he had no connection to AJ, and that he had no knowledge of a background of violence between AJ and the deceased. OW told the jury that he had intervened only to prevent harm being done to another co-defendant, EE.

The case involved detailed and sensitive cross examination of a child witness and an unexpected ‘cut throat’  defence being presented by a co-defendant.

Sallie and Vivienne were instructed by Gary Monks and Bianca St Prix of Hodge Jones Allen solicitors.