Acquittal in Section 18 GBH Trial

Redmond Traynor represented the defendant, who was charged with wounding with intent, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

The allegation arose from a fight at shared accommodation in Ilford, during which the complainant sustained a single stab wound to the chest. The defendant, who was 17 at the time, maintained that he had acted in self-defence.

The jury heard evidence about the defendant’s background in the care system and his exposure to gang violence as a teenager. The defence instructed a clinical psychologist specialising in PTSD, who explained that, as a result of multiple traumas, the defendant was hyper-vigilant to perceived threats of serious violence and more likely to have genuinely believed he needed to use force to protect himself.

Following a four-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

Counsel was instructed by Gavin Kendall of MK Law.