update

[tango]

just to let you no cps have offered sexual assualt instead of 2 charges of rape, they gave me time to think bout it but im just scared of going to trial and getting found guilty of something i never done any advice would be much help at this stage

[Saffron]

Well, that's quite some step down from 2 counts of rape to one count of sexual assault! Is it definitely the CPS who have made this plea offer? If so, it would lead me to believe that they don't think they have a realistic chance of conviction for the two counts of rape, so they are trying to secure a conviction of any kind.

Don't plead guilty to something you didn't do. A guilty plea might mean that you avoid prison, but you would be serving a different kind of sentence - a lifetime on the SOR; never being able to find a job; the constant worry that a neighbour/friend/vigilante might find out that you pled Guilty to a sex crime.

Hang in there.

[tango]

yes its definatly the cps that have offered it. they have gave me till after xmas to decide on a plea, im just worried if i dnt take it i could be found guilty of a more serious charge that i never comitted. my barrister said the cps are going to drag all my past statements up when i helped prosicute people what done wrong outside my club and that may look bad on me and discredit me and make it look like the witnesses i have are lying to save me but im angry they can use this.

[gem]

hi is this barrister really on your side ? sounds to me he wants this over with.
as for taking the lesser charge the cps do it to get a conviction one way or another
they did this to my son, he refused point blank but he got found guilty .so i.m afraid it is a gamble you must decide for yourself we thought we were going to win . their was not any evidence. nothing to convict him. only her crying in the court room when she gave evidence.so i know from experience it can go either way .as for him telling you the cps will use these other things against you it depends on the judge. he may not allow it to be used .sounds like he is trying to frighten you to take lesser charge, to get it over with then he can move on to another case he still gets his fee .they are paid by the case now not the hour. get some expert advice fast. im sure their are plenty on here will be along to help

[Rights Fighter]

yes its definatly the cps that have offered it. they have gave me till after xmas to decide on a plea, im just worried if i dnt take it i could be found guilty of a more serious charge that i never comitted. my barrister said the cps are going to drag all my past statements up when i helped prosicute people what done wrong outside my club and that may look bad on me and discredit me and make it look like the witnesses i have are lying to save me but im angry they can use this.

How is giving evidence for the Crown in other cases going to your your case?

If they are offering you a plea bargain then it's possible they do not have confidence they would get a guilty verdict from a jury.

If you plead guilty to something you have not done then it will be almost impossible to appeal the guilty plea should new evidence come to light. And of course you will then become a self-confessed sex offender.

Nobody can make this choice for you.

[tango]

they said they will use the other cases to say to the jury that my witnesses are lying to protect me and that us doorman are sticking together, tbh i think there blowing smoke up my arse as they no they have no evidence to convict me

[tango]

hi gem can you tell me what happened with your son and what your barrister was like im really struggling with this and i feel like there just out to get a feather in there cap, i didnt rape anyone so therefore im not pleading to anything. i got people what heard her say she will set me up.

[fighter]

Tango, it is good to hear you are not pleading guilty. We have been warned by our neighbor one of their relatives was pressured to plead guilty (police). The accused was told not to talk to anybody about it. They were saying it is to make it an easy and low profile conviction (in case the police is wrong again), no fight from accused. He pleaded guilty but get almost the same years as when he did not plead guilty and he regrets it.

[gem]

hi tango
i will be honest from the beginning i trusted the barrister but i had only got what my solicitor was telling me that he was really good ect.it was not until i met him at court i realized what [ pardon me for this]an arrogant twit he was .he was not happy that i was interfering with the case i wanted to know everything he had on the girl .and i kept questioning him about where the alleged rape took place it was apparently on a public footpath at 2pm on a sunny afternoon in aug sometime so the accuser said.where it is full of dog walkers [come on] the barrister never even took the jury their or showed photos of the scene where it apparently had happened. 'the girl was 15 stone my son 10 stone ringing wet .he supposed to have dragged her 200 yards past a wood on both sides of him [where i suppose anyone wanting to commit rape would have taken his victim] no according to her he passed the wood dragging her all the way by her coat in one statement .by her top in another statement to a public footpath and raped her for 20 mins. the barrister never even used it .he had her age as 15 she was 16 years 10 months .i even had to tell him he had her age wrong .after a load of huffing and puffing he agreed to send for her birth cert .i was proved right . he also never used vital evidence about my son.s urinating problem . she told the court he had a wee in the bushes stood next to her afterwards .he can,t he was born with spina bifida he can,t wee standing up because of damage to his bladder ..i could go on and on about his blatant blundering in the case .when he told my son of the deal for lesser charge my son told him to stick it up his backside. glad now as we are appealing and we wouln.t be able to if he took it. we tried to get new barrister for the sentencing but we got refused by the court. he never believed my son was innocent i know that now he was just going through the motions. he even tried to shake my hand when my son got 7 years and said he was bloody lucky their he could have got more . i was floored .....so my advise is get someone who is fully qualified in sex offences mine wasnt .make sure he uses everything you give him and every witness to build up your case not everyone gets a guilty verdict .we were unlucky enough to get a bad defence team make sure you don,t .

[tango]

any ideas of a good defence team people, im struggling to find 1 who i can tell is a bloody good barrister and will help prove im innocent

[gem]

mabye RF can help you on that one.
i would try googling some sex offender solicitors then speak to them they in turn will put you onto a good barrister
in my experience i found mine[ for our appeal] through a friend of a friend who got her husband acquitted. good luck let us all know how you get on

[RFLH]

If you do a search on this site - you may find the name of a solicitor that is recommended in your area.

[Rights Fighter]

He's already been advised by others of a good sol who would instruct a suitable barrister but obviously chooses either not to believe it or to disregard it. What is the point of offering advice if it is not taken on board?

[tango]

i spoke to gerry and its all being sorted

[worriedandconcerned]

Tango you will not go wrong with Gerry.
He is a top bloke and really cares.
I would stick with him.