Solicitors advice

[Casehardened]

Thanks. Was that Gerry McDonald or Chris ?

You have selected wisely! I have an idea that Gerry will still undertake legal aid funded cases whilst Chris will no longer take these on so in fact both firms are available to you if he is not eligible for legal aid.

If I required a solicitor I would instruct Chris on the basis of his impressive website and the fact that in 4 years I have never read an adverse comment about him on this forum.

[Casehardened]

Would love to know how you did this work yourself.

....just endless googling using relevant search terms to find appropriate websites. Quite often one site will provide a link to another and so on. I must have spent 100's of hours on the PC in the 9 months I was on bail; 50% of the information I dug out depressed me whilst the other 50% gave cause for optimism.

Note that the CPS lay their collective soul bare in their various websites and on the basis of 'know thine enemy' it is essential to study these. I gleaned that they place great importance on the credibility or otherwise of their prosecution witnesses (this is obvious really!) and so my aim was to discredit my accuser in their eyes prior to them making a charging decision.

I was extremely fortunate in that my OIC had just concluded a case in which the accuser had been proved to have fabricated the accusation so she was fairly receptive to my evidence and put this forward to the CPS lawyers.

[can it get worse]

Hi - sorry to throw a spanner in the works. CPS held plenty of info about our accuser which made clear her lack of credibility in many ways but they went ahead with charging and then tried to withhold the information from us when we were building the defence.

We were very fortunate to engage Chris who is experienced in these tactics.

[Incredulous]

Thank you both for your points of view. It's like swimming with sharks isn't it? You just don't know where to turn or what to do when someone has done absolutely nothing wrong. Talk about baptism of fire!!!

[myhome]

I have irrefutable evidence - written and can't be disputed - that the woman who FA'd me is LYING through her teeth.
I was desperate to present this months and months ago to bring this whole sorry affair to an end; but advice from a criminal defence solicitor was that when you're holding the Ace of trumps you have to be very careful when you choose to play it.
He said that if I asked a solicitor to present this to the police then (early on) then they would present it to the liar and she would alter her story to refute my evidence. He said the best time to use it would be at the trial (if there would be one) when the prosecution would have little time to prepare against it; or second best would be after charge (if this was to happen) to try to prevent the trial happening.
Nearly 20 months on I'm wondering if I made the right decision, but my sister said, "There's no point asking for professional advice and then ignoring it...."
I really don't know...............

[Incredulous]

But she can't alter the date and time of the alleged charge can she? Neither can the police as it us on the charge sheet isn't it?

[frightened spouse]

But she can't alter the date and time of the alleged charge can she? Neither can the police as it us on the charge sheet isn't it?

It has been known to happen unbelievable as it may seem.

Thank you both for your points of view. It's like swimming with sharks isn't it? You just don't know where to turn or what to do when someone has done absolutely nothing wrong. Talk about baptism of fire!!!

You are absolutely right it is a game to these people, police and cps who are looking for brownie points and promotion regardless of truth or the innocence of the accused. In my opinion whether you are charged depends on so many factors , the age of the "victim", the officer in charge, the culture within the force and the competence of the cps lawyer reviewing the evidence just to name a few. In my husband's case they didn't follow procedure but trying to get them to acknowledge that is like trying to get blood from a stone.

It is actually easier to put forward a defence if you are charged, it is the only way you would see her statement, so trying to put anything together without the finer detail is fighting blind as it were.

[myhome]

But she can't alter the date and time of the alleged charge can she? Neither can the police as it us on the charge sheet isn't it?

One member on here was charged with rape and his FA'er said she remembered the time because the "Emmerdale" theme was playing. The member told the police it could not have been because he was at the gym at that time. Plod went back to the liar and told her this. So....she said, "Oh no. Sorry I got the time wrong. It was later than that because it was the 'News at Ten' theme!" And - yes - plod allowed this change and accepted the new time.

[can it get worse]

I also seem to remember reading on here that a 'victim' stating she remembered 'it' happened on New Years Eve but then was allowed to change the date!!!

I think I have also read on the CPS guidance website that 'victims' have to be excused if they change their dates, the actual year etc due to their vulnerability.

[Rights Fighter]

Whole years have changed on the indictment because the accuser got the date wrong.....

One of mine - accuser said she was 11 and she knew she was 11 as she had just started senior school. It happened at an address starting 1983.

Defendant didn't meet the family until 1985, didn't move into the house until 1987........

Re talking to solicitors pre charge. Please remember that unless you pay them to talk with you, you cannot expect them to give their time for nothing. Some will as a matter of goodwill, if they have the time - and some will not.

Which area are you in?

[Incredulous]

The same area as you are

[Rights Fighter]

What area is that then and how do you know?!

[Incredulous]

Saw it on a thread. South coast? Was that right?

[Rights Fighter]

The south coast goes from Kent to Cornwall. It's a long line.....

[Incredulous]

Long time no speak. But now terrified

I have been lurking for a while because I haven't been able to talk ... It is going to be over 11 months since my son was arrested for Rape by his False Accuser. It's been hell on wheels and back and as his next Bail date is in May I just don't know whether in 4 weeks time I will have a living son or not. He's barely 'coped' and ive had a complete breakdown. ( there has been other dramatic emotional events too in this time ) if he's charged I haven't got a clue how I will keep him alive.

I just don't know what will happen

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