Any advice appreciated

[Thingscouldbeworse]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading this forum since our nightmare began 18 months ago, it has been a great source of support to know others are going through similar, so thank you.

Basically my partner has been accused by a group of people who are all related / friends. Read alone their 'evidence' is ridiculous and they have said things I know to be complete lies, they contradict themselves and each other too. However, I am scared that the jury will just see the number of accusers and make up their mind from the start.

He has been charged and trial is in a few months. Since he received the prosecutions evidence pack my partner has been feeling positive and spent hours everyday going through it and responding to everything they have said with what really happened. He sent his responses to his barrister a couple of weeks ago to prepare the defence statement.

However he met with the barrister yesterday who informed him he has not read any of his responses and will not because they are too long. He dismissed lots of things my partner said as 'no use'. For example, the 'main' accuser claims to have been avoiding my partner and not to have seen him for years (although how many years constantly changes in her evidence) but this is a lie and we have photos of them together in this time, and my partner knows the inside of her house as she invited him round! But the barrister says he is getting bogged down in details that are no use. This is heartbreaking as we cannot prove or disprove the actual allegations but can cast doubt on some of these details surrounding them.

So we just feel hopeless and as if the barrister has no interest in the case, and we feel he should at least read my partners responses before preparing the defence statement?!

Any advice greatly appreciated thanks.

[Rights Fighter]

Are the photos dated? if not then they don't really show anything.

I am rather surprised he he not looked at any of it, given that he then went on to "dismiss.. lots of things my partner said as 'no use'."

[Thingscouldbeworse]

Thanks for replying Rights Fighter.

The photos are dated on the devices they are saved on but I guess this is less reliable than if they were printed with the date on.

When they met yesterday the barrister began asking questions about the case and my partner tried to refer to parts of the document he had sent where he answers the said question in detail, to be told by the barrister that he hadn't read it. So my partner attempted to answer verbally but feels he wasn't very articulate as he just wasn't expecting this situation. It was during this conversation the barrister seemed to dismiss lots of the things my partner thought would help in court. I guess we just have to trust the barrister but it is frustrating to put it mildly.

[Rights Fighter]

Make a list of the things you want used. If he continues to ignore them or gives answers like "we can't use this" ask why. If there is no reason why forthcoming, ask him to sign a document explaining that he refuses to consider the evidence you want used.

Tell him that you know that if this results in conviction, evidence that was known about at trial but not used cannot be put to the Court of Appeal and should that happen, a formal complaint will be made to the BSB - Bar Standards Board.

Who is the sol and barrister, out of interest?

[Thingscouldbeworse]

Thanks RF we will do.

We aren't comfortable with posting sol and barrister details publicly just yet but happy to send you a private message when I get the ability.

My partner is wondering whether he needs to consider changing solicitors or whether it wouldn't be advised at this stage with the defence statement due in two weeks.

[Rights Fighter]

I have added you as a contact so once you can PM you will be able to get through to me.

You can enable emails from your account now. I can then email and you can then disable, once I have done that.

[Thingscouldbeworse]

Thanks RF. I have ticked 'receive email from other members' hopefully that does it? I'm not very technical!

[Rights Fighter]

I've sent you an email. Once you have it remove the option as you never know who could be emailing you, otherwise, given this is a public forum.