case studies

• Damilola Taylor - ac3.4 


  He was stabbed in the leg with a piece of broken glass by two brothers

  it took 6 years and three trials to identify and convict the killers.

  CPS ruined there reputation

  as the witnesses were unreliable

  little time was spent cross checking her evidence
• Abu Hamza - ac3.4


  a radical muslim cleric convicted in 2006 for different offences

  however there was controversy over the CPS and it application of the full code.

  the CPS decided there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute but they finally prosecuted in 2006
• Joan Francisco - ac3.4 


  • she was murder by her ex-boyfriend but there insufficient evidence to prosecute.
  • the family decide to do a civil suit themselves and it was successful. it was the first time someone had been sued for murder.
  • CPS refused to prosecute but a review of evidence was ordered and new evidence came to light that was originally missed.
  • three tiny spot of blood was found on the shirt of Joan and this then connected the boyfriend to the crime.
  • if it wasn't for the civil case the CPS may never have prosecuted
• abu qatada - ac3.3 civil liberties

  • 2012 - ECHR ruled that the hate preacher could not be deported to Jordan because of the risk that he would be tried on evidence obtained by torture
  • Theresa may said the radical islamic cleric would have been sent back home a long time ago had the ECHR not 'moved the goalposts' by established new legal ground for blocking his deportation
  • 2013 - eventually deported
• ECHR - European Court of Human Rights
• kay gilderdale - ac3.3

  • administered drugs to her daughter to help her die - due to being severely ill
  • daughter disabled with chronic disease ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)
  • admitted a charge to aiding and abetting suicide of her daughter
  • shows how drastic action could be out of sympathy
  • acquitted of the attempted murder charge on 25 Jan
• puppy farm murder - ac3.4

  • 2017 - Surrey police heavily criticised for returning a killers (John Lowe) shotgun and firearm certificate months before a double murder
  • returned gun despite an allegation he had threatened to kill Lucy Lee's sister with a gun in March 2013.
  • Christine Lee, 66, and Lucy Lee, 40, were killed by John Lowe
• disorder in cromer - ac3.4

  • 2017 - police admitted wrongdoings to residents in Cromer
  • during a weekend of disorder, police recorded 37 crimes
  • e.g rape, theft, assault
  • however, at the time failed to provide support to locals and classed it as low level disturbance
  • later said they misjudged the disorder
• lord janner - AC3.4

  • escaped prosecution for serious sexual abuse of boys on three occasions because of failings by the CPS
• Colin stagg - ac1.3 crime control model

  • murder of Rachel nickell
  • used offender profiling , with Colin stage fitting description
  • used honey trap - female police when undercover pretended to fall for Colin to get him to confess
  • police had focused on Stagg in an excessive manner, trying to incriminate him frequently in his exchanges with ‘Lizzie’. 
  • the judge determined that the entrapment evidence could not be included in the case as per Colin’s right. 
  • showed how police wanted to close the case as quickly as possible - doing anything they could to make Colin the criminal
• donoghue v stevenson 1932 - ac1.1 judicial precedent

  • 2 friends visited a cafe, 1 drank a bottle of ginger beer that had the remains of decomposing snail
  • the women fell ill and sued the manufacturer
  • she won her case
  • court decided a duty of care was owed by the manufacturer
  • case founded the modern day law of negligence
• Whiteley v Chappell 1868 - ac1.1 statutory interpretation

  • defendant pretended to be a person entitled to vote but that person was dead
  • they were charged with an offence of impersonating any person entitled to vote
  • however the court found the defendant not guilty as a dead person is not classed as someone who is entitled to vote - as they are no longer living
• Barry George - ac1.3 due process

  • police investigation was thorough
  • Barry George allowed to appeal - failed appeal
  • decisions challenged
• Barry George - ac1.3 crime control

  • focused on Barry because he fitting the profile as a longer who didn't fit the norm
  • convicted based on single particle of gunshot residue
  • failed appeals
  • no compensation