On Monday 12 August 2013 at Snaresbrook Crown Court, the Crown was forced to concede defeat in the case of R v A.

The defendant was alleged to have abducted his four year old son and taken him to Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan without the consent of his wife. Although his wife initially made a complaint to the police, she subsequently provided a withdrawal statement. The Crown, though, continued with the prosecution, but HHJ Lafferty ruled that she could not be compelled to give evidence against her husband. An attempt to adduce in evidence a call made by the complainant to the emergency services was also rejected by the Court.

This case was meticulously prepared by Tony Meisels and in court the defendant was represented by the excellent and tenacious Jeremy Lynn of Farringdon Chambers.