Handling Stolen Goods

James appeared in Bolton Crown Court to represent the owner of a highly respected car salvage company who faced the very serious allegation of attempting to handle stolen goods, namely stolen cable from Network Rail.

Undercover officers approached our client and his staff on six occasions with this apparently stolen cable and on each occasion, our client and his staff refused. On the final approach, however, the Police changed the appearance of the cable completely by stripping it of any identifying markings, and this time the officer did not suggest that it was stolen.

After some robust submissions on the law of entrapment, the very senior trial judge decided that the police had (once again) “crossed the line” by placing our client under undue pressure, and stayed the proceedings against our client. A not guilty verdict was recorded on all counts.

This is the latest in a series of trials focusing on those in the salvage and waste management business, which have resulted in acquittals for James and Sean Reilly’s clients. The Reilly brothers have successfully acted in these cases up and down the country.

Driving under the Influence of Alcohol

We acted for a foreign national who was accused of driving over the limit; however, our client did not speak English. He was taken to the police station where there appeared to be serious issues with the police station procedure and medical issues which were not addressed.

The case was listed for a not guilty trial and, in the meantime, the firm requested a copy of the police station CCTV showing the Lion Intoximeter test, and wrote to the CPS several times requesting additional material. None of our correspondence was ever replied to and, even on the day of trial, the requested CCTV evidence was not produced.

As a result, our client was acquitted.