Violent Offences

We provide effective legal representation to those clients alleged to have committed acts of violence in public or private settings, and promptly identify and advise in respect of the strength of the evidence and any applicable defences, such as self-defence.

Anyone can find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are skilled at uncovering evidence that can change the complexion of a case and presenting it to the police, Crown Prosecution Service, and juries.

Our experts can help you with a wide range of violent offences, such as:

Common assault
Assault with intent to resist or prevent arrest
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
Assaults on emergency workers
Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm, with and without intent
Ill-treatment or neglect of children or mental patients or persons who lack capacity
Causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to suffer serious physical harm
Harassment and stalking, including putting people in fear of violence
Public order, including fear or provocation of violence, affray and violent disorder

They are phenomenally impressive. If I were in need of a criminal solicitor, I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Chambers UK

Our expertise

BCL are ranked in Band 1 for Crime in Chambers and Partners and Band 1 for Crime: General in The Legal 500.

We appreciate that case strategy and taking the appropriate action at the right time are crucial for our clients when dealing with allegations of violence to achieve success. At BCL we do not automatically assume that the police will obtain all the relevant evidence (for example, CCTV footage and witness statements), which is why our lawyers are proactive and committed to achieving the best possible outcome for our clients.

Violent offences often have other significant factors involved (before, at the time or following the alleged incident), which will need to be considered and explored by our legal experts. For example, the degree of force, the level of alcohol/drug consumption, a racially or religiously aggravated element, the psychological wellbeing of the parties and the impact on family and employment.

Our legal professionals have connections with a range of associated experts when dealing with offences of violence, where skilled knowledge is needed to identify and/or address certain evidence in the case, including CCTV enhancement and causation of injuries.

Once instructed during the investigation or the court proceedings, our lawyers will assess the evidential and public interest tests, as set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and where appropriate, make representations to the relevant body concerning the alleged incident(s) of violence, with a view to reaching a positive outcome for each and every client.

We provide beginning to end representation to guide you through the entire course of your case, including in connection with:

representing suspects under arrest and in detention awaiting an interview under caution;
pre-charge engagement with police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in order to identify lines of enquiry of potential assistance to our clients;
gathering of evidence and intelligence, including identifying witnesses, CCTV footage, and social media content;
preparing written representations against prosecution to the police and CPS, both pre-charge and post-charge;
instructing specialist forensic experts to prepare reports for use in supporting representations against prosecution or defence at trial;
preparation and representation at trial the magistrates’ court and crown court;
representation in appeal proceedings before the Court of Appeal and the Criminal Cases Review Commission; and
liaising with employers, professional regulators, and other third parties throughout proceedings, ensuring that our clients’ professional and reputational interests are protected.

Our experience

Examples of our instructions include:

Successful representation of a professional accused of stabbing her husband in the back multiple times. Through a detailed analysis of the evidence and the instruction of an expert on causation of injury, we were able to demonstrate that our client had been falsely accused of the assault, and that she was in fact the victim of attempted ‘sextortion’ by her husband.
Representation of a business owner and firearms certificate holder accused of launching an unprovoked attack on a spectator at a boxing match. Following the instruction of a forensic expert in injury causation, we were able to show that the assault could not have happened from behind as alleged and that the parties were likely facing each other when the altercation started. Our client was found not guilty.
Representation of a solicitor charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm (s.20) following an altercation outside a pub in which the complainant suffered a fractured eye socket.