Ali Bajwa KC represents man acquitted of attempted rape and sexual assault on his friend after a party.
The then-18-year-old defendant D was accused of attempting to rape his friend on a night in 2018, following a night of drinking at a party. There was no dispute that the complainant was very drunk and had fallen asleep, fully clothed, on D's bed. The Crown’s case was the complainant had woken up semi naked to a sexual assault by the accused.
D's case was that the acts complained of simply had not happened and that in the days and weeks afterwards the complainant had invented and/or imagined an account from things that she had heard from him and others about the events of that night.
The prosecution used against D a number of text messages he had sent to the complainant afterwards in which he appeared to be say that what had happened was “wrong”, he had “used” the complainant and that they were “very close” to having sex.
Following a 6-day trial, the jury in Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court acquitted D of attempted rape and sexual assault.
D’s mother wrote to the defence team after the verdict, in which she said this: “Waking up today feels like the first day of the rest of our lives. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping get [D] his justice in the case against him. While I never doubted my son’s account of events in 2018, I do fully understand the challenges you faced in persuading the jury to believe him. I am deeply grateful for the devotion you all paid to this. Nurturing [D] and reassuring him, supporting and guiding him. I was frankly terrified at times for his mental wellbeing - and I’m sure each of your attentions and care helped keep him safe.”
Ali Bajwa KC led Alejandra Llorente Tascon at 5KBW, instructed by Riccardo Pagano, Senior and Organised Crime Litigator (Thompson & Co Solicitors), current Head of Crown Court Litigation at Walker Law.
Ali Naseem Bajwa KC