Jonas Milner’s client acquitted in perverting the course of justice trial

Jonas Milner, leading Carina Clare of 23 Essex Street and instructed by Natasha Green of Rustem Guardian solicitors, was successful in defending his client against allegations of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender. The trial at  Reading Crown Court, labelled the “Valentine’s Day Murder” in the press, lasted for 6 weeks.

Jonas’ client was one of three defendants charged. Her boyfriend, assisted by another, used a stolen Range Rover to run over the victim on Valentine’s Day as punishment for him reporting a local business to the immigration authorities. Having committed the murder, the first defendant then returned to Jonas’ client’s address, where she was said to have provided him with a ‘safe house’ to escape the resulting investigation into the murder. When Police checked her phone, there were messages following the murder including “I destroyed his phone” and “what if the SIM and phone have been destroyed”. The prosecution alleged that she had deliberately disposed of his phone and made enquiries into destroying other incriminating evidence.  The case involved significant quantities of telephone and CCTV evidence. 

Following a successful submission of no case to answer in respect of the charge of assisting an offender, the jury unanimously acquitted Jonas’ client of the remaining allegation against her. She was the only defendant to be acquitted.