Richard Barraclough QC secures acquittal of youth charged with attempted murder

Richard Barraclough QC leading Kate Kelleher instructed by Messrs Levales of Aldershot have together secured the acquittal of a 17 year old youth charged with attempted murder.

It was alleged that the victim bore a grudge against D, blaming him for having abandoned a mutual friend to die in a car accident. The victim inflicted violence on D and his parents. When the victim arrived at D’s house intent on violence, D took a gun and shot at him twice. The second shot was fired 22 seconds after the first. One of the bullets struck the victim in the back, rendering him paraplegic. The shots were timed by reference to a CCTV recording of a nearby chicken coop which captured the sound of the shots and the reaction of the chickens to hearing them. The house where D lived contained an arsenal of weaponry. The gun used in the shooting was never recovered.

The case involved evidence of identification, ballistics and gunshot residue found in a car in which D travelled. After some four days in retirement the jury acquitted D of attempted murder and convicted him of the offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.