Alex Beevers of 18 St John Street Chambers acted on behalf of a defendant who has been acquitted of attempting to cause Grievous Bodily Harm, following a four-day trial at Manchester Crown Court.
On 25 June 2025, police responded to reports of males arguing on an estate in Manchester, with one possessing a knife. The complainant had been walking through the Monsall area whilst intoxicated. He reported being approached by youths who became provocative, causing him to display a ladle he was carrying, after which they fled. Shortly afterwards, a white Ford Puma arrived and the defendant exited the vehicle, retrieved a machete from the boot, and pursued the complainant.
CCTV footage captured the incident showing the defendant swinging the machete towards the complainant’s head. The complainant sustained a laceration to the top of his head, as well as a slice mark to a metal button on his cap, all of which, the prosecution suggested, was consistent with use of a machete.
The defendant’s defence was that he acted in lawful self-defence and defence of others. He claimed that because the complainant had threatened him with a knife during an earlier encounter whilst children were present on the street, he had sought to return to protect others and frighten the complainant away from the area. The defendant denied intending to cause serious injury or actually striking the complainant.
Cross examination revealed significant inconsistencies in the complainant’s account when compared against CCTV footage gathered as part of the investigation, such that the jury unanimously acquitted the defendant of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm in just under 90 minutes.
Alex Beevers was instructed by Nicola Cooney of Burton Copeland Solicitors.
For more information on Alex Beevers and other members of the Criminal Department, please contact a member of the criminal clerking team on 0161 278 8262 or email crime@18sjs.com.