What is Attempted Rape?
by Zoe Corderoy | Sexual Offences
Old Bailey Solicitors
Expert Legal Defence Against Domestic Violence Allegations
Have you been accused of domestic abuse?
At Old Bailey Solicitors, our criminal defence solicitors have been supporting clients facing domestic abuse allegations for over 25 years. Whether you have been arrested, charged with a criminal offence or are worried that you may be accused of domestic abuse and are looking for clear, proactive legal advice and representation, we can help.
Our specialist domestic abuse solicitors can assist you every step of the way by providing police station representation, supporting you during a police investigation and representing you in court where required.
Not only can our solicitors help you guide you through legal proceedings, we can also help you to understand the domestic violence disclosure scheme.
Are you under investigation or facing prosecution for domestic violence?
With offices based in central London, Brighton and Horley in Surrey, we are conveniently located to represent clients across the South of England and beyond.
Our legal services offer 24/7 advice and representation for allegations of domestic abuse, please contact your local Old Bailey Solicitors office in London, Horley or Brighton or email [email protected].
Our expertise includes defending allegations of:
- Assault (including common assault (battery), ABH & GBH)
- Controlling and Coercive Behaviour (emotional abuse and psychological abuse)
- Threats to kill
- Harassment / Stalking
- Communications Act & Malicious Communications Act offences (including sending indecent or offensive message and threats by email or social media)
- Criminal damage
Our criminal defence solicitors know how devastating it can be to find yourself accused of domestic abuse concerns. Not only is your liberty at risk, but you could also lose access to your children, impact your other family members, have to leave the family home and be made homeless. A domestic abuse allegation can also have a potential impact on your reputation and relationships with your family, friends and co-workers.
Expert Advice
Many of our clients have never experienced the criminal justice system before and have successful careers and personal interests they need to protect. Please be assured, we will do everything possible to safeguard your legal rights, defend your freedom and get you the best available outcome for your case.
Recognition for our exceptional criminal defence expertise includes:
- Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
- Band 1 ranking for Crime from leading client guide Chambers & Partners
- Criminal Litigation Accreditation from the Law Society
- Very high client satisfaction
- A strong track record of securing the best available outcome for our clients
Whether you have been arrested, charged or are facing prosecution following allegations of domestic violence or abusive behaviour our domestic abuse solicitors can provide the best possible defence.
How our criminal defence solicitors can help you with allegations of domestic violence?
Police station representation
You are entitled to free legal advice while at the police station.
If you are worried about being arrested or you have been invited to the police station for a voluntary interview under caution, get in touch straightaway.
You should never answer police questions without the confidential advice of a defence lawyer as any mistakes made at this early stage can be very damaging to your defence.
Support during a police investigation
If you have been released under investigation, our dedicated team can provide confidential advice regarding your legal options and how to effectively deal with a police investigation for domestic abuse.
The right advice can reduce the likelihood of you being charged with an offence, as well as help you to start building an effective defence in case you are ultimately charged.
Trial advocacy
Our legal team includes a number of Higher Courts Advocates with many years of experience representing clients in Crown Courts across the country and in the Court of Appeal.
We can therefore provide highly skilled representation for every stage of a domestic abuse prosecution, giving you the best chance of securing a not guilty verdict or reduced penalties where conviction is unavoidable.
We can also advise and represent you if you wish to appeal a conviction for domestic violence.
Appealing a domestic violence order
If you have been made the subject of a restraining order or Domestic Violence Prevention Order, we can advise you on your legal options. Whether you may be able to appeal the order and have it overturned, have the length of the order reduced or the conditions varied, our experienced domestic violence solicitors will guide you through the process.
If you have been served with a Domestic Violence Prevention Notice by the police, we can assist you with refuting this application in court. This can be essential if, for example, you have been accused of physical violence or controlling behaviour / coercive behaviour and barred from seeing your children or are required to leave your home due to the allegations against you.
Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme
The Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme, also known as ‘Clare’s Law’ enables the police to disclose information to victims or potential victims of domestic violence about their partners previous abuse or violent offending.
Our team can advise and help you to understand the potential consequences of a conviction or charge for domestic violence.
Our criminal defence team can offer you:
Clear, effective legal advice
We make sure you fully understand the accusations against you and the potential consequences. We will always be open and honest about your prospects for success so you can make informed decisions about how you want to proceed.
Sensitive, understanding personal support
Facing accusations of domestic abuse can be very stressful, confusing and upsetting. We will be there every step of the way to offer you legal protection. Our team will take your side, provide friendly, personal support and do everything we can to make things easier on you.
Robust representation
We will always be ready to fight your corner, making sure your interests are strongly protected and that the accusations against you are effectively countered.
A diligent approach with no detail or angle of defence overlooked
Our domestic violence criminal defence solicitors take a forensic approach to defending our clients, making sure every relevant detail is identified and that any potential flaws in the case against you are exposed.
Tried and tested criminal defence expertise
With decades of experience across our team, we know exactly what is needed for a successful defence and all of the likely opportunities to find holes in the case against you, giving you the best chance of a positive outcome.
An early conclusion to your case wherever possible
We will always seek to end the proceedings against you as soon as possible. In some cases, that means helping you to avoid charges, in others it may mean seeing charges dropped or securing an early acquittal.
The best available outcome for your case
Whatever the situation, we will work relentlessly to get you the best possible outcome. Wherever we can, we will help you to avoid charges, see charges dropped, secure an early acquittal or win a not guilty verdict at trial. In some cases, it may be possible to plead guilty to a lesser offence to avoid a trial and secure reduced penalties.
Why choose our domestic abuse defence solicitors?
Our firm is led by Rod Hayler, a solicitor with 20 years’ experience defending clients against a wide range of criminal charges, including those related to domestic abuse. Rod is supported by a very strong team with an exceptional track record of success.
Our team includes a range of qualified solicitors, court advocates, accredited police station representatives and other legal professionals. We also enjoy close links with a number of skilled barristers who we can instruct to represent you if required.
We are members of the Law Society’s Criminal Litigation Accreditation scheme providing independent assurance that we meet the highest levels of knowledge, skills and experience across all areas of criminal law.
Leading client guide Chambers & Partners rank us Band 1 (the highest band) for Crime in Brighton and the surrounding areas based on feedback from clients and other criminal law professionals we have worked with.
We regularly receive very positive feedback from clients – to see for yourself, please take a look at our client testimonials.
Legal Aid
Old Bailey Solicitors represent both Legal Aid (public funding) clients and privately funded clients when Legal Aid is not available. Our registered Legal Aid criminal defence solicitors can assess your circumstances and tell you whether you are entitled to public funding for representation in court and take you through the application for public funding.
While there are different criteria for Magistrates Court and Crown Court, we can assess you eligibility by reviewing your financial information and personal circumstances.
Contact us today to find out if you are eligible for financial support through public funding.
The complainant is no longer supporting - will the case now be dropped?Read more
It is common, especially in domestic cases, for a complainant who initially reported an allegation to change their mind and no longer wish to support the police case. This might happen at any stage of a case. It is sometimes the case, that the complainant makes an initial report but never provides the police with a formal statement. In other cases, a complainant may have provided a statement but will then decide to retract their evidence and to withdraw their support for a prosecution. While the lack of a supporting complainant may act to significantly weaken the prosecution case, it does not mean that the case will automatically be dropped. Once a complaint has been made, the police are duty-bound to investigate the case, whether the complainant continues to support the action or not. Furthermore, if the case goes to court and the complainant then wishes to withdraw their support at this stage, it may be possible for the Crown Prosecution Service to serve the complainant with a witness summons, which will compel them to attend court.
Therefore, even if the complainant is no longer supporting the case against you, it is still important to ensure you have legal representation for your case. If you require legal representation, contact Old Bailey Solicitors on 0207 8464 999 or at [email protected]
I have bail conditions not to contact my partner, but they keep contacting me - what should I do?Read more
Non-contact conditions are usually put in place to safeguard complainants and prevent any interference with witnesses. However, while conditions are put in place for these reasons, this does not necessarily stop the complainant from contacting you. As frustrating as this is, the onus to abide by bail conditions is on you and you will be liable to further arrest if you are found to be breaching any of these conditions. It is therefore important to ensure that you ignore any contact made by your partner by, for example, ignoring messages, hanging up phone calls or walking the other way if you see them in a public place. If the contact becomes excessive, it may be advisable to gather evidence of this contact and to raise this with the police.
If you have any concerns about your current bail conditions or contact from a complainant, please contact Old Bailey Solicitors on 0207 8464 999 or at [email protected]
I have been accused of stalking my ex-partner - what does this mean?Read more
Stalking is an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Stalking is often misunderstood to exclusively refer to physical stalking, such as turning up to someone’s address or following them in the street. Whilst these can be examples of stalking, less obvious acts such as continuously messaging someone against their wishes, sending them presents or monitoring their online use can all amount to stalking. In short, any act of unwanted contact can amount to stalking if it can be proven that the actions amount to a ‘course of conduct’ (which can involve as few as two separate incidents).
If you have been accused of stalking, it is important to obtain legal representation as soon as possible. To discuss your case, contact Old Bailey Solicitors on 0207 8464 999 or at [email protected]
What our clients think
“It’s no understatement to say that without the support and guidance of Rod and his team during my recent legal proceedings, I would not have been able to manage. It took just under two years to conclude, during which time I knew I could and indeed I did call upon Rod and team to not only ensure matters were in hand but to discuss all manner of concerns that arose as a result of the wait. I would recommend the services Old Bailey Solicitors provide and the specialist expertise Rod brought to my particular case, that helped draw the outcome it did."
Client who avoided prison
"I couldn’t have asked for a better firm than Old Bailey Solicitors to defend me in the crown court. They went through my case with a fine-tooth comb and left no stone unturned, leading to a not guilty verdict. The professional and emotional support I received from the team was second to none. I will recommend OBS for any matter and can assure the best outcome."
Acquitted client
"I really wanted to take a moment to thank you for your help. I would not have hesitated to hire your firm to represent me in my case. Likewise, I will personally recommend my friends and family (should future needs arise) to work with a great firm such as yours, and one people can trust with very high standards. Once again, my sincere thanks…it was very much appreciated."
Case dropped
