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On Our Advice Community Resolution Refused West Midlands Police No Further Action

No Further Action Against Nurse – Common Assault Football Club Self Defence – Bournville Lane Police Station 2024

Our client was contacted by officers regarding an incident she was involved in at her daughter’s football club after a man approached her young daughter and started calling her names. Our client confronted the man and was met with a tirade of verbal abuse and threats, which resulted in our client pushing the man back in self-defence to create space between them. She was reassured by police officers at the scene that she was the victim in the situation, but was later contacted the next week and informed that she was under investigation for common assault.

The police officer offered our client a community resolution to deal with the matter as a quick out-of-court disposal. It was implied that this was a ‘good deal’ for our client because it would not give her a criminal record. However, our client was reluctant to accept any form of disposal because she had acted in self-defence and therefore denied common assault. She worked in a regulated front line NHS role.

Luckily, our client contacted us immediately and instructed us on a private basis to advise her on her legal position. Maeve Carroll attended a consultation meeting with the client to gain detailed instructions on the incident and subsequent contact from the police, before getting in touch with the officer in charge of our client’s case. We explained to the officer that our client denied the offence and therefore would not be accepting a community resolution. The police then informed us that no further action would be taken against our client.

Our client was a nurse with no criminal record and thus it was crucial that she was able to preserve this, especially given her innocence in this matter. She was extremely grateful to hear that the matter was at an end and that she contacted us for advice rather than accepting the community resolution

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Common questions

We always work with the most experienced and best leading UK barristers, KCs (Kings Counsel). We cover all criminal cases 24/7 at the police station and court. Offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester cover cases across England and Wales. We can offer Legal Aid and affordable Private fee agreements. We can see you the same day, including virtually. Our Senior Partners supervise all of our cases.

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We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you. 

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED - 

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about  –

  • Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
  • Public and private funding benefits.
  • Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
  • An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
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  • The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
  • Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
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  • If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
  • This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
  • Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

  • If we do not intend to take the case on.
  • Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
  • In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
  • Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
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  • The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
  • In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
  • If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
  • If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance. 
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  • Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
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