Neil FitzGibbon, leading Tom Worden, and Daniel Kersh, secure acquittals for their respective clients, following successful submissions of no case to answer at Stafford Crown Court.
The case involved allegations of servitude, forced compulsory labour, and trafficking in respect of a vulnerable individual the Crown alleged was exploited by members of a family from the travelling community, over a period of several years. The Crown’s case took 3 months to present and the success of the submissions owed to the cross examination of several experts in their fields, as well as police, family, friends, and of course the complainant himself. The case continues against the two other defendants, whose submissions to withdraw the case were rejected. This case was in fact the second retrial for these defendants, and previous submissions had been unsuccessful.
Neil and Tom were instructed by Jay Nutkins from Lloyds PR Solicitors; Daniel was instructed by Paul Lennon from Bark & Co.