Sapna Devi secures acquittals in high profile violent disorder trials.
Sapna represented the fourth defendant in the first trial and the eighth defendant in the second trial. The defendants were charged with violent disorder following a street brawl in Birmingham in 2019.
The first trial resulted in some convictions and some acquittals. The Prosecution applied to adduce these convictions in trial two. The defence objected, arguing that as the fact of a violent disorder was not disputed the convictions were not relevant, and that they were prejudicial. The Judge ruled the convictions inadmissible, and trial two proceeded without the jury being told of the convictions from trial one. During the Crown’s closing speech, the prosecution effectively told the jury about those convictions.
Defence counsel raised objection and applied to discharge the jury arguing that every defendant had been prejudiced by the prosecutor’s closing remarks. The judge agreed that the prosecution had gone behind the spirit of his ruling and that the defendants could no longer have a fair trial. On day nine of the trial, before defence speeches began, the jury were discharged. The Prosecution then offered no evidence in respect of all eight defendants in the second trial. In addition, all applications for post-acquittal restraining orders were refused. The case was prosecuted by a silk and a junior.
