Our 25-year-old client is a hard-working member of the community working as a crane operator from Sydney. He was charged by police with affray, assault police and resist/hinder police each carrying prison sentences.
Our client without speaking with a lawyer, was encouraged by police to give an interview, which he did. In the interview our client denied the allegations.
He then contacted Criminal Defence Lawyers Australia for legal advice and representation. He spoke to our specialist criminal defence lawyer Ahmad Faraj who specialises in assault police type cases.
Our Mr. Faraj, immediately discovered the significant inconsistencies in the police statements of evidence. There were a total of five police officers who were all against our client, and each one have inconsistent evidence in a statement.
Our client instructed us that all he was doing was running away from an affray/physical altercation that was occurring in public. While running away, he was then chased by all five police officers. Our client was scared and vulnerable, and in such state was trying to protect himself in the only way he knew how to. But the police were committed to paint a different picture in an attempt at placing our client as an offender instead of a victim.
In court, Mr. Faraj confidently and fiercely cross examined each of the five police officers, outlining each one’s inconsistencies in the most effective manner in front of the Presiding Magistrate.
In the result, regardless of the odds with 5 police officers against our client, the Magistrate agreed with Mr Faraj reflecting the defence case. Our client was the victim, not the aggressor. The police were unable to prove its case beyond the required standard of proof against our client and so they failed in proving the charges against our client thanks to Mr Faraj’s exceptional advocacy skills and quick thinking in the court room to fight by our client’s side.
All charges were dismissed after the Court returned a verdict of ‘Not Guilty’. Our client was very pleased and grateful for the tremendous effort in preparation and representation in court that Mr. Faraj put into the case right till the end. Our client was able to move on with his life.