John Coffey Q.C. and Nicholas Corsellis secure the acquittal of the main defendant in the Victoria Railway Station murder trial, a trial described as the largest murder trial ever conducted in the UK. (Instructed by David Rubie Mitchell Solicitors)

The case alleged that the defendant had recruited others in anticipation of a 60+ strong gang on gang violent disorder with murderous weapons.  The case involved the presentation of Facebook communications, computer evidence from many defendants hard-drives and thousands of cell sited telephone calls between co-defendants and interested parties. There was over 2000 hours of CCTV in the case that needed to be digested to present a step by step events schedule and routes taken by the defendants.

The defendant represented was filmed going to purchase a block of knives from a local Argos store and return to school with them. Two of the same knives were used hours later to murder the victim.  The Crown alleged the defendant to be the organiser of the enterprise and the armourer.

The defence case was that of self-defence/necessity to arm oneself, a denial that he had in fact armed others and the assertion that he did not appreciate that others were in fact armed, let alone that they might cause really serious harm.  

Press links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12280889

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13336835

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/16/london-teenagers-jail-victoria-station-murder

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/17/five-teenagers-found-guilty-of-sofyen-belamouadden-tube-station-killing-115875-23135168/