GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates represented L who was charged with Aggravated Vehicle Taking of a BMW in January 2022. At the time of the offence, L was 13 years of age and when he was arrested, the police found the keys to the stolen BMW in his bedroom some 8 days after the vehicle was stolen.

L was represented by Patricia Walker, from our Leeds office, who has nearly 20 years experience of representing youths charged with a variety of offences. The allegation was that L went to a friend’s for a sleepover and stole the vehicle, drove it dangerously through the streets of Leeds and crashed it into a tree. The costs of the damage amounted to over £55,000. Further evidence produced by the Crown appeared to show that the footage taken from inside the vehicle was taken by L and sent to the family suggesting that it was him who took the footage whilst committing the offence.

On the day of the trial, she was able to show the lack of evidence putting L in the relevant vehicle at the time it was stolen, despite the possession of the keys and the footage taken during the commission of the offence.

The Crown offered no evidence and a not guilty verdict recorded.

If you need expert legal assistance and representation please contact Patricia Walker by email on p.walker@gtstewart.co.uk or call 0113 222 4888