GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates represented F who was charged with one offence of fraud by false representation. It was alleged that F had used a family member’s bank card to make a number of purchases without permission. It was a complex case in the Magistrates’ Court involving numerous different types of evidence, including bank statements, company account records and mobile phone downloads.

We argued that much of the Prosecution’s evidence was inadmissible on a number of grounds, including hearsay, continuity, disclosure failures and non-expert opinion evidence. The Court agreed with a number of our arguments which led to a number of these exhibits being excluded from the trial. We also obtained a number of defence exhibits which supported our client’s defence that it had not been her who had been using the bank card.

After considering the submissions we put forward on our client’s behalf, F was found not guilty after trial, and maintained her good character.

F was represented by Ed Youlton, a solicitor advocate in our Leeds Crime Team.