GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates represented W who was jointly charged with her husband with an offence of child neglect. The allegation was that W and her partner had intentionally exposed their child to violence which amounted to child neglect. The police were called to the house by the 13 year old child who was found distressed in an upstairs bathroom. It was noted that W had bruising on her arm and the child said that his father, who was intoxicated, had struck W to the face with force and that W had struck him back.

W, a lady of good character, would lose her job in a school if she was convicted of such an offence. The court directed the case to be heard at the Crown Court. We argued that whilst the partner did in fact offer violence against W, her actions were lawful and she could not be said to have intentionally exposed her child to violence amounting to child neglect when she was acting in self-defence – as confirmed by her son.

On the day of the Crown Court hearing the Crown offered no evidence against W. W was represented by Patricia Walker at the Leeds Crime Team.