Sarah Memmi, instructed by Lynn Roberts and Nusrat Chowdhury, all of GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates, represented S at trial in Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court. S suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and held a delusional belief that he was being constantly chased by people who sought to kill him. S had entered a dwelling property to seek help and in the process drank some wine belonging to the occupants, thereby committing an offence of burglary. The following day, he bought a knife to commit suicide to escape his persecutors, thereby committing an offence of being in possession of a knife in a public place.

S’s legal team worked relentlessly to overcome ongoing obstacles caused by the current pandemic over the months and in the days leading to the date of trial to obtain expert evidence supporting a defence of insanity and ensure that his trial would suffer no further delays.

The jury returned a unanimous Special Verdict of Not Guilty by reason of insanity.