Child defendant indicted for the attempted murder of her friend is sentenced to a Youth Rehabilitation Order.
6 December 2024
Nina Grahame KC represented a 14-year old girl committed to Minshull Street Crown Court for the attempted murder of her 14-year old friend, possession of a bladed article and threats to kill.
The child defendant was less than a week past her 14th birthday at the time of the offences with a troubled personal history. Significant preparatory defence work included extensive liaison with medical professionals, the child’s carers and local authority staff and an intermediary had been allocated for the entirety of her trial. This intensive work, in the context of complex disclosure issues, founded discussions which ultimately resulted in acceptable guilty pleas to non-fatal strangulation and linked offences with the Crown offering no evidence on the attempted murder count on the first day of trial.
The judge remarked on the importance of the child defendant’s guilty pleas, expressions of remorse and recent demonstration of good behaviour. She was sentenced to a 2 year Youth Rehabilitation Order with conditions.
Nina led Rebecca Penfold of St Johns Buildings, Manchester and was instructed by Lisa Morton of Morton’s Solicitors
News coverage
