Alexandra Monaghan represents youth acquitted of all 7 counts including allegations of GBH and aggravated burglary.

Alexandra was instructed to represent a 15-year-old of good character at Reading Crown Court in a trial lasting 2 weeks. Alexandra's client, originally arrested for attempted murder, was indicted on 7 counts, including section 18 GBH, three counts of aggravated burglary and attempted robbery. Three of the four defendants were youths.

The case involved allegations that the four defendants had attended the complainant's home address in possession of a knife whilst the complainant's parents were abroad. The background to the allegations was a belief held by the first Defendant that the complainant had spread photographs of an intimate nature of the first Defendant on Snapchat. Once at the complainant's home address, it was alleged that the defendants had entered with intent to cause the complainant GBH, cause criminal damage and steal designer handbags. The evidence demonstrated that significant damage to the value of £7,000 had been caused to the complainant's home, and several designer handbags had been stolen from the property. The Crown alleged that the defendants had laid in wait for the complainant to return home in the early hours of the morning, following which it was alleged that the defendants had chased the complainant and, once they caught up with her, stabbed her three times in her back during a persistent assault, causing a collapsed lung.

Alexandra's client was joined to the case a little over two months before the trial was due to start. Alexandra represented him from the first hearing in the Crown Court and, together with her instructing solicitors, SVS, prepared the case quickly to be trial-ready.

Alexandra relied on inconsistencies across the complainant's accounts to challenge the Crown's case that the Defendant was guilty of section 18 on a joint enterprise basis. The defence advanced involved 'cut-throat' cross-examination of the third Defendant.

The jury acquitted Alexandra's client of all 7 counts.

Alexandra has a particular interest in representing youth defendants and has previously been instructed to represent youth defendants in cases involving serious allegations such as murder and possession of firearms.

Alexandra was instructed by Anna Lockett at SVS Solicitors.