Justin McClintock yesterday secured a unanimous not guilty verdict for a university student charged with burglary following a six-day trial at Reading Crown Court. The trial raised complex issues regarding the scope of joint enterprise and the effect of alcohol on ‘specific intent’.
A conviction would have had devastating consequences for the defendant, ending his professional ambitions and exposing him to the risk of a significant custodial sentence. The acquittal allows him to complete his studies and enter his chosen profession with his good name intact.