Rupert Hallowes’ client acquitted of causing death by careless driving following a 6-day trial at Guildford Crown Court. Rupert was instructed and assisted by Sarah Roberts of The Purkiss Partnership.
Rupert’s client, a 71-year-old man of good character, was indicted with causing death by careless driving following a slow-speed collision at a notorious junction in Guildford between Harvey Road and Jenner Road, which, shortly after the alleged incident, was substantially altered and improved by the Surrey County Council Highways Department. The incident occurred as long ago as November 2022. The police declined to instruct a forensic collision expert. Rupert’s Instructing Solicitors did what the Crown had neglected to do and instructed an expert who identified a number of extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to the collision, which included dazzling glare from the sun at the apex of the junction at the material time. Following service of the defence expert report, the Crown hastily instructed their own expert, a police officer who stubbornly maintained that the Defendant was at fault for not looking both ways at the junction and encroaching into the hatched area road markings as the vehicle was turning. During his evidence, the Defendant, a thoroughly reasonable man, conceded that, in retrospect, the standard of his driving had indeed fallen below the standard of a careful and competent driver. During his closing address, Rupert labelled his client’s remarks a concession, as opposed to a confession, and reminded the jury that the test for careless driving was an objective test. The jury agreed with the defence submission and unanimously acquitted, much to the relief of the Defendant and his partner.
Rupert Hallowes CV – https://lnkd.in/ekSjjV6Z
To instruct Rupert, or discuss his practice, please contact Glenn.Matthews@15nbs.com or David.Cox@15nbs.com
“Rupert’s judgement is top notch, he is able to combine his impressive legal knowledge and advocacy to great effect. There is seldom a better barrister in court. He should be a silk.”
Rupert is a very experienced senior junior who has been defending exclusively for the last 10 years. He has considerable recent experience of defending in more evidence-heavy cases such as homicides (murder and attempted murder), frauds, drugs conspiracies and firearms offences. He is now regularly instructed in more complex multi-count / multi-defendant cases as leading junior counsel. Rupert is especially comfortable in and enjoys defending in multi-handed cases, particularly when cut-throat defences are involved.
Rupert’s willingness to pursue all legal avenues on behalf of his clients is reflected in the fact that, since 1999, Rupert has appeared in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division on over 110 occasions, usually defending. Of his appeals against conviction, eleven have resulted in the appellant’s convictions being quashed. The three appellants whose convictions were most recently overturned (all the subject of separate appeals) were all separately acquitted at their respective retrials. Rupert has also previously been instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service to represent the Crown’s interests, both in the Divisional Court and in the Court of Appeal.
Rupert’s Crown Court defence practice, which is focused primarily in London and on the South Eastern Circuit also encompasses sexual crime and, in particular, offences against children, due to Rupert’s experience in dealing with vulnerable people and those with mental health problems. He was one of the first to undertake the Advocacy and the Vulnerable Course run by the Inns of Court.
