Tuckers’ secures acquittal in Medway rape trial

January 29, 2014

Tuckers’ Partner, Phil Smith, supported by solicitor Henrietta Ronson, successfully secured the acquittal of a polish man, Marcin Gorniak in a high profile case at Maidstone Crown Court.

The defence instructed an expert to counter inconclusive DNA evidence.   Whilst Mr Gorniak confirmed he had been in contact with the alleged victim on the night of the incident – his evidence was he had been helping her, having seen her walking drunk in the street and that no sexual assault took place.  Both Mr Gorniak and the alleged victim had incomplete accounts of what happened on the night – due to the fact that both had been drinking.

Commenting on the complexity of the role of the jury in such cases, Judge Carey told the jury “You now know what it is like to make difficult decisions juries have to make in cases of this kind.  Essentially, the headline of this case would be: ‘Woman on her own late at night raped in alleyway’.  If left like that people would no doubt say: ‘How on earth can a jury acquit?’ But you now know it is not as straight forward as that.”

Further details of the story are at http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/man-walks-free-after-jury-12016/