abvsolicitors.co.uk Have you been accused of murder? Do you need some help? The first thing you need to do is contact a criminal solicitor to defend your case, even if you have only just been arrested. You will also likely have some questions, and in this article, common questions relating to murder in the UK are answered. Murder is considered the most extreme form of homicide. But what does that mean? Well, to be charged with murder in the UK, the jury, the prosecution and the police have to be certain that when person A attacked person B, person A intended to cause fatal harm. For instance, if you were arguing at the top of a flight of stairs, a knife was pulled on you, and you pushed the attacker away, causing them to fall and die, this would likely be considered a form of self-defence or, at worst, manslaughter. The intent is crucial when it comes to a murder charge, hence why you will need a trained criminal solicitor to defend you. What is considered murder in the UK? A criminal solicitor will assess your case and define the most likely defence that will work in your favour. In the aforementioned example, it is clear to see that you would have pushed the person to prevent yourself from being stabbed; ergo, it was self-defence, which is a common plea against murder. Another is that you didn’t mean to kill the person. Other defences include being deemed mentally incapacitated at the time when the murder took place. So, if you were suffering from a mental illness, had suffered from a head injury, or had been ill and the condition had impacted your judgement, a criminal solicitor would highlight this in your defence. What are the most common defences? How can a criminal legal team help? A criminal solicitor can help as they would know the ins and outs of the law and will aim to have any charges against you dropped. But you will need to ensure that the criminal solicitor you choose has expertise in the relevant area of law, as no two cases are the same. So, if you are accused of murdering someone by stabbing them, ideally, you will want to find a criminal solicitor trained in defending clients from being accused of this form of murder, as opposed to gun-based murder. A criminal solicitor will also be able to appeal, should you go to jail, and will continue to work to have sentences reduced. How long will I be in jail if I’m found guilty of murder? As odd as it sounds, this will depend on a range of circumstances. Suppose one person kills another, but before doing so, they subject them to torture and sexual assault; in such cases, the accused would be looking at a life sentence, but a criminal solicitor will aim to look for ways to have this reduced. In the UK, a life sentence can range in time scale, from 25 years to the rest of your natural life. Murder can also result in a whole life order, which is exactly what it sounds like - even with good behaviour, you will not be released from prison. This is a complex question and depends on the severity and circumstances of the murder. A criminal solicitor will be able to better advise you on how long your trial may take, but some murder trials stretch on for years. How long will any trial take? ht tps: / /www.abvsol ic i tors .co .uk / h t tps: / /www.abvsol ic i tors .co .uk /serv ices /cr imina l - so l ic i tor / h t tps: / /www. leg is la t ion .gov .uk /ukpga/E l i z2 /5 -6 /11 /enacted ht tps: / /www.cps .gov .uk / lega l -gu idance /homic ide-murder - and-manslaughter Sources :