ABV Solicitors
Have you recently been accused of murder? Was it an
accident? And are you concerned that your side of the story
will not be heard?
If the answer to any of these questions was “yes”, you need to
hire a criminal offence solicitor as soon as possible. They can
defend your case, aim to have sentences reduced and will
ensure that your side of the events is told and explored fully.
Here, a criminal offence solicitor answers common questions
relating to murder charges and defence in the UK.
As any criminal offence solicitor will tell you that murder is
rarely a case of one person killing another. There is a lot of
nuance and technicality surrounding this charge.
In simple terms, for it to be considered murder, the case must
satisfy the following criteria:
● one person has killed another
● the killing is unlawful; there is no legal reason or defence
as to why this occurred, such as self-defence
● the defendant intended to kill the other person or cause
grievous bodily harm
● the person who was killed was alive and breathing through
their own lungs when the murder occurred
What is murder under UK law?
The majority of evidence in murder cases relies on
circumstance. Did it occur in a public area? Is there CCTV
footage? Were there witnesses? If evidence is shaky, then
your criminal offence solicitor will use this to the fullest and
rely on expert witnesses; these can include coroners or other
medical experts who examined the body and can provide
insight into the cause of death.
What evidence is needed to prove
murder?
Can it ever be lawful?
No, in the UK, murder, as it stands, can never be lawful.
In instances when a person was killed by another person, but
there were lawful circumstances, then this is considered
manslaughter. Some lawful instances include self-defence,
diminished responsibility or intoxication with drugs or alcohol.
You need to communicate every detail of what you can
remember with your criminal offence solicitor so that they can
determine the best plea for your case.
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