David Avhanvhondo, 56, was stopped and arrested by undercover officers deployed to the area to conduct overnight patrols, at around 4am on February 12, following a five-month investigation.
They are to be commended, because getting the police to take proper notice of animal cruelty is a Herculean task. So what went wrong?
The case against a man accused of animal cruelty offences, after about 20 cats were found dead in north London, has been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Oh.
David Avhanvhondo, 56, had pleaded not guilty to two offences at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court last month.
The CPS told the same court on Friday the case had been discontinued because it no longer met its legal test. The CPS said "there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".
And that's that. No-one asks why? No-one asks why they thought there was a realistic prospect initially? They don't need to explain why they think there isn't one now?
3 comments:
"And that's that. No-one asks why? No-one asks why they thought there was a realistic prospect initially? They don't need to explain why they think there isn't one now? "
The line 'No realistic prospect of a conviction' is used when the CPS (or the police) have f*cked up in some way, and as a result a bang to rights criminal gets to walk. Of course admitting its all their fault couldn't possibly happen, so the usual bland statement gets wheeled out.
Another way of looking at it, and I do hope it's correct, is that if this man is tried and found not guilty, it could be difficult to prosecute him again if there is enough evidence (double jeopardy). Also, if this man really is the culprit, he may feel cocky enough to keep on doing it, or the animal cruelty stops. Either way, it's a win win situation, especially as, if he had been found guilty, he would have probably received a suspended sentence, or a slap on the wrist and a fiver from the poor box.
Penseivat
"The line 'No realistic prospect of a conviction' is used when the CPS (or the police) have f*cked up in some way..."
I wonder... 🙄
"...if this man is tried and found not guilty, it could be difficult to prosecute him again if there is enough evidence (double jeopardy)."
I thought we'd done away with that?
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