Our client faced charges in relation to a sham marriage between his nephew and an Australian woman.
The prosecution served nine volumes of ‘evidence’, including telephone intercepts and a cheque for $30,000 from our client to one of the co-accused allegedly proving our client’s direct involvement in the enterprise.
All three co-accused pleaded guilty to the charges, two of whom are awaiting sentencing in the District Court. They were represented by other criminal law firms.
A meticulous review of the prosecution brief revealed a number of significant holes in the prosecution case, which meant the charge could not be proved beyond a reasonable double.
The prosecution refused to withdraw the charges and the case proceeded to a jury trial in the District Court, during which the prosecution witness was cross-examined at length and the jury was given a full picture of the gaps and deficiencies in the prosecution case.
After several days of testimony, the jury retired for deliberations and ultimately returned a unanimous verdict of ‘not guilty’.
Our client is extremely relieved to have taken our advice and defended his case in court.