2023
Claim against Surrey Police for assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution with damages agreed at £27,000
Just before Christmas 2018, Surrey Police had occasion to stop our client’s younger brother and called our client to attend with her mother in order to collect the vehicle. Upon arrival, the officer claimed that our teetotal client was under the influence and suspected that she was not fit to drive the car. She was breathalysed and when this showed as clear, the officer said that he was not going to release the car after all. An altercation followed during which our client was assaulted, including the attempted deployment of pava spray at point blank range. Our client was then prosecuted for assaulting the officer. In evidence at the trial the officer gave outlandish explanations for why they felt that it was necessary to seize the car and use force against our client. She was acquitted by the jury and then brought proceedings against Surrey Police.
Refusal of Entry to Travellers – Claim Settled
We acted for 4 Traveller clients who were refused admission to a pub on the night of the Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder boxing fight. Door staff expressly refused admission on the basis that our clients were Travellers and the staff were acting on instructions not to admit Travellers that night.
We issued proceedings suing for discrimination under section 29 Equality Act. The claim has now settled with the pub company effectively accepting liability on behalf of the pub company and the door security company and agreeing to pay each client £3250 compensation.
Client received £2,500 for false imprisonment
Client made a claim for false imprisonment as he attended a Police Station for interview only to be arrested on arrival. This was a youth, brought to the station by his Dad.
Also interesting to note that the arresting officer appears to have deliberately misled the custody officer as to the circumstances of arrest
2022
Our client received £16,000 when the police used excessive force during a stop & search
We represented a client who police attempted to stop and search after he had executed a “suspicious“ manoeuvre in his car. It also happens to be the case that the car was a nice one and our client is black.
The police used excessive force in executing the search and then arrested our client for supposedly obstructing the search. He was taken to the police station, charged and prosecuted. MK Law represented him throughout and we persuaded the CPS to drop the prosecution on the basis that there was not sufficient evidence. We then sued the police for assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. The claim was settled with the police agreeing to pay our client £16,000 plus his legal costs.
Pay out of £2,000 for an unwarranted search of property
Client was stopped and searched by police on the point of using his front door key to get into his home. Our client reluctantly allowed the police officers to complete the search, which resulted in their finding nothing. Our client was effectively detained for 10 minutes. His claim against the police was settled with the police agreeing to pay him £2,000 compensation, together with his legal costs.
£7,500 compensation for late release from prison
We represented a client who was not released from HMP Wormwood Scrubs when he was granted bail at the Crown Court. He remained in prison for a further 51 days before he contacted his solicitors to find out what was going on with his case. His solicitors found out that he had not been released and alerted the prison. We obtained compensation of £7,500 for him, together with payment of his legal costs.
Compensation of £5,000 for being detained unlawfully for under 24 hours
A client who was arrested and detained at Plumstead police station by police acting in reliance on a court warrant for his arrest that was in fact “backed for bail”. This meant on being arrested he should have been bailed to attend court but instead police kept him in police custody to appear at court the next day. He was detained unlawfully for just under 21 hours. We obtained £5,000 compensation for him and payment of his legal costs.
£16,000 compensation awarded for a malicious prosecution and disability discrimination
We acted for a young man with learning difficulties who lived in local authority supported accommodation. Police attended to arrest him employing wholly inappropriate methods that had the effect of escalating what ought to have been a straight-forward arrest if sensitively managed. Police then proceeded to charge him with assaulting police. The prosecution was dropped in due course. We then sued the police for assault, malicious prosecution and disability discrimination. Our client received £16,000 compensation together with payment of his legal costs.
Client refused access to campsite so awarded £1,500 for Refusal of Service
We recently settled a claim for a Traveller client who tried to book a place at a campsite, only to be informed that the site had a “No Travellers” policy. The claim was settled for £1,500, plus payment of our client’s legal costs.