Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) and Assault Solicitor

Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) and Assault Solicitor

If you are being investigated or have been charged in connection with assault and grievous bodily harm, our Criminal Law Solicitors will be at your side. Reeds provides the legal advice and representation you need to protect your best interests.

Our Solicitors are regularly mentioned in the Legal 500 and in 2023 we were named one of the UK’s top law firms by The Times, especially commended for criminal law.

“No solicitor in criminal work prepares their cases better for client or counsel. Shows full commitment to the cause in every case, giving sound, reliable and properly objective advice that clients need, even if it doesn’t make easy hearing.” – Mark Abbott

Assault including grievous bodily harm (GBH) are serious offences that carry custodial sentences. It is crucial that you have an experienced, knowledgeable Criminal Lawyer fighting your corner who understands police procedures and the tactics they may use to secure a prosecution. By instructing Reed Solicitors, you can trust that our team will:

  • Find out the suspicions the police have regarding your involvement in an assault and any evidence they have regarding those suspicions.
  • If you have been arrested, analyse the custody record, and talk with the Custody Sergeant to ensure proper police procedure is followed.
  • Attend a police interview under caution to provide you with legal advice and ensure the interviewing officer does not exceed their powers and follows the Code of Practice that sets out how an interview under caution should be conducted.
  • If the police are considering releasing you on pre-charge bail, we will challenge them to produce evidence to show the proposed bail conditions are necessary and proportionate.
  • If you are charged in connection with assault we will help, investigate the prosecution evidence, advise you regarding the strengths and weaknesses, build a defence based your instructions, obtain witness statement if required and if relevant expert evidence concerning the complainant’s injuries.
  • Prepare your defence alongside expert Criminal Defence Barristers/King’s Counsel and attend Court, providing advice and support when required, including whether to plead guilty or not guilty and whether to make a bail application if you have been remanded into custody.
  • If you are found guilty, we will prepare submissions to the Court to mitigate the severity of the sentence. We will also advise you on whether there are grounds to appeal your conviction and or sentence.

It is vital that you instruct an experienced Criminal Law Solicitor if you are being investigated or charged with assault or GBH. Sometimes the only evidence in such cases is one person’s word against another. Also, the police tend to investigate assaults and GBH from the perspective of the person who made the initial complaint. It is therefore all too easy for innocent people to become unintentionally embroiled in a bar fight or street brawl that is not of their making, and then find themselves facing Court proceedings.

For legal advice and representation, please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively, you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.

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FAQ

Assault charges range from the less serious offences of common assault or battery, to GBH. They are governed by the Offences Against the Person Act (OATP) 1861. Do not be fooled by the fact the legislation governing the crime is Victorian. A conviction for any type of assault could lead to serious consequences. Aside from the prospect of a criminal record, it can also include the loss of employment (or your entire career), being barred from entering other countries, and ruination of your personal reputation. Therefore, the importance of seeking expert legal advice cannot be overstated.

The different types of assault charges are as follows:

  • Grievous bodily harm with intent- contrary to section 18 of the OAPA, GBH section 18 can only be tried in the Crown Court. In the most serious cases, if convicted, you can be sentenced to life imprisonment. There is no strict definition for GBH. In R v Bollom [2003] EWCA Crim 2846 the Court concluded that injuries should be assessed with reference to the particular complainant with regard to their age, health, or any other particular factors all fall for consideration. The Court said, “To use this case as an example, these injuries on a 6-foot adult in the fullness of health would be less serious than on, for instance, an elderly or unwell person, on someone who was physically or psychiatrically vulnerable or, as here, on a very young child. In deciding whether injuries are grievous, an assessment has to be made of, amongst other things, the effect of the harm on the particular individual. We have no doubt that in determining the gravity of these injuries, it was necessary to consider them in their real context.”
  • Grievous bodily harm without intent– contrary to section 20 of the OAPA 1861 provides for this offence, which is a lesser form of GBH with intent. The Prosecution must prove that really serious harm was caused by the Accused but not that they deliberately intended to cause such harm.
  • Actual bodily harm (ABH) – contrary to section 47 of the same act is a lesser form of assault than GBH and charges are often laid when injuries are minor wounds and broken teeth and cases can be heard in the Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court.
  • Common assault or battery (use of physical force) – is the lowest form of violence to the person. However, it still carries the possibility of a prison sentence. It is commonly seen in domestic abuse cases or spontaneous fights in a public place such as outside a pub with low or no injury.

At Reeds Solicitors we are always willing to go that extra mile in advising and representing you in any assault-related matter because we know how serious the consequences can be if you are convicted. We will do everything it takes, including tracing witnesses, tracking down CCTV, and/or visiting the scene. Our network of leading experts can analyse footage – perhaps slow it down or enlarge/enhance a fight scene to ascertain what really happened. You can be assured that we will do all we can to get the best result for you.

If you have been asked to attend a voluntary interview about an assault allegation or have been arrested, you may wish to speak directly to one of our Pre-Charge Solicitors.

Our Criminal Defence Solicitors have the expertise and experience required to advise and represent you. Please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively, you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.