You may have been contacted by a Thames Valley Police officer inviting you to attend a voluntary interview at Abingdon, Banbury, St Aldates, Cowley Road, Bicester, Kidlington or Witney Police Station.
The officer may describe the interview casually or suggest that they simply want to hear your side of the story. However, you are being interviewed as a suspect in a criminal investigation and anything you say may be used as evidence. The interview can have a significant bearing on whether the investigation ends with no further action, an out-of-court disposal or a prosecution.
From our head office in Oxford, our criminal defence solicitors regularly represent clients attending voluntary interviews throughout Oxfordshire. We can deal with the investigating officer, seek disclosure before the interview, help you prepare and advise you on the best approach to answering questions.
Preparing You for a Voluntary Police Interview
We will contact the officer on your behalf and obtain ‘disclosure’ prior to the interview. We will obtain as much information about the allegation as possible and determine whether the police have taken statements from witnesses. We will find out what other evidence the police have, such as CCTV or forensics. Our clients are in a far better position in knowing the details of the case against them before committing to an account.
During a private consultation, we will discuss the evidence obtained from the police and take your account of what may or may not have happened. We will then be able to determine the best approach to take during the police interview.
There are three main interview strategies:
1. Providing a full comment in a voluntary police interview
In some cases, we may advise you to simply answer all of the questions put to you. It may be the most persuasive way to deny an allegation. This approach can bring with it various risks, such as giving inconsistent or unconvincing answers. At worst, individuals incriminate themselves by giving information to the police that otherwise would not be able to be proved.
2. No comment in a voluntary police interview
It may be in your interests to simply make no comment at all in the interview. There are various situations where this may be the best approach. For example, where there is no plausible defence to put forward or where there are risks attached to giving a particular account.
3. Providing a prepared statement in a voluntary police interview
Often, we will draft a written statement on our client’s behalf which carefully outlines their account without going into areas which do not help them. This can be extremely effective in avoiding the pressure of police questions whilst ensuring our client’s position is put forward.
Representation Across Oxfordshire
With our head office in Oxford, Reeds Solicitors regularly represents clients attending voluntary interviews at police stations throughout Oxfordshire.
Abingdon Police Station
Colwell Drive, Abingdon OX14 1AU
Many voluntary interviews in Oxfordshire are conducted at Abingdon Police Station. It has a custody area, rooms for voluntary attendances and visitor parking.
St Aldates Police Station
Oxford OX1 1SZ
St Aldates Police Station is in Oxford city centre and has a reception open to the public. There is no visitor parking, with the nearest convenient parking available at the Westgate Centre.
Banbury Police Station
Warwick Road, Banbury OX16 2AE
There is no public parking at the station. Paid parking is available at People’s Car Park on Bath Road, a few minutes’ walk away.
Cowley Police Station
Oxford Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2LE
Voluntary interviews are regularly held at Cowley Police Station. There is a car park at the station, although spaces are often limited.
Witney Police Station
Welch Way, Witney OX28 6JN
There is no visitor parking at Witney Police Station, although some on-street parking may be available nearby.
Case Studies in Oxfordshire
Here are some examples of our work representing clients during voluntary police interviews at police stations across Oxfordshire.
Sexual Assault Allegation at Cowley Road Police Station
We represented a client at Cowley Police Station who was interviewed in relation to a sexual assault allegation. Our solicitor spoke with the officer in charge of the investigation and obtained detailed pre-interview disclosure. There were numerous WhatsApp messages to review, and it was important that the client was not blindsided during the interview.
After taking instructions from the client, our solicitor advised that the best course of action was to provide a limited account in a prepared statement. There were difficult aspects of the client’s account which would have been damaging to put forward during the interview. The prepared statement allowed the client to deny the allegation whilst avoiding detailed questioning. Following the interview, the investigation was closed with no further action.
Assault and Controlling or Coercive Behaviour Allegations at Abingdon Police Station
Our client was accused of several offences, all of which were alleged to have occurred within a former relationship. During the initial consultation, we were able to take detailed instructions without the time pressure of being at the police station and devise a plan of action.
During the police interview, our client gave a full-comment account. Our solicitor provided support throughout, ensuring that all the important details of his account were put forward. Following the interview, we compiled a bundle of defence evidence which outlined the contradictions in the complainant’s account. All the allegations were dropped.
Serious Assault (Section 18) at Abingdon Police Station
Our client was accused of punching another player during a Sunday league football match and allegedly breaking the player’s jaw. He was interviewed for an offence of section 18 GBH with intent.
Our solicitor assisted the client in drafting a detailed prepared statement to provide to the police. This denied the offence and explained that events had happened very differently. The client’s position was that opposition players had “ganged up” and provided a series of false statements to the police.
During the investigation, Reeds Solicitors took statements from other players who were present, as well as managers and spectators. Through these statements and character references, we were able to demonstrate that the allegation of a punch was false. No further action was taken against our client.
Controlling or Coercive Behaviour and Rape Allegations at St Aldates Police Station
Our client was a divorced 42-year-old man of previous good character with two young children. He was accused of controlling or coercive behaviour towards his partner of three years. She alleged that he restricted her social life, movements, drinking and finances. She also accused him of having sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
We met with our client in advance of the interview, having obtained disclosure from the officer. We drafted a detailed written statement disputing the allegations, which was provided during the police interview. With our advice, the client answered “no comment” to the questions asked.
Following the interview, we prepared a bundle of evidence undermining the allegations and provided it to the officer in the case. When the matter was submitted for review, we made written representations detailing the evidential difficulties with the complainant’s account. The police took no further action.
Frequently Asked Questions
For an arrest to be lawful, it must be considered necessary. This will often be the case where evidence needs to be obtained from a suspect’s property or seized from a suspect. If the alleged offence took place some time ago, or there is no longer a need to seize evidence, a voluntary interview may be offered instead.
In short, no. The fact that a voluntary interview has been offered does not mean that the allegation is minor or that the police do not have sufficient evidence. It usually means that the police do not consider an arrest necessary.
The police may attend your address to contact you about a voluntary interview. If they are unable to reach you, they may instead contact you by post.
After the interview, the police officer will decide whether any further investigation is needed or whether a charging decision should be sought from an Evidential Review Officer or the Crown Prosecution Service.
We will consider whether any positive action can be taken to advance your position and reduce the risk of a charge. This may include compiling evidence in support of your defence and submitting it to the police with written representations. A proactive approach can sometimes play a crucial role in avoiding a prosecution.
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