mufc1959 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 2:09 pm
AnOwlCalledSage wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:24 am
However, this is the detail I got from the court so it is qualified privilege in reporting of fact. The trial was halted pending a document. I think we now know what that document was.
Given this, I suspect the purported defence is one of justification, based on the (completely erroneous) argument that the Warrant of Possession was fraudulent/invalid. So Crabbie considered the level of force he used to fight off the bailiffs and the police was justified as they were carrying out what he considered to be an illegal act.
That's my guess, anyway.
IIRC, this charge (affray) is the result of Crabby forcibly resisting the police and/or bailiffs in the execution of the warrant of possession.
He may well be claiming that the warrant was, for some reason, invalid. Would that absolve him of the crime of using force against an officer?
IANAL, but I've always believed that, even if you are convinced that an officer is completely wrong to arrest or cite you, you do not have the right to forcibly resist arrest. You go along peacefully and sort it out with the judge. If the court agrees with you and finds that the officer acted wrongly, especially if he/she was egregiously wrong, you may have a valid claim for false arrest.
The court might find that you were wrongly arrested but still allow the charge of resisting arrest to stand, especially if you harmed the officer.
I can understand that, in the real world of overworked courts and prosecutors, the choice might be made not to prosecute in such a relatively minor case, but it doesn't mean you were right in your actions. However, it appears that the Crown Prosecuting Service has already made the choice to prosecute him.