CPS News Brief

CPS statement on Operation Alice

A CPS spokesperson said: 

“We have now received all of the outstanding evidence in this case and are now considering the file to determine whether charges should be brought.

“We aim to make a decision as soon as is reasonably possible.”

 

Amanda Hutton guilty of manslaughter

Malcolm Taylor, from CPS Yorkshire and Humberside’s Complex Casework Unit said:

“This was a truly tragic case involving the death of a little boy, Hamzah Khan, whose body, showing signs of extreme malnutrition, was discovered amidst scenes of the most appalling squalor at the family home in Bradford in September 2011. It is likely his body had lain undiscovered for the best part of two years.

“It is heart-breaking to contemplate the suffering Hamzah must have endured. This horrific crime was compounded by the failure of either Amanda Hutton or Tariq Khan to arrange the burial of Hamzah’s body.

“Amanda Hutton has today been found guilty of manslaughter, having already pleaded guilty to preventing the burial of a body and child neglect. Tariq Khan also pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to preventing the burial of a corpse.

“Our thoughts remain with the rest of Hamzah’s family, in the hope that they can now start to begin to rebuild their lives.”

Six charged over £11m carbon credit fraud

Ms Jaswant Narwal, Deputy Head of Fraud at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“Following a thorough investigation by Kent Police, the CPS has authorised charges against six men in connection with an alleged carbon credit fraud which cost the public revenue in the region of £11m.

“It is alleged that between 1 January and 31 July 2009, Narinder Chada, Gurmail Dosanjh, Sukhdev Singh and Dhanvinder Basra cheated the public revenue by creating a chain of bogus companies which traded in carbon credits for the purpose of committing a fraud on the VAT system. The defendants are accused of using an MTIC style fraud to give the appearance of legitimate trading, allowing the companies to reclaim VAT paid out on purchases of credits along the fraudulent chain.

“Each of the four men is charged with one count of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

“They, along with Daniel Andrew Barrs and Daniel Barrs, are also charged with money laundering, contrary to section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

"This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. We have determined that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.

"All individuals will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 2 October 2013.

"The defendants are now the subject of criminal proceedings and have the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Background:

During 1997, in Kyoto, Japan, a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) was initially adopted for use. This is commonly known as the Kyoto Protocol. The purpose of the protocol is to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The protocol allows industrialized nations to meet their GHG obligations by buying reduction credits from other countries. In essence, it means that if a country cannot meet its GHG reduction target, it can buy credits from other countries that have credits to spare.

On 30 July 2009 the UK government announced its decision to make carbon emission trading ‘zero rated’ for VAT purposes, making it impossible to claim VAT on the sale of carbon credits in the UK.

Statement regarding comments made by counsel in R v Neil Wilson

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, held a Post Case Review into the case of R v Neil Wilson last week to address the comments made by prosecuting counsel at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 5 August. Counsel used the term ‘predatory’ during the sentencing hearing to describe the behaviour of a 13-year-old victim of a sexual offence.

The DPP found there was nothing in the instructions given to counsel, including information from the police, the prosecution papers or the pre-sentence report, that could have expressly or implicitly supported describing the victim’s behaviour in such terms. Indeed, the facts of the case made clear that the adult defendant invited the victim to his home, where the offence took place.

Following the Review, the DPP was clear that he found the language used to describe the 13-year-old victim grossly inappropriate. Counsel in the case agreed that he should not have used the expression that he did and deeply regretted his choice of words. It was agreed that he would resign from the CPS Rape Panel of advocates and will no longer undertake prosecutions involving serious sexual offences or child sexual abuse. He will remain on our general advocate panel and will still be instructed in other criminal cases. The DPP is satisfied that no further action needs be taken in relation to this case.

Ben Ashford charged with possession of criminal property and unauthorised access to computer material

Gregor McGill, a senior lawyer at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“The CPS has today authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Ben Ashford with one offence of possession of criminal property and one offence of unauthorised access to computer material.

“He will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 15 October 2013.

“May I remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Ben Ashford will now be commenced and that he has a right to a fair trial. It is very important that nothing is said, or reported, which could prejudice that trial. For these reasons it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.”

The full charges are as follows:

Between 11/10/09 and 16/10/09 Ben Ashford possessed criminal property, namely a mobile telephone belonging to Emma Murray, knowing or suspecting it to constitute a person’s benefit from criminal conduct.

Contrary to section 329(1) Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Between 11/10/09 and 16/10/09 Ben Ashford caused a computer to perform a function with intent to secure unauthorised access to a program or data held in a computer, knowing that such access was unauthorised.

Contrary to section 1(1) Computer Misuse Act 1990.