Charles had absconded on the day he was convicted of robbery shortly before the summing up. He was arrested over a year later and sentenced. He gave instructions to his solicitors to advance and renew his applications for leave to appeal conviction and the necessary extension of time. Tucker had absconded two days before he was convicted of sexual assaults and he remained unlawfully at large at the time of the hearing before the Court. His solicitors submitted grounds of appeal against conviction and maintained that they were still in touch with him and had his authority to proceed.
Held: Courts should allow some flexibility in dealing with appeals out of time by defendants convicted in their absence after absconding. The former more rigorous approach of R v Jones should not be followed in the light of the re-inforced need for a fair trial.
Judges:
Rose VP CACD LJ, Hooper, Goldring JJ
Citations:
Times 20-Feb-2001, [2001] EWCA Crim 1755, [2001] 2 Cr App R 15
Links:
Statutes:
Cited by:
Cited – Suchedina v Regina; similar CACD 27-Oct-2006
Four defendants appealed convictions in money laundering cases. The first defendant operated a money exchange through which substantial volumes of cash were moved, but claimed that he believed the money to have been honestly acquired.
Held: . .
Cited – Okedare, Regina v CACD 27-Feb-2014
The court heard applications for leave to appeal on behalf of applicants who had either absconded or disappeared.
Held: The court considered whether the lawyers filing the appeals had authority, whether express or implied. ‘we are satisfied . .
Applied – Riley and Others, Regina v CACD 1-Nov-2012
Two of the applicants had absconded. One of them Bradley absconded during his first trial, and was convicted in his absence at a re-trial. He sought to persuade the Court that grounds of appeal lodged on his behalf by counsel and solicitors who . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Criminal Practice, Human Rights
Updated: 19 May 2022; Ref: scu.88408