Benn and Benn v Regina: CA 30 Jul 2004

The defendants appealed against convictions for importing drugs. The evidence was circumstantial, including evidence of contamination of paper money with cocaine. New evidnce suggested the original forensic techniques had returned many false positives.
Held: In large part these criticisms had been available to and properly commented upon in the trial. Appeal dismissed.

Judges:

Lord Justice Latham Mr Justice Beatson

Citations:

[2004] EWCA Crim 2100

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

CitedRegina v Compton CACD 2002
The court considered criticisms of forensic evidence: ‘. . When reading Mr Bottomley’s report, and hearing his evidence in chief, we had the greatest difficulty in discerning how in fact he criticised MSA’s methodology; and in cross-examination it . .
CitedRegina v Condron, Condron CACD 17-Oct-1996
The defendants were charged with the supply of heroin. They had declined to answer police questions and it was on the record that their solicitor had advised them not to do so, on the grounds that he considered them unfit because they were . .
CitedRaymond Christopher Betts, John Anthony Hall v Regina CACD 9-Feb-2001
The defendants appealed convictions for causing grievous bodily harm. During interviw, the solicitor had advised that since the police had failed to make proper disclosure of the evidence, his client should not answer. He now appealed complaining of . .
CitedRegina v Hoare and Pierce CACD 2-Apr-2004
The court considered the drawing of adverse inferences form an accused’s silence in the police station when this was under legal advice: ‘The question in the end, it is for the jury, is whether regardless of advice, genuinely given and genuinely . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Criminal Evidence

Updated: 11 June 2022; Ref: scu.199794