Johnson Partnership, Legal News

25/04/25

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to introduce a legal presumption of anonymity for firearms officers facing criminal proceedings following police shootings, up until conviction. The reform comes in the wake of the acquittal of Sergeant Martyn Blake, a Scotland Yard officer cleared of murdering 24-year-old Chris Kaba, who was shot during a police stop two years ago.

Kaba, who was later revealed to be a "core member" of a dangerous London gang, was unarmed at the time of the shooting. Following his acquittal, Sgt Blake was forced to leave his home after a £10,000 bounty was reportedly placed on his head by criminal associates of Kaba. Sources described Blake's life as a "nightmare," lived in fear for himself and his family.

20/03/25

A mother of two pretended to have terminal cancer for five years, deceiving her partner out of £25,000 while also convincing her young daughter she was dying, a court heard.

Laura McPherson, 35, falsely claimed to have cervical, ovarian, colon, bowel, and breast cancer, using the money her partner, Jon Leonard, believed was for treatment to fund breast enhancement surgery and luxury spa days.

26/02/25

A police officer is set to face misconduct proceedings over failures in the search for an escaped mental health patient who was later struck and killed by a train.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) determined that Inspector Collin Baker should undergo a disciplinary hearing regarding the 2020 death of 23-year-old Matthew Caseby. Caseby, a fitness instructor, had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and was receiving treatment at the Priory's Woodbourne Hospital in Birmingham when he escaped after being left unattended in a courtyard. He climbed over a fence, prompting staff to report his disappearance to West Midlands Police.

27/01/25

Dr. Patrick Hart, a 38-year-old GP, has been jailed for 12 months after damaging petrol pumps at an M25 service station in a protest supporting Just Stop Oil. Hart, from Bristol, used a hammer, chisel, and orange spray paint to vandalise 16 fuel pumps at Thurrock Motorway Services in Grays, Essex, on August 24, 2022, causing £9,376 in damages. The closure of the forecourt until the following evening led to an additional loss of £1,146 in profits.

18/12/24

Prison authorities have admitted to mistakenly releasing a record number of inmates last year, including sex offenders, violent criminals, and drug dealers.

Most of the errors involved prisoners being released earlier than scheduled. However, in one alarming instance, the wrong individual was set free entirely.