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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions >> Trewin, R. v [2008] EWCA Crim 484 (13 February 2008) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2008/484.html Cite as: [2008] EWCA Crim 484 |
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CRIMINAL DIVISION
Strand London, WC2A 2LL |
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B e f o r e :
(PRESIDENT OF THE QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION)
MR JUSTICE DAVIS
MR JUSTICE DAVID CLARKE
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R E G I N A | ||
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DAVID ROGER TREWIN |
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Mr L Sellick appeared on behalf of the Crown
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"But so far as the hearsay is concerned, I am going to admit it on the basis that I think the prosecution have made out the case for admissibility and that I should admit it for the reasons argued for under Section 120.
However, so far as B is concerned [that being the witnesses B] some objection was taken, in effect, to the extent of the hearsay and I think since the important bit of this evidence, the true thrust of it, is to rebut recent fabrication or fabrication generally, then the mere fact that the complains were made is what is important, not the extent of the complaint or the details thereof."
"(1) This section applies where a person (the witness) is called to give evidence in criminal proceedings.
(2) If a previous statement by the witness is admitted as evidence to rebut a suggestion that his oral evidence has been fabricated, that statement is admissible as evidence of any matter stated of which oral evidence by the witness would be admissible...
(4) A previous statement by the witness is admissible as evidence of any matter stated of which oral evidence by him would be admissible, if—
(a) any of the following three conditions is satisfied, and
(b) while giving evidence the witness indicates that to the best of his belief he made the statement, and that to the best of his belief it states the truth."
We then go straight to the third of the three conditions which set out in subsection (7), as follows:
"(a) the witness claims to be a person against whom an offence has been committed,
(b) the offence is one to which the proceedings relate,
(c) the statement consists of a complaint made by the witness (whether to a person in authority or not) about conduct which would, if proved, constitute the offence or part of the offence,
(d) the complaint was made as soon as could reasonably be expected after the alleged conduct,
(e) the complaint was not made as a result of a threat or a promise, and
(f) before the statement is adduced the witness gives oral evidence in connection with its subject matter.
(8) For the purposes of subsection (7) the fact that the complaint was elicited (for example, by a leading question) is irrelevant unless a threat or a promise was involved."
"If a previous statement by the witness is admitted as evidence to rebut a suggestion that his oral evidence has been fabricated, that statement is admissible as evidence of any matter stated of which oral evidence by the witness would be admissible."
What the subsection does is to regulate the use to which such evidence, once admitted, may be put. It is then admissible as evidence of the truth of its contents, not merely as evidence going to the issue of consistency.
"You must consider each of these counts separately in relation to each complainant. It would perhaps be illogical to decide that [WB] was telling the truth in one respect and you could not be sure about the rest. It may be that the same comment could be made in relation to [TM]. But there may be some reason why you can say a difference and all I need to say is that you must consider each count separately.
But having said that these incidents all occurred in private and are essentially word against word, it is right to tell you that in this case that you are entitled to look at the whole picture. You are entitled to look at not only the trees, but the wood. It is open to you to consider whether the five complainants in this matter support each other. The rationale is that two or more people do not make up or mistakenly make up similar allegations against the same person, independently of each other. It is a pure matter of common sense. So it is for you to judge whether there is anything in that argument... and this is the prosecution argument,.. whether there is any strength in that argument and what that strength is.
If it is true or maybe true that there has been contact, collusion between some or all of the witnesses, then you would obviously not regard one complainant as supporting another or any of the others. If you are sure that there has been no collaboration, collusion, conspiracy, putting their heads together, even though they know each other to make up a case against the defendant, then it is open to you as a matter of law... but it is a matter of fact of the judgment of it ... open to you to say that the whole picture is much stronger than the individual witnesses. But to what extent you do that is a question of judgment of fact of the witnesses and so is a matter for you.
The prosecution argue and you may think it is a very powerful argument, that they presented a lot of evidence here. But one can see the argument and perhaps the power of it, but you may be unimpressed by it, so it is a matter for you. But they argue that all five of these young men, or boys as they were then, had a broadly similar experience at the defendant's hand in that he fiddled with them. For [WB] and [TM] it happened over a very much longer time. The other boys suffered single incidents. But although there are differences and Mr Brunton [counsel then for the defence] argues that they are significant differences, the prosecution say, no they are broadly similar and in some respects, in detail similar and it can help you in this case and you are entitled to look at the whole picture as well as each individual complainant.
Mr Brunton made a point about the fact that there are no charges in this indictment in relation to [DH], [NF] and [JM]. They could have done, I do not know why they did not do it, it may well be that because what happened to [WB] and [TM] went on much longer, they did it that way. The evidence of [DH], [NF] and [JM] was relevant, that is why you heard it. Relevant for the reasons that I am talking about. And the prosecution argue that it shows the defendant has this propensity; fiddling with boys is what he does. That is the relevance of it, that is why you heard it. It is for you to judge it and make up your minds what strengths, if any, you think it has."
"For our part we are satisfied that the Judge was in error and that there should have been a bad character direction, encompassing the following elements:
(a) Identification of the incidents evidence of which had been adduced pursuant to his bad character ruling;
(b) A direction that, with respect to each incident, the jury should decide whether the facts as alleged by the Crown had been proved so that they were sure of them, that is to the criminal standard of proof;
(c) A direction that, with respect to any incident not so proved, the evidence should be put aside and accorded no significance;
(d) A direction as to the potential significance of any incident that had been proved – in this case that the incidents may throw light on the relationship between Complainant and Defendant and thus bear upon the potential for consent on her part to his sexual advances; and
(e) finally, a warning against necessarily according the incidents any significance if an alternative construction serves to cast doubt upon the construction contended for by the Crown and also against attaching too much weight to this evidence."
"The last matter of law before turning to the evidence is in this particular case of the most central importance to the defendant, because he says I have no previous convictions, I have never been cautioned and I have called a raft of evidence to support my good character. If you are sure that he is guilty because of the prosecution evidence, that cannot save him. But it is highly relevant for two reasons. Firstly, he can say, I am a decent respectable man, no previous convictions or caution, people speak very well of me, very highly of me. When I go into the witness box and take the oath you can believe what I say; I am a truthful man. In other words, it enhances his credibility as a witness. Mr Brunton argues that it does to an extreme degree in this case in the light of the evidence that has been called. But for the very same reasons the defendant can say, I am not the sort of person to do this. I may have a penchant for company of young adolescent boys but not molest them and nothing in my past shows that. There is nothing in my past that shows a propensity to this. Over to you, ladies and gentlemen, what do you think about all this?"
"And, secondly, he can say, obviously, 'I am a decent respectable family man, I would not do what I am being accused of and there is nothing in my life before that suggests that I would.' But it begs the essential question of where the truth lies, and that is for you to discover."
This Court held that the direction was inadequate. The final sentence of the paragraph undermined what had gone before. The Court went on to say in paragraph of 13:
"On the essential question of where the truth lies, since it begged no such question at all, the judge failed to direct the jury that this evidence of good character was, as many decisions of this court teach, of evidential significance. The essential importance of good character evidence is that the jury should not reach a concluded view as to the truthfulness of a complainant's evidence without taking into account the two important features of the good character of the defendant, both of which are relevant to the assessment of the truthfulness of the complainant's account. In other words, the process by which the jury reached a conclusion as to the truth of the allegations requires, in accordance with proper directions from a judge, the jury to take into account the good character of the defendant. The vice in the directions given by this judge was that it sought to separate those two issues."