Extradition discharged in foreign murder case
VK, a Ukrainian National was arrested pursuant to a request from Poland for murdering his father.
On arrest VK informed the authorities he was living under an assumed identity and was not the person in the warrant and his father was very much alive. At the initial hearing identity was raised as an issue and the hearing was adjourned three times to allow the detained person to get evidence in respect of his identity. SMW made enquiries with his family in Ukraine, sought evidence through a facial mapping expert and an international DNA test.
Eventually, following the DNA comparison the CPS applied for a discharge as VK could be excluded as being related to the deceased person.
VK was represented by Katy Smart of SMW and Graeme Hall of Doughty Street Chambers
