Modern slavery mitigation in County Lines case secures lesser sentence for Sonn Macmillan Walker client
Our client, a youth, was charged with possession of an offensive weapon, possession of an imitation firearm, 3 counts of robbery and s18 GBH over a disagreement about drugs.
Our client was charged alongside a much older co-defendant and the issue of human trafficking and being involved in County lines drug dealing was revealed in our client’s pre-sentence report. We raised with the Prosecution that a National Referral ought to be made in order to determine whether our client was a victim of county lines drugs gangs and therefore a fell within the definition of modern slave.
Sentencing was adjourned whilst a referral was made. The decision was ultimately negative. However we collated information from the client’s family and our client which was used in mitigation.
We ensured that our client was sentenced separately from his co-defendant so that full mitigation in relation to the coercion he had suffered by the adult co-defendant could be revealed in court without repercussions to our client.
Our client received 5 years’ detention: less than half what his adult co-defendant received.
Claudia Barker and Daisy Jones prepared our client’s case and instructed Rebecca Randall of 25 Bedford Row .
