Sahota & Sahota Solicitors are delighted to report a significant defence success following a lengthy trial at Leicester Crown Court (June 2026).
We represented a 19-year-old man of previous good character who faced 16 serious counts arising from allegations of serious violence, robbery and demands for money at two locations in Leicestershire.
The prosecution alleged that our client had been involved alongside a number of other defendants, including a man known on social media as “Trixta”, in incidents said to have taken place at a house party in North Kilworth and later at The Tannery student accommodation on Bath Lane in Leicester.
Our client faced:
- Ten counts of blackmail;
- Four counts of robbery;
- Two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The allegations were extremely serious. Had our client been convicted, he faced the very real prospect of a substantial custodial sentence, together with the long-term consequences of serious criminal convictions.
Our client was remanded by the Police upon being charged but was bailed following a successful bail application the following morning at Leicester Magistrates’ Court. He therefore remained on bail throughout the proceedings.
The prosecution case included evidence from a vast number of complainants, mobile telephone material, social media evidence and videos said to depict assaults and threatening behaviour.
The case attracted considerable publicity because footage connected to some of the incidents had been posted on social media such as Tik Tok, Snap Chat and Instagram. Leicestershire Police later published an article concerning the convictions of two of the other defendants, which can be read here: Pair convicted after posting videos of their crimes on social media.
Our client maintained throughout that he was not guilty of any offence.
The defence required careful and detailed preparation. The evidence relating to each allegation had to be considered separately, including the accounts provided by the prosecution witnesses, the identification evidence, the available video and telephone material and the extent to which the prosecution could prove that our client had participated in or intentionally assisted any offence.
The trial involved four defendants and a 17-count indictment. When the allegations against each individual defendant were considered separately, the jury was required to reach 55 individual verdicts. Our client personally faced 16 separate counts on the indictment.
The jury listened carefully to the evidence throughout the lengthy trial and considered each allegation against each defendant individually. Having assessed the prosecution case as a whole, together with the evidence relating specifically to our client, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on every count he faced.
The outcome was particularly significant because two of the other defendants were convicted of numerous offences arising from the same incidents. It demonstrated the importance of examining the evidence against each defendant separately and avoiding any assumption of guilt merely because a person is alleged to have been present or associated with others.
For our client, the verdicts brought an end to months of uncertainty and the risk of imprisonment. The consequences of a conviction would have been life-changing.
Sahota & Sahota Solicitors are proud to have represented and supported him throughout the proceedings and to have helped secure his acquittal on all 16 charges.
Experienced Crown Court Defence Solicitors
Being charged as part of a multi-defendant case does not mean that every person involved bears the same responsibility.
Cases involving allegations of joint enterprise, group violence, robbery or blackmail often depend on detailed questions concerning presence, knowledge, intention and participation. The evidence must be analysed carefully and the prosecution must prove the case against each individual defendant.
Our criminal defence team regularly represents clients in serious and complex Crown Court proceedings, including allegations of:
- Blackmail;
- Robbery;
- Serious assault;
- Joint enterprise;
- Kidnap and false imprisonment;
- Weapons offences;
- Conspiracy and organised crime;
- Offences involving mobile telephone and social media evidence.
Early preparation and detailed analysis of the evidence can be crucial, particularly where a person is accused because of their alleged association with others.
For specialist advice and representation, contact Sahota & Sahota Solicitors on 0116 255 5155. We provide criminal defence representation at police stations, Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts throughout England and Wales.
