What did you do at the weekend?
MCP's Head of Criminal Law Alison Muir records four busy days on call.
FRIDAY
4.00 pm: I receive a call to represent a young person at the Police Station. The police would not be ready until at least 5.50pm.
5.30 pm: Arrive at the Police Station and speak to the officer in the case to find out what had happened. The client had been arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs; they had never been in trouble before and their parent was understandably very distressed.
6.00 pm: I represent the client during their police interview.
7.00 pm: The client is given a caution for the offence and released, avoiding a Court appearance.
SATURDAY
4.30 pm: I receive a telephone call from a Partner of another firm of solicitors in Peterborough who asks if I will go to the Police Station later that night to represent one of their regular clients who was a young person arrested for an offence of criminal damage.
5.00 pm: Arrive at the Police Station.
5.30 pm: The police interview the client who does not have the benefit of a parent present but an appropriate adult from the Appropriate Adult Service attends the interview. Despite evidence, the client denies any involvement and is charged with the offence to go to Court next month.
7.30 pm: Return home.
9.45 pm: I am woken up by a telephone call from the Defence Solicitor Call Centre asking me to attend the Police Station by 10.30pm to represent someone arrested for shoplifting.
10.30 pm: Arrive at the Police Station to find that my new client has never been in trouble before but needs an interpreter. I wait for the interpreter to arrive; we have worked together before on many cases.
11.15 pm: I attend the police interview with the client who admits the offence. There was evidence that my client had intended to shoplift (taking a device to remove security tags with them to the shop) and so there was no option other than my client being charged to Court for the offence of theft.
Midnight: Upon leaving the Police Station I receive another call to help someone who was in police custody accused of domestic violence. I was told that the matter would be dealt with in the morning and I would come back to the Police Station then.
12.30 am: Arrive home.
12.40 am: I receive another call to say that the Police had changed their minds and were going to interview the person suspected of domestic violence. Jumping out of bed, I say that I will be there in half an hour and quickly get changed and back in the car!
1.10 am: Arrive at the Police Station only to find that the Police officers dealing with the matter have been deployed to a significant Public Order Act offence in Peterborough and there is no one available to interview my new client!
1.45 am: Return home.
SUNDAY
9.00 am: I receive a telephone call from a client whose friend had found himself in some difficulty following a serious road traffic accident. It appeared that the police were looking for the person concerned. I gave advice and arranged that they would contact the police to hand themselves in and let me know so that I could be available to assist in the police interview.
1.15 pm: I receive a telephone call to advise that the case of domestic violence which should have been dealt with in the early hours earlier that morning was now ready to be interviewed.
1.50 pm: Arrive at the Police Station and represent the client in police interview. It transpires that my client holds an important job, and they deny the allegation. The case is subsequently bailed to another day pending further enquiries. Any offence against my client's name would automatically lead to the loss of their livelihood.
3.30 pm: On leaving the Police Station I receive a message that my client worried about the motoring offence was to be at another Police Station in 30 minutes, just enough time for me to travel there!
4.00 pm: Arrive at the other Police Station. I speak to the Police officer dealing with the matter and we agree an interview can take place on Tuesday.
MONDAY
8.30 am: I arrive at Kings Lynn Magistrates Court for a busy morning, including representing a client for assault and motoring offences and also a client in custody for a Public Order Act offence which put him in breach of a suspended sentence order and a conditional discharge. This client kept their liberty.
12.00 pm: I received a Duty Solicitor call and then attended at Kings Lynn Police Station on a serious allegation of homicide. I helped the client through very long and emotional interviews which did not conclude until 9.30pm following which the client was bailed pending further enquiry.