3 Minute Interview

I had the pleasure of attending at a Police Station recently where the Police Constable investigating my Client clearly had no interest in pursuing the case. In disclosure the Officer explained that my Client had been arrested for criminal damage on the basis that DNA evidence that linked a co-defendant to the scene, and that co-defendant had put my Client's name forward in interview as being jointly responsible for the damage caused.

My client decided to exercise his right to silence and his interview lasted exactly three minutes from start to finish. This was a pretty quick interview bearing in mind the first minute and a half was taken up by five people (two Police Officers, the Client, their Appropriate Adult, and myself) in the interview room having to introduce themselves for the purposes of the tape, and the caution being explained to my Client. The interview then went like this:

Q: Did you go to the location and damage the property?
A: No comment.
Q: Where you present when the property was damaged?
A: No comment.
Q: Are you going to answer all of my questions no comment?
A: Yes.
Q: That's the end of the interview then.

To be fair the Police Officer knew that the case was going no where because there was no evidence to link my Client to the crime other than what his co-defendant had said, and as the co-defendant has made a self-serving statement the prosecution will not rely on that as evidence that is strong enough to convict my Client. The Officer reported to the Custody Sergeant after the interview and as predicted by myself the Client was released without charge.