Richard Atkins QC Successfully Prosecutes One of the Youngest People Ever to be Convicted of Murder in England

Richard Atkins QC successfully prosecuted one of the youngest people ever to be convicted of murder in England. The 13 year old was convicted by the jury of murder and robbery and his 20 year old accomplice was convicted of manslaughter and robbery. They targeted a lone vulnerable female who was walking home late at night. The 13 year old punched her to the ground and then stamped on her face before both men searched her body. They ran off with her belongings leaving her dead or dying. Although the likelihood was that it was the punch that killed the victim (it caused a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage) Richard Atkins QC successfully argued that the subsequent stamp was probative evidence of the 13 year old’s intention to cause the victim grievous bodily harm. The 13 year old was ordered to be detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure with a minimum term of 12 years detention ordered and the 20 year old received a 10 year sentence.

Press coverage can be found on ITV and BBC.