Insanity: A Defence of General Application by criminal barrister Elisabeth Bussey-Jones
5th March 2018

Criminal barrister Elisabeth Bussey-Jones analyses the case of Loake v Crown Prosecution Service [2017] EWCA (Admin) 2855, which dealt with a point of law as to the availability of ‘insanity’ as a defence to a charge which did not require the Crown to prove criminal intent.
To read Elisabeth's analysis, click here.
Related News
-
21st April 2026
Berenice Mulvanny and Graham Gilbert successfully prosecute school teacher for historic sexual offences
Berenice Mulvanny 3PB Barristers' specialist criminal law barrister, led her fellow Crime and Regulatory crime colleague Graham Gilbert, in securing the conviction of 82-year old former teacher David Clarke. After a five-week trial at Brighton Crown Court, Mr Clarke was convicted unanimously of 45 counts of historic sexual offending against 14 boys committed whilst he was a teacher at a (now closed) private prep school in Sussex during the late 1970’s and 1980’s. Clarke's conviction...
Continue reading -
3PB Barristers’ specialist criminal defence barrister Nick Robinson has successfully defended his client ME, who was charged with rape. Nick’s client was arrested on suspicion of rape following an incident in Bournemouth in 2025. The complainant alleged ME had raped her after she changed her mind and refused to perform a sex act on him after having agreed to do so for money. The defence case was that the sexual activity was consensual, agreed in...
Continue reading -
3PB crime barrister Rebecca McKnight’s client was accused of causing really serious injuries with intent to cause really serious harm, in other words a section 18 offence under the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861. It was accepted that serious injuries had been caused by her client but the issue for trial was intent. After careful questioning of both the complainant and the defendant Rebecca’s client was acquitted. This vulnerable client would have faced a...
Continue reading -
27th May 2026
Thomas Acworth’s Client Acquitted of Murder
3PB Barristers criminal specialist, Thomas Acworth, was led by Charles Row KC in the defence of JA, a woman who was accused of murdering her former long-term partner. The prosecution case was that, at the instigation of her daughter, JA planned to kill the deceased by luring him to a house where he was stabbed by her daughter’s boyfriend. Following an 11-week trial before Martin Spencer J at Salisbury Crown Court, the jury unanimously acquitted...
Continue reading