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Alleged assault victim challenged on time taken to call Police

Alleged assault victim challenged on time taken to call Police

Tuesday 15 March 2022

Alleged assault victim challenged on time taken to call Police

Tuesday 15 March 2022


The defending advocate in the trial of a man facing two assault charges has questioned why the alleged victim didn't call the police straight away.

Josh Lyons (28) denies both counts of grave and criminal assault.

He is accused of grabbing a woman by her neck, before lifting her up and throwing her to the ground. 

On the second day of the Royal Court trial, defending Advocate David Steenson asked the alleged victim why she had not contacted the police after she says was assaulted. 

Advocate Steenson suggested to the jury that the alleged victim had multiple opportunities to report the crime but she hadn't done so. The woman said she "just wanted to be safe".

He pointed out to the court that when the woman felt safe, she still hadn't called the police for a further eight days. 

The alleged victim told the jury that she felt dizzy, tired and that she just wanted to rest, mentioning that she had a "traumatic experience". 

Advocate Steenson told the court that the alleged victim had four separate opportunities to hand her phone over to the police, but had refused, commenting that, "I had my work on my phone," and that it would have been the same as Mr Lyon's evidence. 

Advocate Steenson also brought to the attention of the court affectionate messages from the alleged victim to the defendant - she replied that it was because she knew he was also in the UK, which is where she had gone. 

In the afternoon, the court heard further witness testimonies from five people, who all had described the woman after the alleged assault as being tearful and visibly upset.

"She clearly looked upset, concerned, worried," said one witness.

Another stated that she "was very distraught, holding back emotion but I could see she had been crying."

The trial continues today. 

READ MORE... 

Assault trial begins in Jersey's Royal Court

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