Led by Narita Bahra QC, the legal team at ZMS Solicitors secured a Not Guilty verdict to Murder on the grounds of Diminished Responsibility, for a nineteen-year-old client who suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

During the trial, the court heard how the client’s parents had attempted for years to have their son assessed for his mental health condition as opposed to his educational development and behavioural integration into mainstream schools. Evidence was elicited as to how ASD impacts daily life and social behaviour. The client’s needs had been wrongly assessed as a teenager as behavioural and emotional problems, rather than anything more complex, leading to a prolonged and depressing cycle of outbursts and exclusion from school, without attempts to address the root of that anger. Tragically, the lack of assessment and diagnosis of the ASD mental health condition culminated in the client killing his mother, via 82 incisions.

To find out more, please follow the link – https://www.33knowledge.com/current-awareness/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd-a-recognised-mental-health-disorder-was-deemed-a-successful-defence-to-murder

Sunita Ruparell
Jo Lang
Yakesh Tanna

#zmslegal #murdertrial #notguilty #dimishedresponsibility #asd