Island Life Magazine Ltd April / May 2016 | Page 127
LEGAL
Roach Pittis advice
By Barry Arnett
Roach Pittis Solicitors,
60 - 66 Lugley Street, Newport, PO30 5EU
01983 524431
[email protected]
Do you need a solicitor
at the police station?
A
police station interview is
an interview that is usually
carried out as part of a police
investigation into an alleged criminal
offence. Most police interviews in
England and Wales will be carried out
whilst you are being detained at a police
station following your arrest.
Sometimes you might therefore be
asked to accompany police to the station
for a ‘chat’ or you might arrange to attend
voluntarily.
There may be times as well that an
interview or chat take place at your
home address. All interviews however,
even voluntarily interviews, when the
police are investigating a criminal
matter are interviews under ‘caution’.
This caution is the vitally important
part of any police station interview or
voluntary interview as it informs you of
your rights during the interview process.
A lot of people do not realise that even
a voluntary interview can lead to criminal
charges and therefore all that is said in
that interview is very important.
If you attend therefore for an interview
or attend voluntarily without the benefit
of legal representation from a fully
qualified solicitor you could find yourself
in a very difficult situation or even face a
miscarriage of justice.
During any interview the police officers
will ask questions regarding your
involvement or suspected involvement
in a criminal offence. It is absolutely vital
that you have legal representation.
I have often been asked the following
question ‘’why is it important to have a
legal representative present?’’. The simple
answer is that not having the benefit of
independent legal representation at a
police station interview can mean that
you might incriminate yourself without
actually realising, or without knowing the
full range of legal options that you have
available to you, or even whether you
have to answer certain questions.
If a solicitor is present at your police
interview they will protect your interests
and make sure that the interview is
carried out by the police in a fair and
proper manner.
Roach Pittis Solicitors have a large
criminal practice and can provide free
legal aid advice at a police station
interview even if a person has attended
voluntarily.
Our solicitors are on call twenty four
hours a day, three hundred and sixty five
days a year to provide you with expert
legal advice and support when you need
it most.
We would strongly suggest that you
request legal assistance. The head of our
criminal department Barry Arnett who is a
solicitor and higher court advocate can be
contacted on 01983 524431 during office
hours or 07855 540653 at any time.
www.visitilife.com
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