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SPENCE Donavan

Case Reference: 01ZD1249624

Case Details

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Open Justice Notice: This record is a public court hearing entry sourced from official HMCTS daily cause lists and is published under the principle of open justice, which holds that court proceedings must be accessible to the public and the press. Appearance in this record does not imply guilt. If this case involves a spent conviction under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, or if you believe this record is inaccurate, please contact us.

Reference

01ZD1249624

Court

Croydon

Magistrate

HIS HONOUR JUDGE T HYAMS-PARISH , HER HONOUR JUDGE E SMALLER , HIS HONOUR JUDGE E CONNELL - HONORARY RECORDER OF CROYDON , HIS HONOUR JUDGE CONNELL , HIS HONOUR JUDGE S BANERJEE , MISS RECORDER S PRESLAND , HER HONOUR JUDGE E LOWE , HIS HONOUR JUDGE P GOWER KC , MR RECORDER G JONES KC

Hearing Date

18 May 2026

Time

2:00 pm

Hearing Type

For Trial (No Witnesses)

Court Type

crown

Prosecutor

CPS

Case Details

Complainant's anonymity protected by virtue of Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 1992, Order made under Section 4 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981

Next Steps at this Trial

During the trial, the prosecution presents evidence and calls witnesses to prove the defendant committed the crime. The defense cross-examines the witnesses and presents its own evidence. Once all evidence is heard, the magistrates, district judge, or a jury (in the Crown Court) will decide if the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Court Jurisdiction: Crown Court - The Crown Court handles serious criminal cases (indictable-only offences, like murder, rape, robbery) and either-way offences sent up by the Magistrates' Court. Trials are heard by a judge and a jury of 12 citizens. Sentencing powers are up to the statutory maximum for the offence (including life imprisonment).

General Case Information

This listing represents public court record proceedings for SPENCE Donavan. The legal proceedings will occur at Croydon. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: HMCTS Public Court Lists.
Disclaimer: The legal definitions and sentencing guidelines above are for general educational purposes under English Law and do not constitute formal legal representation or advice. If you are facing criminal prosecution, consult a qualified criminal defense solicitor immediately.

Case FAQs & Procedure Guide

A trial in the Magistrates' Court typically lasts from a few hours to a few days. Crown Court trials with a jury can last from several days to multiple weeks, depending on complexity and the number of witnesses.

If the verdict is not guilty (acquitted), the defendant is free to leave and cannot be prosecuted again for the same incident based on the same evidence.

If found guilty, the judge or magistrates will proceed to sentence the defendant, either immediately or at a separate sentencing hearing after a pre-sentence report is prepared.

Guilt is decided by a jury of 12 randomly selected members of the public, who must decide unanimously (or by a majority, if permitted by the judge) if the defendant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge ensures the trial is conducted fairly according to the law, rules on legal arguments, summarizes the case for the jury, and determines the sentence if the defendant is convicted.

Interested in the outcome of this case? You can request more information by emailing the court directly using the Email Court button at the top of the page.

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