You may have been contacted by a police officer, inviting you to a voluntary police interview at Abingdon, Banbury, St Aldates, Cowley Road, Kidlington or Witney police stations. This can be very worrying, especially if you have not been in this situation before.
It is crucial to note that you have the right to appoint a solicitor to represent you and guide you throughout this process. The interview can have an enormous bearing on the outcome of the case and whether the matter progresses to a prosecution. Therefore, it is essential to appoint an experienced solicitor and to prepare as much as possible prior to the interview.
Whilst the term ‘voluntary interview’ suggests your attendance is optional, in reality, if you refuse to attend the interview, the officer may resort to arresting you in order to ensure that an interview takes place.
It is sensible to be wary of an officer who invites you into the police station ‘just for a chat’. An interview under caution only takes place when you are suspected of committing a criminal offence and anything you say in the interview can be used as evidence against you. By playing down the seriousness of the situation, the officer discourages the suspect from seeking independent legal advice.
Obtaining legal advice at an early stage is therefore crucial. If you would like one of our solicitors to attend an interview with you, please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively, you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.
For more information about Voluntary Interviews Under Caution, find our services page here.
What can a solicitor from Reeds do for me?
We will contact the officer on your behalf and obtain ‘disclosure’ prior to the interview. We will obtain as much information about the allegation as possible and determine whether the police have taken statements from witnesses. We will find out what other evidence the police have, such as CCTV or forensics. Our clients are in a far better position in knowing the details of the case against them before committing to an account.
During a private consultation, we will discuss the evidence obtained from the police and take your account of what may or may not have happened. We will then be able to determine the best approach to take during the police interview.
There are three main interview strategies:
1. Providing a full comment in a voluntary police interview
In some cases, we may advise you to simply answer all of the questions put to you. It may be the most persuasive way to deny an allegation. This approach can bring with it various risks, such as giving inconsistent or unconvincing answers. At worst, individuals incriminate themselves by giving information to the police that otherwise would not be able to be proved.
2. No comment in a voluntary police interview
It may be in your interests to simply make no comment at all in the interview. There are various situations where this may be the best approach. For example, where there is no plausible defence to put forward or where there are risks attached to giving a particular account.
3. Providing a prepared statement in a voluntary police interview
Often, we will draft a written statement on our client’s behalf which carefully outlines their account without going into areas which do not help them. This can be extremely effective in avoiding the pressure of police questions whilst ensuring our client’s position is put forward.
Why are police opting for voluntary interviews as opposed to making arrests?
In order for an arrest to be lawful it must be necessary. This will often be the case where evidence needs to be obtained from within a suspect’s property or where evidence needs to be seized from a suspect. If the alleged offence took place some time ago or there is no longer the need to seize evidence, a voluntary interview will likely be offered.
Does a voluntary police station mean that there is not enough evidence?
In short, no. The reason that a voluntary interview is offered has nothing to do with the level of evidence that the police have obtained.
Why would I get a letter from the police?
Normally the police will attend your address to make contact with you about a voluntary interview. If they are unable to reach you, they may contact you by post.
What happens after a voluntary police interview?
After the interview, the police officer will decide whether any further investigation is needed or whether a charging decision can be sought from the Evidential Review Officer or the Crown Prosecution Service. After the interview we can review whether there is any positive action we can take to advance our client’s position and reduce the risk of a charge. We will consider compiling evidence to support our client’s defence which can be submitted to the police with written representations. A proactive approach can sometimes play a crucial role in averting a prosecution.
Instructing a solicitor from Reeds
Our private crime team offers an unrivalled level of experience and skill in this area.
We can normally provide a fixed fee quote to cover a pre-interview consultation as well as representation at the voluntary interview. Rest assured that we will do absolutely everything we can to secure a positive outcome for you.
Local representation in Oxfordshire
With our head office in Oxford, Reeds Solicitors have a huge amount of experience in representing clients at every local police station in Oxfordshire.
Abingdon Police Station, Colwell Drive, Abingdon OX14 1AU
The police conduct the majority of the voluntary interviews at Abingdon Police station, which has a custody area as well as room for voluntary attendances. The police station can accommodate a reasonably large number of visitors in its parking area.
St Aldates Police Station, Oxford OX1 1SZ
The police conduct interviews at St Aldates police station, which is located in the city centre of Oxford. The police station has a reception, which is open to members of the public throughout the day. There is no custody suite. Please note that there is no parking available at this police station. The nearest convenient parking is at the Westgate Centre
Banbury Police Station, Warwick Rd, Banbury OX16 2AE
No parking is provided for the public at the station, however, paid parking is available at People’s Car Park on Bath street, a few minutes’ walk away.
Cowley Police Station, Oxford Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2LE
Cowley police station mainly serves as an operational centre for Thames Valley police. However, the police hold numerous voluntary interviews at the station as well. There is a car park at the station, however it is usually full.
Witney Police Station, Welch Way, Witney OX28 6JN
Witney police station is used for matters originating in Witney’s geographical area. There is no visitor parking at Witney Police Station, although it is possible to park on the street via a side road.#
Our Work in Representing People during Voluntary Police Interviews
Here’s some examples of our work at Oxfordshire police stations, representing clients during voluntary police interviews. We recommend exercising your right to a solicitor at your earliest opportunity in all cases.
Reeds Solicitors is an award winning and leading top-tier criminal defence firm. For legal advice and representation, please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively, you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.
Sexual Assault Allegation at Cowley Road Police Station
We represented a client at Cowley Police station who was interviewed in relation to a Sexual Assault allegation. Our solicitor spoke with the officer in charge of the investigation and obtained detailed pre-interview disclose. There were numerous WhatsApp messages to review and it was important not to be blindsided in the interview. After taking instructions from the client, our solicitor advised that the best course of action was to submit a limited account in a prepared statement. There were difficult aspects of the client’s account, which would have been damaging to put forward in interview. The prepared statement allowed the client to deny the allegation, whilst avoiding detailed questioning. Following the interview, the investigation was closed with No Further Action.
Assault and Controlling & Coercive Behaviour Allegation at Abingdon Police Station
Our client was accused of several offences, all of which were alleged to have occurred within a former relationship. During the initial consultation, we were able to take detailed instructions without the time pressure of being at the police station and come up with a plan of action. During the interview at the police station, our client gave a full comment interview. Our solicitor provided support throughout, ensuring that all of the important details of his account were put forward. Following the interview, we compiled a bundle of defence evidence, which outlined the contradictions in the complainant’s account. All of the offences were dropped.
Serious Assault (s.18) at Abingdon Police Station
Our client was accused of punching another player during a Sunday league football match. This allegedly broke the player’s jaw. He was interviewed for S.18 GBH with intent. Our solicitor assisted the suspect in drafting a detailed prepared statement to provide to the Police. This denied the offence and explained that it happened very differently; unfortunately, opposition players had “ganged up” and provided a series of false statements to the Police. In the investigation stage, Reeds Solicitors took statements from other players that were present, as well as managers and spectators. Through these statements and character references we were able to demonstrate that the allegation of a punch was false. No further action was taken against our client.
Coercive and Controlling Behaviour/Rape at St Aldates Police Station
Our client was a divorced 42-year-old man of previous good character with 2 young children. He was accused of coercive and controlling behaviour on his partner of 3 years. She alleged that he restricted her social life, movements, drinking and finances. She accused him of have sexual intercourse without his consent. We attended our client in conference in advance of the interview having obtained disclosure from the officer in advance. We drafted a detailed written statement disputing the allegation which we provided during the police interview, and, with our help, our client answered “no comment” to all questions asked. Following the interview, we prepared a bundle of evidence undermining the allegation and provided this to the officer in the case. When the matter was submitted for review by the police, we made written representations, detailing the evidential difficulties with the complainant’s account. The police took No Further Action in respect of the case.
Reviews for Voluntary Police Interview Solicitors
“Nathan Seymour-Hyde approached the case very professionally and covered every possible angle of it to ensure a positive result with no criminal conviction. He was amazing from beginning to end and would most definitely recommend him to anyone who found themselves in the position I did.”
Client
“Having never needed or used a solicitor before and with little knowledge of the legal system. I’m very fortunate to have chosen Reeds and Scott Primmer to handle my case.
Highly recommended”Client
“Stuart Matthews goes above and beyond and is extremely thorough, with a determination to see justice done. He has a down to earth nature which makes him very approachable. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice of solicitor.”
Client
Reeds Solicitors is an award winning and leading top-tier criminal defence firm. For legal advice and representation, please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively, you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.
Nathan Seymour-Hyde is Solicitor within our Private Crime team. He joined Reeds in 2017, having previously worked for a busy London based criminal defence firm. Click here to learn more about him.
Scott Primmer is a solicitor in the Magistrates Court team, based in our busy Oxford office. Scott is a very capable Police station and Magistrates Court duty solicitor, and can therefore provide advice to clients arrested for, or charged with, any criminal offence. Click here to learn more about him.
Stuart Matthews is a Senior Solicitor and Founding Partner of the firm. He is recognised as a Leading Individual in the Legal 500. Click here to learn more about him.
