Magistrate rules ‘No Case to answer’ on charge of criminal damage

Our client, a man in his early 30s, was charged with criminal damage to a motor vehicle in a car park. The prosecution produced an eye-witness who noted the car registration number of the man who allegedly caused the criminal damage. During cross examination the eye-witness admitted he had discarded the piece of paper on which he recorded the car registration. We submitted that without the piece of paper the prosecution was unable to prove the registration and accordingly could not prove it was our client who committed the damage. The Magistrate agreed. There was no case to answer. The prosecution was ordered to pay costs.