Case of Lars Gellner

02/03/2009

Before the trial at Aylesbury Crown Court was due to start on 26 February 2009, the defence made a successful application to exclude crucial prosecution evidence. Lars Gellner was charged with two counts of fraud by false representation. These charges related to his applications for nursing jobs in the UK during which he failed to disclose either that he had been investigated or convicted of sexual offences in Cambodia. He had left Cambodia before his trial there started, was convicted in his absence and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Lars Gellner denied being aware of either the investigation or the conviction when he made the applications. The judge agreed with the defence application to exclude prosecution evidence. This included documentation obtained from Cambodia. As a result there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction, so the prosecution offered no evidence.