CPS announces man charged with criminal damage after dinghy slashed in sea
The Crown Prosecution Service has today announced that Daniel Thomas, 37, has been charged with criminal damage and failure to comply with a notice to make disclosure in accordance with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. It follows an alleged incident where a boat was damaged in the sea on Tuesday night.
Chris Derrick from the Crown Prosecution Service said:
“The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Daniel Thomas following an investigation by Hampshire Constabulary into an incident on Tuesday 22 September.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial.”
Daniel Thomas will appear in Court on Friday 25 September.
It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.
Notes to editors
- Daniel Thomas (DOB 25/12/1988), of no fixed address, is charged with the following offences:
- One count of criminal damage, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
- One count of failing to comply with a RIPA notice, contrary to s.53 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.
- The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
- Chris Derrick is Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex.