On Monday 22nd June, Year 12 Law and Year 12 Criminology pupils attended a University of Warwick Law School workshop. The workshop was based around Criminal Law, with a focus on the landmark Tony Martin case (R.v Martin 2001) where a 54-year-old farmer was initially charged with murder for shooting at two burglars at his isolated farmhouse.

The pupils divided into two groups: prosecution, and defence, and in a mock trial scenario, debated whether Martin’s actions were premeditated, or whether he was just defending himself and his property.

In the end, Martin was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but on appeal the conviction was reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. His sentence was therefore reduced, and he was released from prison in 2003.