Brendan O’Leary, instructed by Alex Close-Claughton at Olliers, secures acquittal in Attempted Murder trial

Brendan O’Leary, instructed by Alex Close-Claughton at Olliers Solicitors, represented the defendant in a serious and complex attempted murder trial which took place at Manchester Crown Court in October 2025.

The complexity of the case meant that extremely careful pre-trial preparation was required to deal with issues of fitness to plead and stand trial, mental health, voluntary intoxication, non-insane automatism, and the ability to form the intent to commit the offence of attempted murder.

The victim in the case suffered multiple stab wounds which led to life threatening injuries, including the loss of an arm, and had to spend over a year in hospital.

Brendan obtained expert evidence dealing with his client’s state of mind at the time of the incident which he successfully argued was admissible during the trial.

Brendan also pursued strong arguments on disclosure failings which resulted in the exclusion of significant parts of the prosecution evidence during the trial.

Brendan’s client was acquitted of the offence of attempted murder. He had at an early stage in the proceedings pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article.

The feedback from Brendan’s client’s family to Olliers Solicitors was as follows:

“Following last week’s sentencing, I wanted to express our sincere gratitude for the outstanding outcome achieved. We are in no doubt that this result reflects the exceptional expertise, commitment, and professionalism demonstrated by both yourself and Brendan throughout every stage of the case.

Our son was truly represented to the highest standard, and we are deeply appreciative of the dedication and support that has been provided from start to finish. Your guidance and reassurance during what has been an incredibly difficult time meant a great deal to us.

I would be grateful if you could also please pass on our sincere thanks and appreciation to Brendan for his excellent defence—and for his patience in handling my constant barrage of questions.

A link to the press reporting of this case can be found here.