No Evidence Offered In Flagship ICO Prosecution

Bark&co are happy to report that in the case of R v Frederick Parr and Others (prosecuted by the Information Commissioners Office (“ICO”)) that the prosecution has today decided to offer no evidence against our client and all other co-Defendants. The case was heard at Warwick Crown Court.

Mr. Frederick Parr first came to Bark&co after he had been advised by other, prominent City solicitors, to plead guilty to offences in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998. Bark&co quickly identified that Mr. Parr had been wrongly advised in law and applied to vacate Mr. Parr’s plea of guilty as equivocal.

Following that successful application, the matter proceeded to trial, however, on day two of trial the ICO decided to offer no evidence against Mr. Parr and the remaining co-Defendants. The key issue revolved around the statutory defence available to all persons charged with s.55 of DPA 1998, which, was the issue Bark&co identified to justify our client’s equivocal plea.

This case was a flagship for the ICO who had been investigating this matter for the last five years. It involved alleged offences committed twelve years ago and was linked to other cases previously prosecuted.