Caroline Westlake

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Charge:	Assault (Misdemeanor)
Sentence:	80 hours community service
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	2014
Year Convicted:	2015
Year Cleared:	2016
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	United Kingdom
County or Region of Crime:	England
City of Crime:	London
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Caroline Westlake was wrongly convicted in September 2015 of misdemeanor assault for striking a monkey handler with a wine glass during the London Zoo's Christmas party in London, England on December 8, 2014. During the party the monkey handler, Kate Sanders, had criticized Westlake's physical appearance. Westlake, who was a meerkat expert at the the zoo, admitted the injury came from her glass, but she denied causing a 1 cm injury to the woman's face by acting "deliberately or recklessly." She was convicted of assault based on the judge's decision she acted recklessly because she "gailed to see the risk of injury" while holding the glass close to the woman. Westlake was sentenced to 80 hours of community service. Westlake appealed. On February 23, 2016 the Court of Criminal Appeals acquitted Westlake on the basis the trial court failed to apply the correct “subjective” test for recklessness, which was “whether the defendant foresaw the risk of harm but went on to take it.” The Court acquitted her and did not order a retrial, because of their positive finding Westlake “did not foresee a risk of injury” to the woman."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On February 23, 2016 the Court of Criminal Appeals acquitted Westlake on the basis the trial court failed to apply the correct “subjective” test for recklessness, which was “whether the defendant foresaw the risk of harm but went on to take it.” The Court acquitted her and did not order a retrial, because of their positive finding Westlake “did not foresee a risk of injury” to the woman."
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Sex:	Female
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Information Source 1:	"London zoo meerkat expert has assault conviction quashed, By Press Association, Guardian (London, UK), February 23, 2016"
Information Location 1:	http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/23/london-zoo-meerkat-expert-assault-conviction-quashed
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Caroline Westlake

Charge:

Assault (Misdemeanor)

Sentence:

80 hours community service

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2014

Year Convicted:

2015

Year Cleared:

2016

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

United Kingdom

County or Region of Crime:

England

City of Crime:

London

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"London zoo meerkat expert has assault conviction quashed, By Press Association, Guardian (London, UK), February 23, 2016"

Information Location 1:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/23/london-zoo-meerkat-expert-assault-conviction-quashed

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