Mere presence at the scene of a crime, even combined with post-offence conduct such as checking a victim's pulse, suggesting departure, and using stairs to avoid surveillance, is insufficient to establish aiding and abetting where such conduct is equally consistent with shock and fear. An erroneous jury direction requiring proof of murder intention for manslaughter by acting in concert or extended common purpose does not deprive an accused of the chance of a manslaughter conviction where manslaughter by aiding and abetting is correctly left to the jury and there is no viable manslaughter case on the other bases.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 8 later cases that cite this judgment.
3 of the 8 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.