Merseyside Witness Care Unit
"I didn't think I could give evidence in court, but the Witness Care officer gave me the support I needed. Now I can get on with my life."
If I give a statement to the police, what happens then?
What happens to the person who was arrested?
What happens if the person is charged?
What happens if the defendant pleads guilty?
What happens if the defendant pleads not guilty?
What happens when I go into the courtroom?
What happens once I have given evidence?
Can I claim travel expenses and loss of earnings?
How do I find out the outcome of the trial?
If I give a statement to the police, what happens then?
Once you have provided a statement to the police, you will be supplied with a contact number so you can find out more information and keep up-to-date with any developments in the case.
If you are the victim of a crime, the police officer will update you whenever there are any significant changes or developments in the case.
What happens to the person who was arrested?
The police will make investigations into the incident. If, when the suspect is arrested, there is enough evidence to charge him/her, this will happen at the custody suite. However, if the police need more time to gather evidence, the suspect may be bailed to appear at the custody suite at a later date.
If you are the victim of a crime, the police officer will keep you updated with any bail conditions that the suspect is subject to.
Sometimes there is not enough evidence to allow the police to charge a suspect, but the victim would be informed if this were the case.
What happens if the person is charged?
Once a suspect is charged, a date will be set for him/her to appear at Magistrates Court. If you are the victim of the crime, the police officer will inform you of this date.
The case will then be allocated to a Witness Care Officer, who will be your single point of contact throughout the court case. They will keep you up-to-date, including advising you of bail conditions, court dates, and the outcome of court hearings. The Witness Care Officer usually passes information to you by telephone or letter, and they can be contacted at any point of the court case.
What happens if the defendant pleads guilty?
If the defendant pleads guilty at court, he/she will be sentenced, either on the day, or at a later date. All victims have the opportunity of making a Victim Personal Statement, which tells the court about the ongoing effects of the incident on you. The Witness Care Officer can arrange for this to take place, and will advise you of the sentence outcome.
What happens if the defendant pleads not guilty?
If the defendant pleads not guilty, a trial date will be set, taking into consideration your availability. The Witness Care Officer will advise you of the trial date, and will arrange a tailored support for you by conducting a needs assessment. There are various ways that you can be supported, including:
- Witness Service – these are the people who are at court on the day of the trial to support you. They can meet you at a side-entrance to the court, and have a separate waiting area, just for witnesses. They will keep you informed of what is happening throughout the day at court. Witness Service can also show you around an empty courtroom sometime before the day of the trial
- Specialist Support Agencies – we can refer you to an appropriate agency, which could help with a range of problems. Examples of agencies include Domestic Violence Advocates, Victim Support, Rape and Sexual Abuse support.
- Transport – for disabled or vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, we can arrange for transport to and from court
- Childcare – if you have problems with childcare for the trial date, we can make arrangements with a registered childminder
- Language – if English is not your first language, we can arrange for an interpreter to be at court for the trial, if necessary
- Special Measures – where appropriate, we can make arrangements for an application to be made to the court for special measures, for example the use of screens or video-link to assist a witness giving evidence. We can also arrange for an intermediary to be involved to assist witnesses with communication problems.
What happens when I go into the courtroom?
The usher will show you to the witness box, and will ask to you take an oath or affirmation, depending on your preference. The prosecutor will ask you some questions, based on your statement, which you would have read through before going into court. You may also meet the prosecutor on the trial date before court begins. The defence lawyer will then ask some questions based on your statement. The Judge or Magistrates want you to give the best evidence possible, so if you need a moment to think or do not understand a question, tell the Judge or Magistrate.
What happens once I have given evidence?
Once you have left the courtroom after giving your evidence, you can usually leave the court building. Very rarely the Judge or Magistrates may ask you to remain in the building, in which case you can go back to the witness suite. The Judge or Magistrate will advise you either way once you have given evidence.
Can I claim travel expenses and loss of earnings?
Yes. You will be given a blue expenses form, either sent out to you by the Witness Care Officer, or given to you at court by the Crown Prosecution Service. Simply complete this form and send it off in the pre-paid envelope and your costs will be reimbursed.
How do I find out the outcome of the trial?
The Witness Care Officer will contact you to advise you of the verdict of the trial. If a sentence has been passed, they will advise you of the details of it. The Witness Care Officer can also at this point refer you on for continued support if necessary to Victim Support.
If you would like further information in relation to this Unit and the services it provides please call either of the Witness Care Managers - Jayne Eaton on 0151 777 1701 or Barbara Jones 0151 777 1700.
Vicky, a Witness Care Officer, tells us about a recent case which highlights the work of the Witness Care Unit.
Andy is 14 and was the victim of a vicious assault. Andy's mum had no contact from the police before Vicky spoke to her, as such she was very angry and upset when the Witness Care Unit first made contact with her.
As the case progressed, Vicky kept Andy's mum up to date at each stage and built up a rapport with her. Vicky was able to assess the needs of both Andy and his mum from the outset of her contact with them, this enabled Vicky to tailor the service she provided to the family.
Once the defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’, Vicky conducted an in-depth needs assessment of Andy and his mum. As a result of the needs assessment, Vicky arranged a pre-trial familiarisation court visit for them and liaised with Witness Service. Witness Service supported Andy at court on the trial date, and arrangements were made with Andy's school to release him for trial.
Because the defendant lived two doors away from the family, Vicky arranged for a taxi to pick Andy and his mum up 30 minutes early so there was little chance of them seeing the defendant and his family before they went to court. Due to Andy’s age, Vicky also arranged for ‘special measures’ to be in place to enable Andy to give evidence. This meant that rather than go into the courtroom, Andy could give his evidence by a live video-link from a separate room in the court building.
Witness Service took over on the day of trial. After a full trial, the defendant was found guilty in absence and a date was set for a Pre Sentence Review (PSR) hearing at court. Vicky's colleague spoke to Andy's mother to give her details of the interim ASBO on the defendant, whilst awaiting the PSR hearing. Vicky rang Andy's mum to inform her of the sentence - she was very pleased and thanked both Vicky and her colleague for their help on the case. Later that week the Witness Care Unit received a thank you card from Andy’s mum.