Jeremy Betts
Jeremy undertakes the defence of individuals and business personnel who have been accused of a criminal offence. He specialises in driving law and has saved many drivers licences from being taken away from them by the courts. He has over 29 years’ experience and has been a police station duty solicitor since 1993. He has advised in both minor and major criminal cases including large fraud diversions and murder/manslaughter cases. He is a member of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association. He also is a past president of Medway Law Society and has been a judge for the local mock trial competitions held by the citizen’s foundation for a number of local schools.
He has commenced and built up a large criminal department in north Kent and for over 10 years ran his own boutique criminal and driving law firm.
Drawing upon his in-depth knowledge of criminal law and the workings of the criminal justice system, Keith can help if you have been called in for questioning or charged with:
- Murder, manslaughter or causing death by dangerous driving;
- Assault, including grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm;
- Sexual offences, including rape, child exploitation or the downloading of indecent images;
- Domestic violence, including coercive and controlling behaviour;
- Harassment and stalking;
- Drug possession, drug dealing or drug importation;
- Possession of an offensive weapon or bladed article;
- Theft, ranging from shoplifting to stealing from your employer;
- Fraud and other crimes of dishonesty; or
- Motoring offences, including speeding, driving without insurance or failing to stop after an accident.
- Corporate manslaughter
He can also represent you at trial, a sentencing hearing or if you wish to appeal against a conviction or sentence.
Recent cases
- Secured an acquittal for a motorist accused of failing to provide on psychological grounds.
- Another motorist case again accused of drink driving was thrown out on basis of arguing prosecution inconsistencies.
- A murder charge reduced to a manslaughter charge for 2 separate defendants.
- A lady with mental health difficulties committed over 150 low level offences but Jeremy managed to argue the appropriate sentence was in line with her mental health condition.
- A man charged with importing drugs into this country was found not guilty at Canterbury crown court after successfully arguing to the jury he had no knowledge of the drugs being found on him.
- A large multi-million “snide “or counterfeit goods trial collapsed after successful legal argument.
- Represented a double murderer over 2 jurisdictions both in the uk and northern Ireland. This was one of the first cases to introduce non conviction bad character against the defendant.
- Successfully argued that an order asked specifically by the police to exclude the client from his matrimonial home ( a domestic violence prevention order ) was excessive and without merit .
- Successfully cross examined, at trial, an experienced traffic police officer to elicit information, that enabled the magistrates to pass a not guilty verdict on a client charged with drink driving offences.
- Represented over 3 consecutive days both in court and in the police station a client accused of a double murder in Kent and Sussex.
- Secured an acquittal of a client charged with carrying an offensive weapon by arguing in the trail that the truncheon was known as a “priest” and used in fishing.
Advising individuals throughout Tenterden, Kent and beyond
Jeremy is based in our gravesend office but advises clients throughout Kent.
To contact Jeremy, please call 01580 762248 or email jeremy.betts@pengelly-rylands.co.uk
Funding
Advice at the police station is free, regardless of your income or savings. Legal aid is also available in many cases to help where you are charged with an offence and the case will go to court.
For privately paying clients we offer an initial appointment from £120 plus VAT. This provides us with an opportunity to assess your case and give initial advice. Any further work beyond this will be quoted for at a competitive rate.
Get in touch with our criminal law solicitors in Gravesend, Kent
If you have been accused of a criminal offence, please get in touch to see how we can help. You can call us on 01580 762248.
For urgent advice outside of office hours, including police station representation, please call 07516 729637.