Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP Paul Hastings successfully acted for James Jardine, a former executive at G4S, who was acquitted of charges brought by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office for allegedly defrauding the British government over an electronic tagging contract. 
 
Joanna Dimmock, partner in the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice of Paul Hastings, commented:

“After 10 years of delay, mismanagement and misunderstanding of the evidence the SFO have finally recognised this case should never have been brought. The SFO knew in 2021 fundamental errors existed which impacted the safety of Mr Jardine’s case. What followed has been a litany of disclosure disasters and breaches by the SFO of over 60 Court Orders. 
 
“In light of its discovery of further huge mistakes in its investigation in December 2022 and our relentless pursuit to uncover this mishandling, the SFO has now elected to drop the case rather than reveal the sheer scale of the errors they had discovered. Yet again the SFO has wasted millions of pounds of tax payers money whilst three men’s lives have been ravaged and put on hold for nearly a decade. 
 
“This case has collapsed without any evidence even being heard. Mr Jardine is grateful that he can finally put the injustice of the last nine years behind him and begin to rebuild his future with his family.”

The case was led at Paul Hastings by London partners Joanna Dimmock and Jonathan Pickworth together with associates Fred Kelly and Tom Hickey. Paul Hastings instructed barristers Michael Borrelli KC of 3 Raymond Buildings, Mark Aldred and Katherine Lloyd of QEBHW, and Duncan Jones of 25 Bedford Row on the case. With thanks for the commitment and drive of the whole counsel team.