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The Vienna Declaration

Expert Witness

Gary Sutton (Head of Drug Services) is a vastly experienced drugs expert and is registered with the Expert Witness Institute. He is regularly instructed to provide (Section 9) reports and sworn testimony on legal and controlled/illicit drugs, as those detailed in the following non-exhaustive list:

•           Amphetamine sulphate (Speed)
•           Anabolic Steroids
•           Benzodiazepines
•           Cannabis
•           Cocaine including ‘crack’
•           Ecstasy (MDMA)
•           Heroin 
•           Ketamine
•           Methamphetamine
•           Methadone (Opioids)
•           Mephedrone/Methcathinone (Ex) ‘Legal Highs’
•           LSD GBL/GHB, mushrooms, 2CB, nrg-1- Other unusual derivatives

Solicitors and/or Barristers generally request the following areas for the report to address; current street prices, drug prevalence, and common methods of drug use and administration, through to more complex matters involving cannabis cultivation and yield (including hydroponics); bulk purchase for personal use (scale of economy); importation and distribution; dialogue interpretation and sequestration cases,  to name but few areas. 

Gary has over 20 years experience and is extremely knowledgeable and effective with providing detailed persuasive written reports and testimony, and has done so in numerous criminal trials, and civil cases.

Hodge Jones Allen – Solicitors in London had this to say about our Expert Witness service:

“I have relied on Release to provide me with up to date, evidence based reports followed up by expert evidence in court. To date, this has always been of a quality that is exceptional particularly given Release’s rates, which fall within the legal services commission rates of payment. The height of this service so far was when the prosecution expert witness at the Old Bailey conceded our expert’s opinion on matters raised in an expert conference to the extent that on re-trial, we didn’t even need to call our expert from Release to give evidence. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

As mentioned above, our hourly rate falls within the Legal Service Commission cost bands (Costs In Criminal Cases (General) Regulations 1986), and as such nearly all of our criminal cases are funded with Prior Authority by the Legal Service Commission. Court attendance is paid directly by the Court.

If you are a solicitor interested in instructing Release, please contact us.