People (Attorney-General) v Shaw

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Judgment Date: 21 January 1960
• Date: 21 January 1960
• Court: Court of Criminal Appeal

(C.C.A.)

People (Attorney-General)

and

Shaw

Evidence of accomplice - No corroboration in relation to some charges - Judge's charge - Necessity for specifying charges on which evidence uncorroborated -Charge of receiving stolen goods - Evidence of thief - Evidence of possession of goods by accused - Possession not explained - Whether capable of corroborating thief's evidence.

In a criminal trial when a person who is an accomplice gives evidence on behalf of the prosecution and there is evidence capable of being regarded as corroborative of his evidence with regard to some of the counts in the indictment, but not with regard to the remainder, it is the duty of the trial Judge not merely to warn the jury of the danger of convicting on the uncorroborated evidence of the accomplice, but also to specify the particular count or counts in the indictment on which there is no evidence which could be regarded as corroborative of the accomplice's evidence. So held by the Court of Criminal Appeal. Held further...