Why Expert-Led Defence in Digital Evidence Cases is Non-Negotiable for HNW & Professionals

In today's digital world, sexual allegations involving indecent images on devices can irreparably harm reputations and ruin careers, particularly for high-net-worth individuals and professionals.

Narita Bahra KC, with the Garrick Law Private Client & Regulatory team led by Sunpritha Jutlla and Aisha Shamsuddin, recently secured Not Guilty verdicts for a high-net-worth client facing serious criminal and regulatory offences involving allegations of making indecent images.

This outcome would not have been possible without the early instruction of experienced digital forensic experts.

The Power of Strategic Expert Instruction

Garrick Law instructed Tower Forensics at the earliest opportunity, directing them to conduct forensic analysis that went far beyond prima facie examination. The defence team drafted comprehensive questions requiring the experts to examine:

• File provenance and creation mechanisms – distinguishing between automatic browser caching, adware-driven redirects, and deliberate user downloads

• Account attribution – mapping each file to specific user accounts and identifying recovered or deleted profiles

• Accessibility analysis – determining whether files were even visible to an ordinary user without forensic tools

• Timeline correlation – linking file creation to concurrent browser activity, URLs, and potential pop-up redirects

Tower Forensics' conclusively established that images were cached automatically during ordinary browsing, that they were not accessible to a typical user, and that there was no evidence of knowledge of the said images by the client. 

Without expert-led scrutiny, key facts would have been overlooked:

• Digital devices are often shared, old, and have complex data histories

• Cached images do not prove knowledge or criminal intent

• Prosecution analysis can be superficial, relying on file presence alone

• As R v Harrison established, knowledge and intent are central, as simply having cached images on a device is insufficient for conviction

For HNW and professional clients, where reputation, health, and livelihood hang in the balance, waiting for the prosecution's narrative to form is not an option.

Act Early. If you or your clients face allegations involving digital devices, instruct an experienced legal team and digital forensic experts immediately. 

Man on iphone

Challenge assumptions

Demand rigorous analysis of file provenance, account attribution, and user accessibility.

Failure to do so risks miscarriages of justice, reputational damage, and personal upheaval. This case demonstrates the power of proactive, expert-led defence in the digital age.