Hello everyone. So this is what has happened. It;s a very scary time but I think that here there a lot of things that have been done wrong but I cannot be the judge of it, so I ask others to read this so that they can offer opinion and advice.
I have to go for sentencing in court this Friday. Usually I would have an adutl social care worker but these have all stopped due to cutbacks. I don't have a social worker because she has been on long term sick leave since before the summer and I have not been given a replacement.
Now when we people with ASD are interviewed by police, we know it's a requirement by law that an approproate adult is required to be present. What about at court and sentencing. My solicitors or at least the ones I have at the moment say it's not a legal requirement for someone to be with me in court but of course I am allowed someone. The last time was when I was given a community order and the reason I have a probation officer, someone from the agency, well my support worker actually AND my social worker were with me, It's a very stressful time. In a Crown court you might have to be waiting five hours. I will now tell you what happened at the police interview.
I was scared on the day and had too much to drink. I can tell you it was four strong ales and a full bottle of rum. I missed the interview and the police came but our town station was closed for whatever reason and they take me to one about forty miles away. They told me they would give me a lift back home once the interview was done that night. Now I think anyione with half an ounce of common sense would know that for that amoutn of alcohol to leave your system and besides my Aspergers, the police who decided to interview after only five hours and it wasn't them anyway, they got some local police to do it.
Now there was an appropriate adult there altthough I don't remember much about it at all. It was all done very quickly. I just said any old thing so that it would be quick and they would take me home. But and this is the important bit, the duty solicitor there advised me not to answer any questions, unfortuntaely I did but I am not confident that what I said was truthful or in fact made any sense at all and on most of the questions, I did answer what I was told to as "no comment".
What are the current solicitors saying...
"You are, as the law considers, fit to enter pleas and follow proceedings. As we discussed when you came to the office, you are certainly very intelligent and able to follow everything we talked about. As such, there is no legal requirement for you to be supported."
I think that is quite dismissive of my condition actually. I said to them, what do you actually know about ASD? What do you know about meltdowns?
Okay so some of you might think that it was a bit cloak and dagger what the police did but they are above the law of course, they can do as they please. I don't want the hearing / sentencing delayed and they are thinking that it will be a community punishment disposal again - I don't. Well, you don't in this situation I think and fear the worst like, eighty twenty odds on a custodial sentence I think BECAUSE, I have added a further offence as well as breaching my community order.
I have two days left to try and find a suitable support worker. The solicitors have said yes I can end the working relationship with them and find a new firm because I am not happy with their attitude and support. They have just sent this:
"As I have said, I hope that someone from your Autism agency would be available to support you on Friday. My concern is that it is of no benefit to you to keep this case going on, particularly when you do have us available to support you in your understanding.
Should you wish to transfer legal aid, you will be required to complete a form with your intended new solicitors which will then be sent to us. The Court will then consider if it is appropriate to do so in your case."
The agency cannot supply a member of staff, I managed to ask them by telephone, they are short staffed as it is, there are people off sick and it is so near to Christmas.
I am uncertain whether to remain with these solicitors. They have confirmed that I will be having the same barrister as last time and he was amazing! But the firm I would go to in replacement is actually the one he works for. Sometimes you don't get the right solicitor from the outset do you, it can be worthwhile or more beneficial to look around.
So I would like to know what others think please, it might be that someone has experienced a similar situation? Thank you and I can be online the rest of the evening to read.