Assault & Violent Crime Lawyers in Glasgow & Scotland

We defend clients accused of crimes of violence in courts throughout Scotland. If you have been accused of a violent crime, no matter how serious, our violent crime solicitors can help.

Our solicitors and solicitor advocates can represent you in every court in Scotland. No matter how seemingly insurmountable the odds, our solicitors have the expertise, experience and guile to provide a robust and thorough defence.

We defend clients charged with:

• Assault,
• Murder, and attempted murder,
• Culpable Homicide,
• Domestic Assault,
• Possession of Offensive Weapons.

Assault Lawyers: Common and Serious Assault

An assault, in law, is any attack or act which is intended to cause injury, whether or not it actually does. Even if the act only causes the victim to fear some bodily harm, that is sufficient in law for the charge to be made out.

An assault cannot be committed by accident – there must be some intent on the part of the accused. Similarly, you cannot consent to being assaulted. Just because you were involved in a ‘square-go’ does not mean you cannot be convicted of assault.

Assault is aggravated if there is some factor which makes the offence worse. These ‘aggravations’ include sectarian or racial elements to the offence or the use of weapons. The seriousness of the assault can also be an aggravation. If the victim is left scarred or is put in fear of their life, then the assault may be considered aggravated. The penalties for aggravated assault are obviously more serious than for common assault.

The main defence to a charge of assault is self-defence, which, if established, results in an acquittal. The criteria for establishing it are high. Provocation is not a defence to assault in Scots law, but it can be put forward in mitigation to reduce the sentence. Whether you are facing a charge of common assault or serious assault, you should take expert advice at the earliest possible opportunity.

Offensive Weapons and Knife Crime

It is an offense to be in charge of an offensive weapon in a public place in Scotland. Given Scotland’s high level of knife crime this is an offence taken particularly seriously by the authorities. The offence is committed when an individual carries a weapon which is designed or adapted for the purposes of causing injury. Defences to this charge include ‘reasonable excuse’ (a mechanic walking home in possession of a forgotten screwdriver, for instance) or ‘lawful authority’ – this includes situations like a soldier in possession of a Bayonet on parade.

One of the issues which arises increasingly is the legality of stop and search procedures, which the police often mis-conduct. For instance, did they act with reasonable suspicion?

It is also an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without a good reason or lawful authority, for example a knife needed for work. Folding pocketknives are excepted only if the cutting edge of the blade does not exceed three inches. Carrying an offensive weapon, or a bladed or pointed article, in a public place can carry up to five years' imprisonment if prosecuted on indictment.

If you have been stopped by the police in possession of an offensive weapon, we can help. Call us today for immediate expert advice.

Murder Lawyers: Murder, Attempted Murder and Culpable Homicide

Clearly, charges of murder or attempted murder are among the most serious of all criminal charges. In Scotland, contrary to popular belief, a conviction for murder carries a mandatory life sentence. If you, or a loved one, have been charged with murder contact us immediately.

Murder, in Scots law, is any act which ends the life of another person either intentionally, or with a wicked or utterly reckless disregard for the consequences of the actions which caused the death.

There are defences to a charge of murder including self-defence or provocation. Some defences are ‘complete’ defences which means the accused is exonerated while others reduce the seriousness of the charge. Our Solicitor advocates have extensive experience of defending clients charged with even the most serious of crimes and can represent you in every court in Scotland. Call us immediately for advice and representation. 

Culpable homicide is a lesser charge than murder. The crime of culpable homicide (sometimes erroneously called ‘manslaughter’) is committed when an act or failure to act results in the loss of the victim’s life. There are many cases where a simple fistfight or push has resulted in death, with a charge of culpable homicide the result. With a skilled defence, our solicitors may be able to reduce a charge of murder to one of culpable homicide which may considerably reduce the sentence.

Assault Solicitors in Aberdeen, Edinburgh & Across Scotland

Beltrami & Co are based near Glasgow city centre, and our solicitors and solicitor advocates represent clients charged with assault and other violent offences in courts throughout Scotland, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness. We provide a 24-hour service for anyone in police custody. If you have been charged with a violent offence, contact us as early as possible.

Domestic Violence

A charge of domestic abuse is a serious one and an extremely difficult time for all concerned. If you are granted bail, it will usually come with special conditions preventing you from contacting or approaching your partner, and possibly any children you have together, so you should contact us without delay.

In our experience, many people who have otherwise been law-abiding find themselves brought into the criminal justice system in these cases. For full details of how we defend domestic abuse and domestic assault charges, including under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, see our domestic abuse lawyers page.

Why Beltrami? The law firm that other lawyers recommend

Having acted in more than 150,000 cases in 60 years in every court in Scotland, the firm boasts a wealth of legal knowledge and expertise, particularly in the field of criminal law, employing creative legal thinkers to interpret the law and provide imaginative legal problem solving techniques.

Our team is led by Gary McAteer. Comprising 4 Solicitor Advocates, 1 Kings Counsel and 9 Solicitors along with qualified support staff, we boast unrivalled criminal defence expertise.

The Legal 500 place us in their top tier for crime, fraud and licensing law and note that we enjoy “An unrivalled reputation in Glasgow”.

We are the criminal lawyers other lawyers recommend. No matter how serious an offence you have been charged with, Beltrami and company have the skills and expertise to defend you.

Contact Beltrami & Company

Beltrami and Company offer a high quality service to all clients, whether the case is legal aided or privately funded. Clients can be assured of complete confidentiality and discretion.

Beltrami & Company are conveniently based near Glasgow city centre but operate throughout Scotland. The firm offers a 24-hour, 365-day a year service for clients in police custody.  Any calls to our offices out with normal business hours can be dealt with by an experienced solicitor.

Violent crime charges sometimes overlap with crimes of disorder or other less common offences covered on our other areas of criminal law page. Our criminal defence team can advise across all of these.

If you have been injured as the victim of a violent crime, you may be able to claim criminal injuries compensation.