Section 9: Absconding defendants
52.This section amends sections 27 and 28 of POCA, which make provision for the making of confiscation orders where the defendant has absconded. Section 28 of POCA applies where a defendant absconds after proceedings for an offence or offences are started against that defendant, but before such proceedings are concluded. Section 27 applies where defendant absconds after he or she —
is convicted of an offence or offences in proceedings before the Crown Court,
is committed by a magistrates’ court to the Crown Court for sentence in respect of an offence or offences under the provisions of the Powers of Criminal Court (Sentencing) Act 2000 (“the 2000 Act”), or
is committed to the Crown Court in respect of an offence or offences under section 70 of POCA (which provides for an offender to be committed to the Crown Court for confiscation proceedings following a conviction of an offence in the magistrates’ court).
53.These provisions do not, however, expressly cover the situation where a defendant absconds shortly before the conclusion of their trial. In such circumstances it may be possible to complete the trial notwithstanding the absence of the defendant, provided that the defendant’s counsel’s instructions were sufficient to see the trial through to its conclusion. If the defendant was convicted in his or her absence in such a case, the legislation is unclear as to whether it would be possible to make a confiscation order against that defendant under section 27 or 28. Section 27(2)(a) currently makes it clear that section 27 applies where the defendant absconds after being convicted of an offence, but in this scenario the defendant would have absconded prior to conviction. There has also been uncertainty as to whether section 28 would apply as section 28(2)(a) specifies that one of the necessary conditions for that section to apply is that “proceedings for an offence or offences are started against a defendant but are not concluded”. However, in May 2014 the Court of Appeal held, in the case of R v. Charles Okedare [2014] EWCA Crim 1173(4), “that an individual who has absconded and subsequently is convicted of a criminal offence in his absence can subsequently be made subject to a confiscation order under POCA at a hearing which he has not attended due to continuation of his absconding. The appropriate provision being section 6 as applied by section 28 of the Act.” This section makes the position explicit on the face of POCA.
54.Subsection (1) substitutes a new subsection (2) of section 27 of POCA so as to provide expressly that a confiscation order may be made against a person who absconds before the conclusion of his or her trial and is subsequently convicted in his or her absence. The new section 27(2) preserves the other circumstances in which a confiscation order may currently be made against a person who absconds post conviction.
55.Subsection (2) substitutes a new subsection (6) of section 27 for the existing subsections (6) and (7). New subsection (6) adapts the operation of sections 19 to 21 in relation to a recaptured absconder. Those sections provide for the reconsideration of a decision by a court not to make a confiscation order or, where an order has been made, for the amount payable under the order to be increased. The principle underlying these sections is that the earlier decision of the court should only be open to reconsideration where new evidence comes to light (see sections 19(1)(a), 20(4)(a) and 21(1)(b)). The effect of new subsection (6)(a), (b) and (c) is to makes sections 19, 20 and 21 respectively apply, in the case of a recaptured absconder, without the requirement for new evidence.
56.Subsection (3) amends section 28 of POCA which deals with absconders who abscond prior to conviction. Section 28(2)(c) provides that the prosecutor must wait for a period of two years from the date that the court believes that the defendant has absconded before they can apply for a confiscation order against that defendant. The original intention of this provision was to provide a reasonable opportunity for the defendant to be found or reappear before a confiscation order could be made against him or her. The amendment reduces the period of time in section 28(2)(c) from two years to three months.
57.Subsection (4) substitutes a new subsection (6) of section 28 of POCA so as to further modify the application of section 21 of that Act where a recaptured absconder is dealt with under section 28. The modification of section 21 is along similar lines to that made by subsection (2)(c) of the section.
