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Deepfakes to Deletion Orders: Tackling technology enabled sexual offending in the Crime and Policing Act 2026
Sophie Tang
Eurydice Cote and Katie Dean have recently secured a substantial £4,450,000 settlement for a client who suffered life-changing injuries following a delayed diagnosis of Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES).
Our client initially consulted his GP with hip pain and leg weakness, having a history of disc prolapse. He was referred to a musculoskeletal clinic for review within a week. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and two days later he attended an Urgent Care Centre on a Friday with increased leg weakness and pain. Despite reporting concerning symptoms, including that he could not flex his ankle, ankle power was not tested nor was a full neurological assessment of his lower limbs carried out, and he was discharged with advice to follow up with his GP on Monday. By Monday morning, his condition had worsened dramatically - he could not get out of bed and had fallen overnight. An emergency MRI scan confirmed CES, and he underwent decompression surgery, but the delay resulted in permanent neurological damage including severe bilateral leg weakness, double incontinence and chronic neuropathic pain. Our client now requires extensive ongoing therapies and his mobility is severely restricted. His condition is expected to deteriorate with age, and by sixty-five he will likely require wheelchair-adapted accommodation and a live-in carer.
The case presented significant challenges. The Defendant tried to argue that our client should have elected to have surgery several years before his CES developed which may have prevented the condition and disputed the severity of symptoms our client reported to the doctor at the Urgent Care Centre.
Following thorough investigation, we successfully obtained a liability judgment awarding our client 70 per cent of the claim value. The Defendant conceded that, without the treatment delay, our client would have retained mobility with only a walking stick, avoided wheelchair dependency and adapted accommodation, and maintained bladder and bowel continence.
We comprehensively assessed all heads of claim with eight experts instructed to consider accommodation, care provision, therapies, equipment, medical treatment, and lost earnings and pension, ultimately achieving the £4,450,000 settlement on a 70 per cent basis.
This was and continues to be an extremely challenging situation for me. The life changing injuries that I have suffered has turned my world upside down. Having Kingsley Napley in my corner made all the difference. Beyond Kingsley Napley’s legal prowess, Richard, Eurydice and Katie’s compassion, empathy, steady guidance and unwavering pursuit for justice provided a sense of security and reassurance when I needed it most. Although bittersweet, I am incredibly relieved with the outcome and grateful for the dedication shown to my case.
Client