What happens if your up in court for recieving stolen goods but you didnt know they were stolen?
I am afraid that in the UK you are now presumed guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent. About the only hope that your friend would have would be if he bought the goods from an advertisement, a car boot sale or from a second-hand shop and has paperwork to prove it. It is no longer sufficient to say I had no idea in other circumstances although a very good (and consequently very expensive) Barrister might sway the court to his side. If the crown has asked for time for further inquiries then it is possible, even probable, that there is a certain degree of weakness in their case which a good Barrister should be able to exploit. Since he is obviously contesting the case he will, if found guilty, face a much more severe penalty. In any event, they will certainly not be allowed to keep the goods, whether innocent or guilty, nor is there any compensation for having bought stolen goods.