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With a cramped time frame, she did in 3 days what another firm dilly-dallied for 7 months. Lisa kept me informed. Helena made me feel comfortable in a sticky situation.

- Client

I will definitely be using your company in the future if needed. Lisa kept me at ease also there were no grey areas with great advice. Helana is a great front of house.

- Client

My legal matter concerning an application for a Domestic Violence Order was managed by Mr Thomas Allen. I am grateful for the outcome he obtained. Without Mr Allen and his ongoing support, I would be certain of a different result. It has been an extremely stressful period. Mr Allen’s astute ability to liaise on my behalf and his expertise was invaluable and for which I am grateful as I am now able to move forward. Thanking you

- Client

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Armstrong Legal and specifically Mr Thomas Allen for representing me in my recent case. At the outset, I would like to thank Mr Allen for the very professional delivery of his legal service. From the first time that I met Mr Allen, I was very impressed with his demeanour and delivery as he made me feel at ease knowing the severity of my case. Mr Allen not only gave me the possible positive outcomes of the case but also the realisation of the worst-case scenario as far as sentencing goes. … I will certainly be recommending Armstrong Legal to any of my friends or family needing representation in criminal matters. Thank you so very much.

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Thank you for your representation and help. Fingers crossed for the next step and parole. I just want to say that from the first phone call to your office, your service has been outstanding and have put my mind at ease. I am glad I picked your number to ring.

- Client

Thank you Armstrong Legal, the lawyers that have helped over the past 3 years but more importantly, thank you to Thomas Allen for the major part you and Mr Buckland played. Cannot thank you enough. Cheers.

- Client

Hi all. I would like to thank Ms Lisa Riley for all her help with my legal issues this past month. It was the most harrowing experience of my life and thanks to her expertise, professionalism and knowledge of the law, I came out almost unscathed. I have no hesitation in recommending Lisa Riley and Armstrong Legal if you need help. The service is amazing and the cost was very minimal for the great outcome. Thank you Lisa for helping me in the most difficult time.

- Client

I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. My whole life I was thrown away, you made me feel like I did mean something. I could not have asked for a better lawyer. Your compassion and love for your job is inspiring. Your upfront and honesty were muchly appreciated, you are a beautiful person. Thank you for not giving up on me and thank you for all the work you put in. I wish you all the best for the future and I will be recommending you to everyone I know. You're amazing!!!!

- Client

I just wanted to thank you for representing me on Monday, I was overjoyed & relieved with the outcome. I don’t think it could have gone any better. All the best, I hope you got to celebrate this one instead after work, you forever made a difference in my life.

I know I thanked you before we parted company but please allow me to reiterate in writing my sincere deepest thanks for defending me in court today. … Armstrong Legal certainly has a great Lawyer you are a credit to the company and I'm quite sure you will secure a very successful future! … My Kindest Regards and Thanks

- Client

Throughout Angela has been the consummate professional. She maintained a calm, yet strong demeanour remained informative and completely open in her communication and took complete ownership of the situation. We felt confident we finally had an advocate to steer us out of the nightmare we were in, and she did so with great respect and sincerity. I cannot speak more highly of Angela. She has literally rescued our family from what looked very much like a hopeless future.

- Client

Words can’t describe how grateful I am to Trudie Cameron being my solicitor and to Andrew Tiedt presenting my case in the court. They both have been very supportive and amazingly professional and effective. I’ve got an absolutely fantastic outcome I couldn’t even dream about.

- Client

Soon after meeting Andrew I knew he was the solicitor I wanted to handle my matter. He immediately sprang into action which brought me stability and hope during a tumultuous time in my life. Andrew was never afraid to give me straight answers to my tough questions which is a true mark of integrity. He is clearly at ease in the court environment and I believe his calm and measured demeanour went a long way to helping me secure the best result from my day in court. I would certainly recommend you approach Andrew if you need assistance.

- Client

"Andrew Tiedt was very professional and considerate to personal circumstances and gave sound advice that resulted in the best outcome possible. Highly recommended."

This article was written by Samira Ashkar - Senior Associate - Sydney

Samira holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) from the University of Wollongong. She also has a Masters of Dispute Resolution from the University of Technology Sydney and has completed a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Samira is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales but is also highly experienced in Australian federal law areas...

What Does Extortion Mean? (Vic)

What does extortion mean? Extortion is a criminal offence involving a demand that is coupled with either a threat to kill or injure a person or a threat to destroy property. Offences that relate to extortion in Victoria are contained in the Crimes Act 1958 and are very serious offences that can result in heavy penalties including full-time imprisonment.

Legislation

The Crimes Act 1958 contains two separate offences of extortion:

Extortion with a threat to kill, injure or endanger life (s27); or
Extortion with a threat to destroy or endanger property (s28).

Extortion with a threat to kill, injure or endanger life

The offence of extortion with a threat to kill or injure a person occurs when a person makes a demand of another individual with a threat to either kill, inflict an injury on a person or endanger the life of another person. If a person is found guilty of this offence, they face a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.

To prove the offence, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt:

That a demand was made by the accused;
That the demand was accompanied by a threat to kill, inflict injury or endanger the life of another; and
That the accused intended that the victim would fear that the threat would be carried out unless they complied with the demand.

Essentially, the offence firstly needs to be proven that a reasonable person would have understood that a demand had been made in the circumstances. Secondly, the demand must feature a threat to one’s life either via words, conduct or a combination of both. Finally, the prosecution must prove that the accused intended for the person to fear that the threat would be carried out.

Extortion with a threat to destroy or endanger property

The offence of extortion with a threat to destroy or damage property occurs when a person makes a demand of another person, accompanied by threat to destroy or endanger the safety of property. The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years imprisonment.

To prove the offence, the prosecution must show:

That a demand was made by the accused;
That the demand was accompanied by a threat to destroy or endanger property; and
It was the accused’s intention that the victim would fear the threat would be carried out unless they complied with the demand.

If any of these elements cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, then the charge will not be proven.

Other types of extortion offences can include blackmail and kidnapping.

Kidnapping

Kidnapping is a very serious offence that can carry a maximum term of 25 years imprisonment and is contained in section 63A of the Crimes Act 1958.

There are five elements that the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt for a court to find a person guilty of kidnapping. These are:

1. That the accused took or carried a person away;

2. That the person was denied of his or her liberty;

3. That the accused did this by force or fraud;

4. That there was no consent to carry out the conduct; and

5. That the accused acted without lawful justification or excuse.

Blackmail

Blackmail is an offence under section 87 of The Crimes Act 1958. There are five elements that the prosecution must prove to find a person guilty of blackmail. These are:

A demand was made;
The demand was made with a view to bring about a gain for the accused or another, or with intent to cause a loss to another;
The demand was made with menace;
The accused intended the recipient of the demand to fear that the threat would be carried out unless the recipient complied with the demand;
The demand was unwarranted.

Blackmail can attract a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.

If you require legal advice or representation in any legal matter, please contact Armstrong Legal.

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