INTRODUCTION
A heavy criminal practice with a predominance of defence work. In recent years he has concentrated on murder and fraud although he has undertaken cases involving serious sexual crime, drug importations and conspiracies as well as election fraud. He is experienced in conducting high profile cases.
BACKGROUND AND EXPERTISE
Since taking silk in 1994, he has established a heavyweight criminal practice, mainly in London. He appeared for one of the hijackers in the Stansted hijacking
case (Old Bailey) as well as the two-year trial known as the Jubilee Line Extension Fraud (Old Bailey). He was also engaged for several years in The High Court of Malawi 
instructed by the DPP of Malawi to prosecute the Vice President for Conspiracy to Murder the President as well as Treason by planning to overthrow the government by murdering members of the Cabinet.
NOTABLE CASES (International and Domestic)
R v BW, 2018
Defended a head game keeper of a shooting state in north Wales who was tried for manslaughter by reason of gross negligence. A semi-automatic shotgun that was carried in his vehicle went off, killing another gamekeeper seated in the rear. The trial lasted several weeks. A retrial was ordered when the jury failed to agree. Caernarfon Crown Court.
R v LM, 2018
Defended a young man charged with murder. He was said to be a member of a Manchester gang which hunted down members of a Moss Side gang and attacked them with knives. Serious injuries were sustained and one young man was killed. LM ran the defence of alibi. Manchester Crown Court
R v L, 2018
Client faced charge of Conspiracy to cause GBH along with several others said to be members of a travellers’ community. A drugs deal with another such group went badly wrong which, late at night, led to an invasion of the second group’s camp where there were many women and children. It was claimed that L and his associates arrived brandishing and firing shotguns. One young man was shot at nearly point blank range and his head was peppered with shotgun pellets. Northampton Crown Court.
R v O, February 2018
A dispute between Liverpool drugs gangs in relation to a substantial importation led to the victim being beaten, extensively tortured over several hours and then murdered. His mutilated body was found in a burnt out car in the city. Convicted of assisting an offender, the client was acquitted of murder and manslaughter. Liverpool Crown Court.
R v M, December 2017
M acquitted of murder after a two week trial following the stabbing of a man on the streets of Manchester. Manchester Crown Court.
R v W, 2017
Defended a soldier serving in Germany facing four charges of rape of his wife over a two-year period. When giving evidence the lady in question made further claims involving many more allegations of rape, indecent assault and serious domestic violence. The defendant was acquitted of all charges. Bulford Court Martial Centre.
R v B, 2017
Defended a young man for murder and wounding with intent to cause GBH. He was a member of a Liverpool drug dealing gang and was occupying the house of a couple of users who were encouraged to sell drugs for their own supplies. He was said to have attacked them one afternoon armed with a heavy knife. The deceased received numerous wounds to the back of his head and his back, one or two going straight through his rib cage. The pathologist suggested that these blows must have been inflicted with severe force. The lady received knife wounds to her back as well as the back of her arm. The defendant was acquitted of murder and wounding the lady with intent to cause her GBH. He was convicted of manslaughter as an alternative to murder on the basis of lack of sufficient intent for murder. Preston Crown Court
R v F, 2016
Represented one of two soldiers facing allegation of raping a female soldier seven years earlier in barracks in Germany. Immediately after the incident both men were told they would not be prosecuted. Years later the complainant committed suicide and, at a subsequent coroner’s hearing, claims were made about the incident which were picked up by the press. Following a newspaper campaign, the new Head of Service Prosecutions instituted a further investigation which led to the re arrest of the soldiers and their trial taking place before a seven-member Board. Both soldiers were acquitted. Bulford Court Martial Centre
R v AT, 2017
Appeared for the first defendant in a seven-handed case involving an allegation of ‘reverse people smuggling’. Surprisingly, hundreds of people are smuggled out of the country every month. In this case, the allegation was that T and others arranged for twice weekly batches of individuals to be transported across the Channel. The investigation was conducted in the first place with undercover journalists from the Sun. Isleworth Crown Court.
R v S, 2016
Client tried for murder, possession of firearms with intent, possession of class drugs with intent to supply and threats to kill. He was allegedly the leader of a drugs gang in central Sheffield. It was said that he and others armed themselves with shotguns and pistols with the intention of hunting down members of another gang. There followed a shootout late at night in a residential district of the city where a member of the other gang was killed. Sheffield Crown Court.
R v U, 2015
An unusual and rather horrifying case involving the prolonged torture and murder of a vulnerable teenager, She endured relentless physical abuse at the hands of her family in a household in which the older siblings held sway, the parents living elsewhere. Client Acquitted of murder. St Albans Crown Court.
R v C, 2015
Represented Sicilian Sea Captain who pleaded guilty to having more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his body when arrested in charge of MV Quercianella, a ship carrying 11,000 tons of petroleum in the Manchester Ship Canal. He received a short suspended prison sentence. Liverpool Crown Court.
R v S, 2014
Client acquitted of attempted murder following an allegation that he and three others set out to execute a rival from another gang. The victim was lured to an open location and, at a given signal, was approached by two men on a fast driven motorbike. They stopped and, at point blank range, one of them fired a gun several times into the man’s body. The case was withdrawn from the jury at the conclusion of the prosecution case. Central Criminal Court
R v L, 2014
One of seven youths charged with murder and, after an eight-week trial, the only one to be acquitted. Liverpool Crown Court.
R v W, 2014
W, a German national, was tried in respect of assisting an offender in the commission of murder. Over several weeks he was said to have assisted in building a brick and mortar tomb while preparations were being made for the execution of a French national living in Ellesmere Port and, after his death, in moving the body and shoring up the tomb. He was acquitted while two others were convicted of murder. Chester Crown Court
R v C, 2012
The defendant was acquitted of murder in a case in which the defendant was alleged to have shot a drug gang rival at point blank range on his doorstep. Central Criminal Court.
DPP of Malawi v Vice President of Malawi
Between 2008 and 2012, instructed by the DPP of Malawi to prosecute the Vice President of Malawi for a conspiracy to murder the President and High Treason by planning to overthrow the Government by murdering members of the cabinet. The trial took place in the High Court of Malawi sitting at Blantyre. Although many months were spent in Malawi in preparation and conduct of the trial the case rather petered out when the judges went on strike and the President died at the beginning of 2012
Education
Downside School
Lincoln College, Oxford
College of Law, London
Memberships
Criminal Bar Association
International Bar Association
European Criminal Bar Association
Fraud Lawyers Association
Association of Commonwealth Lawyers
Association of Military Court Advocates
Appointments
Member of the Panel of Advocates at the InternationalCriminal Court
Head of Chambers from 1999 to 2016
Head of Head of Chambers Committee, England and Wales, 2005-2012
Recorder of Crown Court, 1995-2005
Master of the Bench, Gray’s Inn
Former member of the General Council of The Bar
Former Secretary, Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales