Practice Profile

An exclusively criminal practitioner who both prosecutes and defends, providing specialist advice and advocacy at all stages of criminal, disciplinary and confiscation proceedings.

Main Areas of Practice: fraud/regulatory investigation and prosecutions; commercial fraud cases, and associated areas such as asset restraint, forfeiture and recovery proceedings; money laundering; controlled drugs, VAT fraud, murder/manslaughter; child cruelty and sexual abuse.

He has more recently been specialising in fraud work, both prosecuting for the Serious Fraud Office, and defending in serious and complex cases, regularly as leading junior.

He served for three years on the Professional Conduct Committee of the Bar Council, and previously as a member of the Panel of Prosecuting Advocates for the Bar Council.

Gray’s Inn Advocacy Trainer since 2003.

Cases

Recent Cases and Others of Interest

R v Anglin - Instructed as leading counsel to defend in the Grand Court, Cayman Islands.

R v Ebanks - Defending serious charges also in the Grand Court, Cayman Islands.

SFO v Flint, Furr & Williamson - Prosecuting the directors of a group of companies for fraudulent trading which took place over a number of years.

SFO v Sampson & Others - Defending in a Landfill Tax fraud case arising out of legislation and regulations introduced to make landfill ‘greener’. Tax credits were donated to Environmental Bodies who donated grants applied to approved environmental projects.

R-v- Faruq & Others - Leading in a defence to a conspiracy alleging immigration and benefits fraud on a massive scale. Total benefit alleged in confiscation proceedings exceeded £50m.

SFO v DaCosta & Others - Instructed by the Attorney General as independent counsel to advise the Serious Fraud Office on issues of legal professional privilege and disclosure in the investigation and prosecution of unauthorised underwriting and regulatory breaches alleged against a reinsurance company.

R-v-Stirling & Turner - VAT carousel fraud

R-v- Roberts - Defended a young woman on a charge of manslaughter. London Hackney cab driver collapsed and died a short time after an altercation involving the defendant. Expert evidence and submissions on causation.

R-v-Maitre & Others - Defended in one of a series of trials alleging conspiracies to import cocaine and cannabis into the UK on an unprecedented scale. Principal witness was a ‘supergrass’ with links to Colombian cartels and the French and Spanish underworld.

Reported Cases:

R-v-Effik 19951AC 307 HL - Admissibility of intercepted material – consideration and interpretation of the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

PPP-v-Warren 1993 AC 319 HL - Road Traffic – evidential testing – samples required from motorists arrested on suspicion of drink driving.