Notable criminal cases

Terrorism and Official Secrets Act

Over the years we have acted in many well known terrorism and security cases arising from the issues of the day

Home grown idealism of the 60s & 70s .

The Angry Brigade 1970s

The Angry Brigade, an anarchist group, carried out bomb and gun attacks on the US embassy in London, Paddington Green Police Station and the Home Secretary, Sir Robert Carr’s home, between 1967 and 1971. The attacks were however intended as symbolic and no one was killed, but the Bomb Squad was set up in 1971 specifically to catch them. After a series of trials, a number of political activists in their early twenties were convicted.

Persons Unknown 1978

The trial of an alleged anarchist cell charged with conspiring to commit crimes unknown against persons unknown in places unknown; a prosecution lawyer accused the defendants of “attempting to overthrow society”. All were acquitted.

The Irish Troubles

Balcombe Street Siege Case 1979

Trial of four IRA members who were involved in a car chase and an exchange of gunfire with police before taking over a council flat and holding a couple living there hostage for six days.

Keenan and others 1980

IRA Chief of Operations charged with conspiracy to cause explosions: also a linked trial of other IRA members accused of conspiring to kidnap a helicopter pilot and free Keenan from prison.

Republican miscarriages of Justice - The Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4

We acted in the first appeal on behalf of three of the Birmingham 6 and subsequent House of Lords hearing and for Gerry Conlon in his first appeal Guildford 4.

Loyalist R v Muriel Gibson

An allegation of assisting a UVF member Jim Fulton to evade arrest

Middle Eastern and Islamic fundamentalism cases

Attempted Murder of the Israeli Ambassador 1982.

Three men with links to Abu Nidal, leader of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, were convicted of the attempted assassination of Shlomo Argov, Israel’s ambassador to London, outside the Dorchester hotel in Park Lane. This incident sparked the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

R v A-W and others 1996

Conspiracy to cause explosions, relating to the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in July 1994when 14 people were injured by a large bomb at the embassy near Kensington Palace. Client acquitted.

R v Abdullah El Faisal 2003

Fundamentalist Islamic preacher convicted of soliciting to murder in his teachings

State Secrecy

The ABC trial 1978

The Old Bailey trial under the Official Secrets Act of two journalists, A and C, and a former British soldier and signals intelligence operator B. C published an article revealing for the first time the existence and purpose of GCHQ and the prosecution related to his research with our journalist client. The “spying” charges were dropped in the course of the trial and the 2 journalists received conditional discharges for s2 Offences.

R v W

MoD employee in charge of the “War Book” charged under the Official Secrets Act. Prosecution withdrawn when we established his actions were entirely innocent.

Murder

Most murders are unpremeditated and sadly within the context of family or friends’disputes, but the following were out of the ordinary.

R v RB 1994

Child murder trial at Newcastle Crown Court regarding the abduction and serial murder of young girls over many years. Preparation for the trial included sifting through evidence relating to these and similar investigations that took up two entire floors of an office block.

R v T - The Spanish club fire

Arson and murder at ‘The Spanish Club’ in London’s Soho which caused the deaths of over 30 people. Only 1 litre of petrol poured through the letterbox caused this devastating blaze, which was said to have been motivated by the most trivial grievance - T having been short changed over a drink. Cause and effect are rarely so disproportionate

R v YB

Young man convicted of the notorious stabbing of a Chiswick householder in a burglary gone wrong. Particularly thought provoking in the context of the Tony Martin case.

Dudley and Maynard 2002 Court of Appeal

Convicted of two gangland murders in 1977 purely on Flying Squad claims of verbal confessions while denied access to lawyers. After many years in prison protesting their innocence, their convictions were quashed as a result of fresh scientific evidence exposing police lies. Very substantial financial compensation has now been secured.

Confiscation

R v City of London Magistrates' Court 2007

H had been convicted of drug trafficking offences and ordered to pay a substantial confiscation order to serve three years imprisonment in default. Through receivers appointed to recover his assets, half of the sum has been paid.  The magistrates were invited to impose the default term which would be reduced to reflect the amount paid.  The court sentenced H to 85 days imprisonment, but did not take into account the interest that had accumulated on the oustanding amount.  The Crown Prosecution Service appealed late to the High Court and argued that interest should have been added to the oustanding sum and that the correct term in default was therefore 563 days. There was no dispute as to law, only that H, who by this time had served the 85 days and had been released, should not be sent back to prison because it would be unfair and prejudicial to him. The court agreed with the defence and added that the delay by the CPS in taking proceedings was unacceptable.

Drugs

Amongst the many thousands of drugs cases undertaken the following were of particular note.

Operation Julie 1977

The case at Bristol Crown Court following police raids netting enough pure LSD for 30 million tablets - still the biggest ever LSD drugs find in Britain and. Police believed that the LSD factory in Hampton Wick, London supplied one third of the world’s LSD. At the time the 18-month covert investigation in Wales and London was the longest undercover operation ever mounted by police.

R v M 1995 and ongoing

Trial and appeals, including to the European Court of Human Rights and Criminal Cases Review Commission, following the seizure of nearly one metric tonne of cocaine on board a ship in the Thames.

R v O 2004

Cocaine importations and money laundering on a grand scale by the Colombian drugs cartel

Teresa Norris House of Lords 2001

Mr Norris’s husband was convicted of drugs offences and in consequence a confiscation order was made over her home. She was an entirely innocent party, and we took her case to the House of Lords who upheld her rights over her home. An important decision in an area of law which can have draconian effects on third parties

Robbery

Amongst the many thousand robbery cases we have handled over the years, large and small, the following were particularly prominent.

The Banstead chain saw robbery 1979

A new technique of sawing open security vans and stealing the millions of cash on board caused some alarm. Our client Jimmy Moody went on to effect a daring escape from Brixton prison from which he was never recaptured. Mr Moody was eventually to achieve full notoriety as a result of being killed in a gangland shootout in London.

The Brinks Mat Robbery 1983

The then record breaking sum of £26 million of gold bullion stolen at Heathrow airport. Our client Mr A was acquitted of any involvement after a lengthy trial

Operation Countryman – 1979

Our clients were the key witnesses in a massive Metropolitan Police corruption investigation conducted by Dorset Police

The Great Train Robbers

The Great Train Robbery was before our time, but after their release from prison we acted for Roy James and Charlie Wilson on the first ever gold VAT fraud trial (acquittal), conspiracy to rob (acquittal), handling stolen goods (acquittal)…..

Fraud

We are founder members of the Specialist Fraud Panel and act in a wide range of fraud trials - VAT carousel, Inland Revenue fraud, Missing Trader, Advance Fee, Boiler Room, Fraudulent Trading, Insolvent Trading. Mortgage Fraud, IP offences – the variety is almost endless. Such cases can be very document heavy and need a substantial team with specialist legal and logistical experience

Wickes Plc – 2002

The 2002 Wickes Plc prosecution brought by the Serious Fraud Office is a key example of a massive fraud allegation with complex legal, accountancy and evidential issues. Our team was led by four partners and worked with 55 Gb of case materials. After a 10 month trial our client was acquitted. Ongoing investment in staff and leading edge technology ensured we were able to handle effectively the logistics as well as the law.

Other celebrated cases & causes

We often act for public figures – musicians, sporting celebrities, media personalities, captains of industry and prominent professionals – accused of crime and misdemeanour. The following cases however include ordinary people caught up in extraordinary issues.

George Ince 1970s

George Ince was acquitted of the 1972 Barn Restaurant murder in Essex: he was having an affair with the wife of Charlie Kray and the suspicion was that he was “fitted up”. The suspicion deepened when the true murderers were identified and convicted. On parallel evidence George was convicted of the Mountnessing silver bullion robbery, and we acted for a long and high profile campaign was waged for his release, supported by many including rock stars of the day and Peter Hain, now a government minister

“George Davis is innocent OK” Peter Chappell 1975

Peter Chappell dug up the Headingly cricket pitch in July 1975 the night before the last day of the vital third Test against Australia, in protest against the conviction and imprisonment for robbery of George Davis. We acted for the “George Davis is innocent OK” campaign, and Mr Davis was in due course released by the Home Secretary, but unhappily subsequently was convicted of another robbery of which he was not innocent!

R v A 1994 - 1998

Trial and Appeals concerning a rape charge based solely on an early form of DNA profiling evidence, when the other evidence in the case pointed to innocence. The issues concerned the fundamental science and reliance to be placed on DNA evidence and led to a wider debate on the correct approach to forensic science. Technically very challenging.

R v Dr C 1993

Serial rape by Harley Street doctor, facilitated by administration of hypnotic drugs. Believed to be the first ever drug rape trial. On appeal the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction even in the absence of any scientific evidence of drugging.

The Chelsea Headhunters Trial 2001 and appeal 2002

The trial arose from an undercover TV investigation of football hooliganism by Donal McIntyre. Chelsea fans were convicted on charges of conspiracy to cause violent disorder and affray, but sentence varied on appeal.

Tony Martin 2001

Norfolk farmer appealing his conviction for the shooting of a burglar at his isolated farmhouse: fresh scientific and psychiatric evidence was presented at the appeal and his conviction for murder was quashed, manslaughter substituted, and release secured. The original trial (in which we were not instructed) caused a national outcry, and an ongoing debate as to the proper limits of self defence. The action for damages against Tony brought by the surviving burglar was defeated.