Notable Cases
R v O (2019) Operation Albany | Bristol Crown Court – a large scale operation involving an international investigation into allegations of money laundering with elements of VAT fraud. The defendant, who was one of 9 accused of facilitating a complex multi-million-pound money laundering operation, stood trial over 7 weeks and was unanimously acquitted after the case, which was brought by Her Majesty’s Customs and Revenue, was challenged on the basis – unusually – that the monies in question did not represent criminal property, and that the defendant had no knowledge or any money laundering arrangements or activities. The Crown, as well as several other defendants, were represented by leading and junior counsel.
R v QL and R v FL [2016] – Matters of fraudulent evasion of excise duty, (tobacco importation), and production of a controlled drug successfully removed from the jury on the basis of no case to answer.
R v C [2015] – Successfully secured an acceptable plea to manslaughter on the basis of a loss of control, (having been subject to prolonged provocation), in respect of a client accused of murdering his wife.
R v W [2007] | EWCA Crim 3485 – Successfully secured the disapplication of the 5-year minimum sentence provisions following a judge at first instance ruling in error that an electronic stun gun was not a firearm for the purposes of the Firearms Act 1968 s.5(1A)(a) on the basis that it did not fall within the definition of a prohibited weapon under s.57(1) of the Act. The correct position was that all prohibited weapons were firearms but not all firearms were prohibited weapons.
