Before joining the bar, Mark was a senior partner in a mixed practice firm in Essex. Mark specialised in Crime, and headed a very successful department, before leaving to concentrate on advocacy. Mark has been a practising barrister for 3 years, although that does not take into account his experience.

Mark has been practising as a Higher Courts Advocate for 20 years, appearing in Crown Courts across the Country. Mark has appeared in the Court of Appeal on several occasions and also the High Court. As well as Magistrates Courts and Coroners Courts.

Mark was instructed in one of the biggest conspiracy to murder cases, and has been instructed on several murder cases. He has represented clients in several rape and serious sexual offences, including alleged gang grooming cases in the North of England.

Mark both prosecutes and defends. Whilst prosecuting recently, he acted for the Serious Fraud Office in prosecuting high value money laundering cases.  He is currently instructed in a high-profile Romanian prostitute ring and money laundering case in Southwark Crown Court, where he is leading counsel.

He has prosecuted and defended several serious violence cases including robbery, armed robbery, drugs, county lines and encro.  Although his experience also extends to all areas of criminal litigation.

Mark has a particular interest in firearms and was involved in the consultation of the sentencing guidelines on sentencing under the Firearms act. He acted for a famous actor’s understudy on an imitation firearms case, the defendant did not go to prison.

Mark also has experience within the military court system and looks to build his practise in that direction also.

Mark is now on the RASSO Panel.

Mark has both prosecuted and defended cases involving strangulation, coercive and controlling behaviour, and his practise in this area continues to grow.

Whilst Mark has been at the bar for 4 years, his crown court advocacy experience is over 20 years. He has represented defendants in Murder trials, conspiracy to supply drugs trials, serious assault cases, and prosecutes at a high level 3. He is on the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences panel, and prosecuted rape and serious sexual offences, and also represents defendants charged with the same type of offences.

He has both prosecuted and defended fraud and money laundering cases, and his practise is country wide.

He has been described as being, “the first on our list” by the SFO.  Whether he prosecutes or defends, he does so with integrity, is always on top of his brief, is fair and approachable, he is however, tenacious and ensures that whether he is prosecuting or defending, he does so vigorously and ensures that the case is put without fear.

Mark has trained solicitors for many years, has done many consultations on a broad church of topics including the Firearms Act, Sentencing guidelines for Young People. He was one of 20 people selected by HHJ Peter Rook to assist in the training of advocates on what eventually became the Toolkit for cross examining vulnerable witnesses.  He was the former Honourable Secretary of the Criminal Solicitors Law Association, with whom he retains strong links. He also undertook lectures for solicitors and recently did a series of lectures for David Gilmore Associates.

Mark used to undertake lectures on behalf of the Law Society, and presented many lectures for Solicitors in Cambridge.

Memberships

Criminal Bar

Criminal Solicitors Law Association links

Interests

Rugby and football, particularly his beloved Newcastle United, his family, good wine, walking in the countryside, music and cats.

Military

• Military Law Group

R v H – This is known as the Worcester transgender barmaid case. Represented on 17 counts of pervert the course of Justice by making false rape allegations. Suspended sentence. Worcester Crown Court

R v P – Charged with S20 GBH (pleaded before Mark was instructed) Acquitted of GBH and Robbery.

R v A – Junior in a murder case. Acquitted of murder, convicted of manslaughter. The defendant had been RUI for 2 years before he was summonsed for murder. Successful bail application made the day after his summons to the Crown Court. Sheffield Crown Court

R v J, and others – Conspiracy to supply Class A. One Defendant was 3rd Strike def for distribution. Multi handed case dealing with supply across the Northwest.

R v G – Taxi driver who attended police voluntary interviews for a period of 48 hours for murder. 6-week trial.

Baby T –  Acted for the mother of 3 children who were placed for adoption, one baby had Noonans Syndrome. The LA failed in their duty to provide appropriate support for the mother who had learning difficulties. The Mother kept the baby.

R v I S 2024- Historic gang grooming rape case, retrial after the Court of Appeal- York Crown Court

R v R – Encro Case, large value of drugs, abuse argument as to whether the correct law applied- Leeds Crown Court

R v L – Historical sex abuse case, 8 counts, acquitted

R v G – Money Laundering prosecution, value of theft £380000 from an American and Indian source. Case entirely hearsay evidence- Sheffield Crown Court

R v H – ABH, prosecution.  The issue was self defence, 2 ladies fighting over a boundary dispute, substantial injuries suffered by one lady. Conviction – Nottingham Crown Court

Mark has recently represented a football coach from Southampton who was charged with a large number of historical sexual offences. The challenges in the case were his early onset dementia, his bad character from 7 previous trials, 2 within the same year, and the volume of complaints. His overall sentence on conviction made little difference to the amount of time he will spend in prison, and ultimately, he participated well.

Mark also recently prosecuted a series of historical sexual offences in Worcester which involved a former dance school photographer. 6 complainants, none of whom knew each other. The challenges in this case were that each of the witnesses were vulnerable due to age and other characteristics, and although the level of offending was not of the most extreme form of abuse, a substantial custodial sentence of 8 ½ years was imposed.

A recent trial in Newcastle representing a defendant in a child decoy sting involving a young man who has 2 outstanding matters of a similar nature. Avoiding a bad character application was not straightforward. A S.74 notice was applied for and succeeded as a result of a guilty plea entered in the Magistrates Court.

A recent trial in Guildford Crown Court concluded with an acquittal for a defendant who was charged with importing drugs into the United Kingdom from Brazil. The difficulties in this case, the different interpretations of Spanish and Portuguese Spanish language experts caused some difficulties initially, this was relevant to the context of the interpretation of the WhatsApp messages which was in dispute.

Defence trial in Huntingdon, coercive and controlling behaviour. The defendant had been on remand for 6 months, he was acquitted with the Jury out for less than 1 hour.