Profile
Richard is a specialist criminal law advocate with Court of Appeal experience.
He practices in all areas of crime, including fraud, drugs, firearms, robbery, serious assaults, kidnap, murder, rape and other sexual offences.
He finds legal arguments where they have previously been missed and argues with a persuasive manner. A particular string to his bow is the cross-examination of experts whether that be in the fields of technology, animal husbandry or other.
Richard is well known for his sensitivity in dealing with clients with specific care needs. He is patient and ensures that all defendants understand the process that they will go through until the end of their case.
Richard has an excellent knowledge of computers and their workings. He has dealt with numerous Computer Misuse Act (hacking) cases including denial of service attacks, hacking for fraudulent purposes and also a case where the defendant accessed and downloaded patient records.
He specialises in defending RSPCA cases which are often more complicated than on first assessment.
In his spare time Richard deals with his garden, tries to play sport and spends time with his daughters.
Education
BA (hons), CPE PgDI, Bar
Memberships
Middle Temple
Criminal Bar Association
Practice Areas
Cases
R v B Successful, cross-examination of a leading, Olympic, equine expert in a case of cruelty to a horse.
R v CW – Court of appeal case. Court decided in favour of defendant to reduce sentence of 30 months to 10 months. Sentencing court should take the date of plea as starting point for defendant currently serving or recalled on licence.
R v P – Hacking case whereby the defendant changed the proceeds of fraud into ‘Bitcoin’. First Bitcoin POCA case in the country.
R v BW – Hacking case whereby fraudster tried to cover his tracks by deleting invoices and issuing denial of service attacks.
R v C and Others – Multi handed conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Trial based almost solely on cell-site data and analysis.
R v NJ – Murder trial led by senior QC. Knife-point injury with loss of control argued.
R v B and Others – Multi-handed RSPCA defence with numerous animals including horse, dog, cats, parrot and a number of experts.
R v W and Others – leading junior in nine handed conspiracy to steal high powered vehicles and caravans. One of the largest conspiracies in the country, which received much media attention in the UK and abroad.
R v S and Others – Kidnapping and robbery. Planned kidnap of a lorry driver, involving weapons.
R v RD and Others – multi-handed murder conspiracy trial. A case of the wrong person being killed with various complexities in relation to joint enterprise.
R v I and Others – Led by a senior Queens Counsel. Eleven handed conspiracy to defraud banks and other financial institutions of £5 million. Included complicated Proceeds of Crime Act application which took almost 2 years to complete.
R v O’L and Others – Theft and Companies Act case with a value of £1 million. Fraudulent activity by company directors and their accountant.
R v A – Court of Appeal – Appeal against the imposition of an IPP. Various points argued including the validity of the order with no chance of completing the parole courses. Richard was commended by the Court for his style and argument.
R v A – Rape of his partner who was eight and a half months pregnant.
R v R – s.18 Offences against the Person Act involving a planned attack by a gang using weapons. Heard at the Central Criminal Court.
R v K – Serious s.18 case involving gangs fighting with weapons including a gun. Successful legal argument led to the Judge staying the case as an abuse.
R v L – Cross examination of a 12 year old in an allegation of rape. Included winning a legal argument to cross-examine the complainant on her previous sexual history. A good deal of public interest, which required a police presence in the court during the trial.
R v K – Complicated police investigation into a conspiracy to supply class A drugs with eight others.
R v H – Court of Appeal, Successful appeal against sentence.
R v S – possession with intent to supply class A, stayed by the Judge after legal argument.
R v C – Five handed robbery, involving weapons and an element of false imprisonment.