R v D (2019) – Southwark CC
D was acquitted unanimously by a jury of assaulting an emergency worker (a police officer) who arrested him during a protest outside the Houses of Parliament at Westminster.
Represented by Tom Worden
R v M – 2019 – Swansea CC
Operation Regent. M was a courier in a £1.2m Class A ‘county lines’ drugs conspiracy, working for a group trafficking cocaine and heroin into Wales from Liverpool. Sentencted to 3 years and 4 months following guilty pleas on a basis that was accepted by the prosecution. Tom Worden of counsel was instructed to defend in this matter.
R v A (2019) – St Albans CC
Tom Worden instructed to defend where a jury found “A” not guilty of assaulting an emergency worker (a police officer) and criminal damage, following cross-examination of the officer on breaches of PACE 1984 during an arrest.
R v McG – Central Criminal Court – 2019
Matthew Bagnall, leading Sasha Bailey, secure the acquittal of “McG” the lead defendant in the first modern prosecution of the Hijacking of an ocean going ship, following an eight week trial at the Central Criminal Court, prosecuted by T. Badenoch QC.
It was alleged that the 4 Defendants, led by “McG”, having stowed away in Lagos, Nigeria, sought to seize control as the ship entered the English Channel and divert the ship to the coast.
The crew having fled to the bridge, armed UK special forces subsequently stormed the ship by helicopter to re-secure control of the ship.
The ship concerned was the ‘Grande Tema’, a ship that is heavier than the UK’s largest aircraft carrier, and only slightly shorter in length than the Houses of Parliament.
The allegation was denied and after extensive cross examination of the Captain and crew during an eight week trial, the Jury acquitted McG and his 3 co-defendants of attempted Hijack.
R v J – 2019 – Newport CC
J was described by the prosecution as the ‘prinicpal controlling member’ in two drugs conspiracies (Class A and Class B). He was also charged with an unrelated ABH at a pub which knocked out the victim’s tooth. Sentenced to a total of 3 years 8 months following guilty pleas, dealt with by Tom Worden
R v MH – 2019
Jason Bartfeld QC represented MH at Birmingham Crown Court who was charged with the Attempted Murder of a Police Officer. Last month he pleaded guilty to causing Grievous Bodily Harm with intent to resist arrest, as well as 11 other offences, and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. The case attracted national publicity. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/15/police-officer-leaves-court-harrowing-image-run-shown/
Jason was instructed by Omar Sadique of Sadique and Uddin Solicitors.
R v Ackah – 2019
David Lyons secured acquittal after a jury retirement of less than an hour in a county lines case of a man found alone in a cuckooed flat, with large amounts of drugs and money whilst the drug line phone was in his pocket.
R v P – 2019
Karl Volz represented a defendant in an indecent images indictment (including images of his own daughter) at Ipswich CC (instructed by Gepp & Sons solicitors) in which the jury unanimously acquitted on all counts.
R v AM – 2019
Kate Nutter was instructed in this case where AM, along with six co-defendants, were charged with Modern Slavery Offences. The trial went on for three months before the jury was discharged. The case involved extensive legal argument, including successful applications: to exclude evidence and prevent the admission of bad character evidence.
R v TP (Maidstone Crown Court) –
Defendant was acquitted of Affray following a 6 day trial. The Defendant was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon, and the charge was dismissed following a successful half-time submission of no case to answer. The matter was further complicated by the fact that the initial investigation was commenced in relation to an attempted murder where the defendant was the victim of a stabbing.