six pump court

04 Jul 2019

Double murder trial underway - Oliver Saxby QC and Nina Ellin prosecuting

The trial of Louise Porton began yesterday before Mrs Justice Yip at Birmingham Crown Court. The defendant, aged 23, is charged with murdering her two children, Lexi and Scarlett, within 18 days of each other. Lexi was aged 3, Scarlett 17 months. The Crown’s case revolves around the absence of

14 Jun 2019

Richard Barraclough QC acting in gangland murder trial

Richard Barraclough QC is currently engaged in the high profile gang murder trial in the Leeds Crown Court where following an attack by one gang on another in the Leeds city centre retribution is said to have been exacted when one of the gang was shot in the head and killed. News coverage of the

20 May 2019

Alcohol and head injuries

Richard Barraclough QC writes on the dangers of a relatively minor assault to the head of an intoxicated victim and the possibility that just a small impact may cause death. In his note he reports a recent case in which he prosecuted a defendant who tragically killed his brother in such

07 May 2019

Maids Moreton murder trial - Oliver Saxby QC leading for Crown

The trial of Field, Smyth and Field began last Tuesday at Oxford Crown Court. The three face allegations relating to five victims - Peter Farquhar, Anne Moore-Martin, Jonathan Elliman, Howard Meakin and Liz Zettl. Ben Field (aged 28) and Martyn Smith (32) were English students at the University

01 May 2019

Catherine Donnelly secures conviction in Maidstone murder case

Catherine Donnelly, acting for the Crown Prosecution Service has secured the murder conviction of Trevor Brazier who has been found guilty of strangling a homeless man. A jury found Brazier guilty of murder at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday. Sentencing will take place tomorrow. Oliver Saxby QC,

17 Apr 2019

Death by dangerous driving suspended sentence - Oliver Saxby QC defending

Last Friday at Chester Crown Court, 89-year old Albert Pentall was sentenced to a 16-month custodial sentence suspended for 2 years following the death in a road accident of a 48-year old wife and mother of two. Mr Pentall had been making the short journey home after an evening out with friends

16 Apr 2019

Nina Ellin prosecutes lorry driver convicted of causing death by dangerous driving

The lorry driver was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. He had been watching a TV programme on his phone whilst driving an HGV. Viorel Sandulache, was jailed for nine years after being found guilty of causing Abi Harvey's death. Nina Ellin was prosecuting. News coverage of the

10 Apr 2019

Murder acquittal - Oliver Saxby QC defending

A man charged with involvement in the Rochester Bridge killing has been acquitted of murder after a 3-week trial. Levi Webb was standing trial in connection with the death of a man called Peter Beale, who was stabbed to death on the evening of 17th September 2018. Oliver Saxby QC was leading

01 Apr 2019

Rochester Bridge murder trial - Oliver Saxby QC defending

The trial of Levi Webb is entering its closing stages. Mr Webb is charged with the murder of Peter Beale, who was found stabbed to death under Rochester Bridge, Kent in September of last year. Webb and his co-defendant, Billy Dole, were dealing drugs - Webb as Dole’s runner. On the evening of

25 Mar 2019

Sentencing in Post Office fraud case

Richard Barraclough QC, leading Simon Clarke, represented the prosecution (Post Office) of a 52 year old director of the Post Office who reported to the Board and who had been defrauding the Post Office since 2007. He was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and ordered to pay almost £400,000 in

13 Mar 2019

Mother convicted and sentenced over baby’s drowning, Oliver Saxby QC prosecuting

Sarah Morris, aged 35, was today convicted of the gross negligence manslaughter of her twin daughter, Rosie. Miss Morris had left her twins unattended in a bath for periods of time during a 47-minute phone call with her partner. The case, tried before Mr Justice Picken at Mold Crown Court,

06 Mar 2019

Gross negligence manslaughter prosecution - Oliver Saxby QC leading for Crown

The trial of Sarah Morris begins today at Mold Crown Court. She is charged with the manslaughter by gross negligence of one of her twins, aged 13 months at the time. The Crown allege that the defendant left her twins in a bath, unattended, for prolonged periods of time whilst she was distracted

04 Mar 2019

Daniel Stevenson secures convictions in fake security van raid

Daniel Stevenson successfully prosecuted two accomplices who conspired to steal almost £320,000 from a cash-in-transit vehicle and to make a false report of a robbery to the police to cover up the theft. Cash-in-transit driver Jimmy Kursley Doolly and William Williams agreed with another

22 Feb 2019

Catherine Donnelly and Nina Ellin - Level 4 prosecutors on CPS serious crime list

Chambers congratulates Catherine Donnelly and Nina Ellin who have been successful in their applications to be on the CPS "serious crime" list at Level 4. Level 4 is the highest level and is reserved for barristers able to prosecute the most serious of offences.

19 Feb 2019

Luton murder trial nearing conclusion - Oliver Saxby QC defending

The case of Lemonnier and Williams is nearing its conclusion. Zach Lemonnier, aged 19, is charged together with Robert Williams, aged 18 - with the murder of a man called Ronnie Wrighting. The Crown allege that the two defendants launched an unprovoked attack on Mr Wrighting as he waited for a

04 Feb 2019

Three Life Sentences for Oxford Groomers

The three men convicted before Christmas of various serious historic sexual offences committed against a vulnerable complainant have each been sentenced to Life Imprisonment. Mohammed Karrar received a minimum term of 18 years, Anjum Dogar 20 years and Bassam Karrar 10 years. Oliver Saxby QC

04 Feb 2019

Richard Barraclough QC acts in brain injury case involving multi-million pound damages

Richard Barraclough QC acted for the Defendant insurers in this "exceptionally complex" brain damage case. A lump sum settlement of £4.2M was approved by the High Court for a 58 year old male who suffered injury following an accident at work. The case involved risk of divorce, deprivation of

01 Feb 2019

Thomas Stern secures acquittals in case of London taxi driver accused of Covent Garden driving incident

The trial of a London taxi driver, James Manley, has ended with the jury returning not guilty verdicts on two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The jury at Southwark Crown Court heard how Mr Manley's black cab had run out of control on Southampton Street at Covent Garden,

30 Jan 2019

Tom Dunn secures acquittal of lorry driver accused of £1.5 million cigarette importation following 4 day trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Tom Dunn, instructed by Oliver Kirk of Old Bailey Solicitors, has secured the acquittal of a 27 year old Northern Irish male accused of attempting to smuggle more than 5 million cigarettes into the UK. The contraband load, which if declared would have attracted in excess of £1.4 million in duty,

28 Jan 2019

Court of Appeal reduces sentences in case where serious physical harm to a newborn was caused or allowed by parents

The Court of Appeal last week allowed the appeal of two defendants represented by Richard Barraclough QC and Tanya Robinson for the one and Danny Moore for the other, against a sentence of 8 years imprisonment following a conviction under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 Section 5.

25 Jan 2019

Murder Acquittal - Oliver Saxby QC Defending

Following a two-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court, a 28-year old man from Gravesend has been found not guilty by a jury of the two counts he faced, murder and manslaughter. The jury took just over 7 hours to clear him of both counts. The verdicts were unanimous. In the summer of 2016, Mr

22 Jan 2019

Sentence increased for defendant in latest Operation Pallial hearing

In the latest hearing into allegations of historical abuse in the north Wales care system, a man previously convicted of serious sexual abuse and indecent assault at a care home in Wrexham, has had his sentence increased from three and a half years to five years and 10 months. Catherine Donnelly

19 Dec 2018

Verdicts in Grooming Trial

The trial of Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar and Anjum Dogar concluded yesterday with all three defendants being convicted on all counts. Oliver Saxby QC was prosecuting, leading Alan Gardner of 23 Essex Street. They were instructed by Clare Tucker of Thames Chiltern CCU. The trial had lasted 3

03 Dec 2018

Oliver Saxby QC, Simon Taylor, Thomas Stern and Lucy Luttman judge at Bar Mock Trial Competition

On Saturday 1st December 2018, Maidstone Crown Court hosted the regional final of the Bar Mock Trial Competition 2018/19. The event, organised by Young Citizens (an initiative of the Citizenship Foundation charity), saw 13 schools from London, Hertfordshire, Kent and Essex presenting jury trials

30 Nov 2018

Oxford Grooming Trial Underway

The case of Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar and Anjum Dogar began at Oxford Crown Court last week. Oliver Saxby QC is prosecuting, leading Alan Gardner of 23 Essex Street. They are instructed by the Complex Case Unit, Thames Chiltern CPS. The Crown allege that the three defendants groomed and