six pump court

25 Mar 2015

Six Pump Court Vulnerable Witness Seminar

Members of the criminal team today gave a seminar to Kent CPS lawyers and caseworkers on the subject of Vulnerable Witnesses. Introduced by Eleanor Laws QC and Oliver Saxby QC, the speakers included Richard Barraclough QC, Catherine Donnelly, Simon Taylor and Fran Aldson. To read more about

12 Mar 2015

Acquittal in Massive Drugs Importation

Andrew Espley represented Hendrik Dekker a Dutch lorry driver accused of importing £14m worth of class A drugs Mr Dekker was acquitted by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court after a two week trial. Click here for media coverage of the case.

10 Mar 2015

Acquittals in Kent Sex Trafficking Case

Following defence submissions led by Oliver Saxby QC and Peter Alcock on behalf of the first defendant Roman Bodnar at the close of the Crown’s case, the jury were yesterday directed by the trial judge to acquit all five defendants on all charges. Bodnar had faced multiple allegations of rape,

06 Mar 2015

Anatomy of a trial for manslaughter at sea: P&O ferry Pride of Bilbao disaster

This highly detailed article written by Richard Barraclough QC and published in the Journal of International Maritime Law, covers the trial in the case that followed the tragic presumed collision of the Pride of Bilbao ferry with a yacht, the Ouzo, leading to the death of all three yachtsmen.

05 Mar 2015

Nicholas Baldock settles employer's liability brain injury case

Nicholas Baldock has settled a serious employer's liability brain injury case for £1.4 million which follows a previous finding of 60% contributory negligence. The Claimant had fallen from scaffolding and suffered serious brain injury which resulted in cognitive deficits and ongoing

25 Feb 2015

Eleanor Laws QC contributes to new Victims’ Taskforce Report

In a report published this month, the Victims’ Taskforce, led by Sir Keir Starmer QC and Doreen Lawrence has produced its “Recommendations on a Victims’ Law”. The report calls for a transformation in the way the police, prosecution services and courts deal with victims and witnesses. It has

18 Feb 2015

John O'Higgins prosecutes mother accused of killing son by administering her prescribed morphine

John O'Higgins is prosecuting in a case where a mother is accused of killing her son by administering her prescribed morphine to him, whilst he was drunk. The medicine was her own prescribed pain relief medicine, oramorph and she gave her son shots of the drug by squirting a syringe, containing the

16 Feb 2015

Kristiina Reed to speak at Forensics Europe Expo 2015

Kristiina Reed is invited to give a lecture at the forthcoming Forensics Europe Expo 2015 Conference. Her lecture is entitled ‘The Expert Witness in Court’ and will outline the key issues concerning expert evidence in court. The Conference which will take place from 21st -22nd April 2015

11 Feb 2015

John O'Higgins and Simon Taylor appear in Gillingham Football Club Rape Case

John O'Higgins prosecutes and Simon Taylor defends in the case of the former professional footballer, Nathan Nyafli, who is accused of raping a female in the penthouse apartment owned by the chairman of Gillingham Football Club in May of last year. The case is expected to last 5 days. Read

02 Feb 2015

Kristiina Reed joins Six Pump Court

Kristiina Reed joins Six Pump Court following successful completion of pupillage in Chambers. Kristiina has a mixed common law practice with particular expertise in criminal litigation, regulatory crime and family law proceedings. She continues to build on her already considerable expertise in

14 Jan 2015

Anatomy of a Trial for Manslaughter at Sea: the Pride of Bilbao ferry disaster

In this highly detailed article covering the trial in the case that followed the tragic presumed collision of the Pride of Bilbao ferry with a yacht, the Ouzo, leading to the death of all three yachtsmen, Richard Barraclough QC, leading counsel for the Defence, outlines the technical and legal

08 Jan 2015

Eleanor Laws QC to speak at National Crime Agency seminar on her recent case regarding the treatment of vulnerable witnesses

Eleanor Laws QC is to speak to 160 delegates from the National Crime Agency on the recent case of R v F; where she acted as Lead Counsel in one of the leading training cases to the Bar and Judiciary on the witness competency test and intermediaries. The seminar takes place today at the Wybosten

23 Dec 2014

Guilty verdicts in the Berkshire auction house case

Fran Aldson has acted as junior counsel in a successful 6-week Trading Standards prosecution of three people involved in the fraudulent running of a Berkshire auction house. The jury at Reading Crown Court took 12 hours to return guilty verdicts on Jonathan King, Glenn Norcliffe and Beverley King

19 Dec 2014

Cling Film case acquittal

David Connor, represented by Oliver Saxby QC, was yesterday cleared by the jury of the remaining offence he faced, gross negligence manslaughter. 23 year old Connor had been standing trial over the death of P&O chef Alun Williams, who died following a consensual 'mummification' sex session.

18 Dec 2014

Oliver Saxby QC instructed for Crown in Operation Articulate Trial

Oliver Saxby QC has been instructed to lead for the Crown in the prosecution of 11 men charged with serious sex exploitation offences in the Aylesbury area following the 'Operation Articulate' police investigation. The trial is scheduled to take place at the Central Criminal Court next

17 Dec 2014

New edition of the Sexual Offences Referencer published

Eleanor Laws QC ’s 2nd edition of the Sexual Offences Referencer has now been published. This long awaited edition covers charging and sentencing for cases involving sexual offences from 1950 to date. The book is used by Judges and practitioners alike. This new edition covers recent CPS

12 Dec 2014

Unlawful act manslaughter count withdrawn from jury in Cling Film Case

Following legal submissions by the defence at the close of the Crown's case, the count of unlawful act manslaughter has been withdrawn from the jury in R v Bowler and Connor in which John O'Higgins and Oliver Saxby QC are defending, the case involving the death of a man called Alun Williams

08 Dec 2014

Ian Whitehurst successfully represents defendant in confiscation proceedings

Ian Whitehurst has successfully represented a defendant in a Proceeds of Crime Act case. The defendant was charged with breaching a restraint order arising from an ongoing confiscation case involving her husband. She was accused of dissipating assets. Further to defence requests for disclosure

03 Dec 2014

Ian Whitehurst secures leave to appeal in a conviction of serious violent crime

Ian Whitehurst, instructed by Jonathan Wall of Burton Copeland has been granted permission to appeal against a conviction in a case of serious violent crime. The convictions related to a s.18 wounding and attempted robbery. Leave was granted on the basis that there were potential failures in

02 Dec 2014

John O'Higgins and Oliver Saxby QC defend in Clingfilm Death case

The trial of two men charged over the death of P & O chef Alun Williams commenced on Monday. Richard Bowler and his carer David Connor are accused of the manslaughter of Mr Williams, who had an interest in sado-masochism and mummification. Oliver Saxby QC and John O'Higgins are defending.

02 Dec 2014

Ian Whitehurst to present seminar on Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000

In a seminar to be held today at Burton Copeland in Manchester, Ian Whitehurst will present a seminar on Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 entitled 'Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act: The Use and Misuse of Powers to Stop and Search & Retain in the UK' . The Seminar, will examine the

28 Nov 2014

Guilty verdicts in the first of the Operation Paillial cases

The guilty verdicts in the first of the Paillial cases (R v John Allen) follow a seven week trial.  John Allen has been found guilty on 26 counts of historical child sex abuse. Eleanor Laws QC and Catherine Donnelly are prosecuting. Openshaw J will sentence the defendant on 1st

27 Nov 2014

John O'Higgins, leading Nina Ellin successfully prosecute in a fraud case where elderly victims were defrauded of over £250,000

John O'Higgins and Nina Ellin have successfully prosecuted 13 defendants in a fraud case where elderly victims were defrauded of over £250,000. The charges involved the systematic targetting of particularly vulnerable elderly victims who were deceived into believing that their properties needed

26 Nov 2014

Defendant acquitted in prison mutiny trial

Peter Alcock has secured the acquittal of the first defendant, Peter Gaffney, at Blackfriars Crown Court after a month long trial of 11 defendants charged with Prison Mutiny. The incident, which took place at HMP High Down, was set against the background of transition to the new prison regime

26 Nov 2014

John Allen found guilty on 26 counts in historical child abuse case

In the latest Operation Pallial case, John Allen has been found guilty on 26 counts of historical child sex abuse. Eleanor Laws QC and Catherine Donnelly are prosecuting. Operation Pallial was set up to investigate allegations of historical child abuse in North Wales. News coverage of the