Barristers

Cases of Interest

Recent acquittal 
R v. Esprit and others - Central Criminal Court. Junior counsel for the defendant on a charge of murder upon which no evidence was offered after legal argument. Then went on alone to represent the defendant, who was acquitted, on a linked perverting the course of justice charge. The charge alleged that the defendants had threatened potential witnesses who could have given evidence about the shooting of a young man. The threats, made via the lyrics on a rap music video, which were deemed threatening, were made whilst the defendants were on bail for the murder allegation. It was alleged by the prosecution that the defendants were associated with the MDP, a notorious west London gang. The case received wide media coverage. 

Cases conducted as leading counsel 
R v Mensah & Others. Leading Counsel in a 6 week multi-handed conspiracy to defraud case. The case involved the fraudulent use of stolen credit cards used to obtain 40 cars from garages throughout the country for twelve months. The fraud also necessitated the deception of a number of companies including ebay and autotrade.

R v. Cowell (Ishmael) 2009 EWCA Crim 1761 (appeared in first instance - Middlesex Crown Court.) Leading counsel in a case concerning a notorious west London gang, prosecuted by the British Transport Police. The case concerned 33 robberies and several wounding offences committed over a two-month period. 

R v. Toussaint - Kingston Crown Court. Leading counsel in a two week trial concerning a conspiracy to supply class 'A' drugs. A large amount of observation evidence had to be agreed, and formed the basis of legal argument before the start of the trial. 

Murder cases 
R v. Chin and others Junior counsel led by a Queen's Counsel. The case concerned the murder of a drug dealer. The prosecution alleged the defendants were gangsters from Jamaica. The victim in the case was burnt to death after he was assaulted until his jaw was dislocated from the blows he received. The case received extensive media coverage. 

R v. Hussain and others. Junior counsel led by Queen's Counsel. The case concerned an attempted contract killing. The victim lived to give live evidence. Two original defendants went on to give evidence on behalf of the prosecution. 

R v. Leon Russell, 2011 EWCA Crim 49. In the Central Criminal Court - Junior counsel to a Queen's Counsel in an attempted murder case. The complainant lived, despite being shot 14 times. The defendant initially received a 15-year IPP sentence which was subsequently appealed by the prosecution. 

Drug importation 
R v. Narvaez and others -Isleworth Crown Court. Was first on the indictment in this case. Three defendants were charged with conspiracy to import £3 million worth of cocaine. The first trial resulted in a hung jury. The retrial resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. Waithe and Carlos Cardona Vasquez - Blackfriars Crown Court. Represented defendant in a two-handed conspiracy to import drugs case. 

Fraud 
R v Bhanderi. Represented a bank employee who was charged with laundering approximately £60,000 from the department for work and pensions. He was acquitted by a majority Jury after a number of flaws in the banking system was exposed during cross examination on behalf of the defendant.

R v. Naveed Ahmed - Luton Crown Court. This case was a large-scale multi-million pound fraud case. A company trading as Swift Insurance. The case received wide media coverage. Mr Ahmed’s case resulted in a plea and a non-custodial disposal. 

R v. Quarteng - Woolwich Crown Court. Conducted a ten day trial representing a defendant charged with conspiracy to defraud. He was a senior council official for the London borough of Greenwich. 

R v. Gorasia (Dhanji) Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) 16/07/2001 
2001 EWCA Crim 1718; [2002] , 1 Cr App (S) 84. Southwark Crown Court. Junior alone in a four-week multi-handed case with four defendants. This concerned the evasion of the building trade’s self-assessment tax. 

Sex offences 
R v. GB - Snaresbrook Crown Court. Junior led by a Queen's Counsel in a case concerning the systematic abuse of four children aged between seven and ten years. The defendant targeted vulnerable children including a paraplegic girl who needed special equipment to speak. She was a model for Mencap at the time of the abuse. 

R v. A and A - Southwark Crown Court. Represented the husband in this case involving an Hungarian couple who were charged with living off immoral earnings. Specifically, they were running brothels across London. This case also received extensive media coverage as a large number of their client list included members of the establishment. 

R v. AP - Croydon Crown Court. Represented a 60-year-old in an historic rape case. He was accused of raping his stepdaughter over a two-year period. The case resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. MP - Snaresbrook Crown Court. Represented the defendant, a capoeira instructor accused of raping his wife whilst armed with a knife. This case resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. DM - Woolwich Crown Court. Represented a 17-year-old charged with rape. Trial lasting seven days that resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. TK -Snaresbrook Crown Court. Represented a 39-year-old man accused of raping a girl he met at a club. The case involved careful scrutiny of CCTV footage. This resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. DA and LN - London Crown Court. Represented a 17-year-old on a joint rape charge accused of raping a 14-year-old. The complainant was a girl who attended a school in the same neighbourhood as that of the defendant. This resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. DH - Snaresbrook Crown Court. Represented a 17-year-old accused of raping his girlfriend’s sister. This resulted in an acquittal. 

Section 18 cases 
R v. Roy Mundy - Woolwich Crown Court. This case concerned an attack on an innocent bystander who was approached by Mr Mundy and his friend. This case involved careful scrutiny of CCTV footage and resulted in an acquittal. 

R v. Ashwin Vara - Isleworth Crown Court. A case concerning a 50-year-old alleged to have assaulted three teenage boys with a knife. This case resulted in an acquittal. 

Multi-handed robbery acquittals 
R v. Emmanual Osanyande - Croydon Crown Court. Represented the only one of four defendants to be acquitted of an armed robbery on a bus. 

R v. Trinity Orr Mapp - Inner London Crown Court. Represented the only one of four defendants to be acquitted of a street robbery near a shopping centre in Peckham.