TAX FRAUD

R v Healy and others – large scale fraud upon the Inland revenue by building sub- contractors.

R v Heaney – large scale VAT fraud.

R v Kennedy and others – large scale VAT and related income tax fraud.

OTHER FRAUD CASES

R v SP – Solicitor, acting in his capacity as a solicitor, charged with large scale investment fraud.

R v Cooper – Senior West Yorkshire police employee engaged in procurement fraud.

R v KM – Film partnership fraud. Successful application to dismiss.

R v Christie – Multiple frauds relating to “land banking” and investment frauds.

R v AH – Solicitor charged with insurance fraud.

R v Wanless – advance fee loan fraud.

R v Asif – mortgage fraud and associated money laundering.

R v X – large scale fraud upon major finance company and associated money laundering.

R v Ellis – mortgage fraud.

R v Garner – mortgage fraud.

R v Ali – money laundering and other frauds by “banker” in the context of large scale drug importation and distribution network.

R v AD – two large scale currency counterfeiting operations involving Euros, US Dollars and Sterling.

Operation Enlightenment – large scale and long-term people trafficking operation, associated frauds and money laundering.

Operation Keepnet – long term people trafficking for economic exploitation with associated frauds and money laundering.

Operation Blackberry – obscene publications, associated frauds and money laundering.

HOMICIDES

Chris has prosecuted or defended in over 50 homicides. The majority of the cases have involved complex medical and scientific evidence in addition to having to confront “cut-throat” defences advanced by the co-defendants. Examples of notable cases:

R v HM – GP charged with the murder of  a number of his patients.

R v R and others – major out of town drug dealers executed in Manchester. Their bodies were abandoned outside their home addresses as a warning to other potential organised criminal gangs who wished to do business on their “turf”.

R v VS – Defence of mother accused of “baby shaking”.

R v GO’D – Defence of mother accused of “baby shaking”.

R v Beaumont and Barnes – Prosecution of  father and mother for the murder of a child and associated offences.

R v Crichton – Prosecution of mother for causing serious head injuries to baby and 15 years later for the murder of another child.

R v Navsaka – Defence of mother for substaintial physical abuse of infant resulting in death.

R v Dack – Prosecution of the “babestation” murder.

R v AS – The “chicken man” murder.

OTHER MAJOR CRIME

R -v M and D – Prosecution of father and mother for “baby shaking” where infant survived and associated offences. Father convicted. Mother acquitted.

R v R and others – Police and MI5 investigation into activities of alleged terrorists.

R v Kennedy and others – large-scale drug importation organised by serving prisoners who had mobile phones smuggled into prison.

R v Seddon and others – investigation by the authorities into activities of Manchester and Southeast drug gangs in the UK and Europe.

R v AS – long-term Investigation by the authorities into the alleged activities of AS’s drug dealing activities in the UK and Europe. AS alleged to be the number one wholesaler of drugs in the Midlands.

Regina v Dalton and others – large scale drug supply uncovered after “bugging” operation.

Regina v Bux and others – conspiracy to import heroin from Pakistan and to distribute from regional centres in the UK uncovered followed “bugging” operation.

R v M – discovery of one of largest cannabis factories/farms in the UK after seven month police observation and “bugging” operation.

R v O’Grady and others – police “bugging” operation uncovering organised gang involved in wholesale supply of class A and B drugs.

R v E and others – one of seven prisoners, while being transported from one prison to another, overpowered their guards and escaped. Duress of circumstance advanced successfully at trial.

APPEALS

Notable appeals:

Gardener v Lewis (1998) 1WLR 1535 – privy Council, on appeal from Jamaica. Issues relating to interpretation of Jamaican land law statue and the applicability of Canadian and Australian case law on the issue.

R v Michael Boyle (1999) – Court of Appeal. IRA assassin attempting to assassinate major London gangster. Major Issue on appeal: Fresh medical evidence that police marksmen rather then appellant had shot the victim three times.

R v Coles and Bradley – issue 8 Archbold News 1999 – Court of Appeal. Issue: scope and weight to be given by Court to any report prepared by Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Von Starck v The Queen (2000) 1 WLR 1276 – privy Council, on appeal from Jamaica. Issues: when alternative verdicts should be left by a judge; the precise status of unsworn statements from the dock and statements under caution made to the police; and the impact of the Vienna Convention on the rights of foreign nationals under investigation in Jamaica.

R v AB [2003] 1 W.L.R. 2809 – propriety of prosecution comment and cross-examination on the issue of absence of motive for false complaints. Review of Commonwealth jurisprudence.

R v Bestel and others [2014] 1 W.L.R. 457 – The Court of Appeal gave guidance on the relevant principles when considering whether to grant an extension of time to appeal against a confiscation order when the effect of granting the application would be to allow the applicant to take advantage of a change in the law in Waya.

R v Scholey [2015] – Responding in fresh evidence appeal following conviction for manslaughter (baby shaking).

R -v- Mills [2018] Lloyd’s Rep. F.C. 251 – Successfully argued that Court of Appeal did not have jurisdiction to hear a prosecution appeal against the default term of imprisonment in respect of a POCA confiscation order.