Criminal Defence experience
Please read about our Criminal Defence experience:
Road traffic accidents
More than 1m British motorists are on the brink of losing their
licenses because of the rise in speed camera numbers and the
increased use of digital technology. According to a recent study,
16% of drivers (more than 5m ) have penalty points for speeding and
a fifth of these are just one camera flash away from
disqualification under the “totting up” provisions.
We have specialist lawyers with extensive
experience of defending individuals in road traffic prosecutions
with great success. Our aim is to employ our experience and
intimate knowledge of the relevant road traffic laws so as to
prevent the prosecution entirely.
Even where a prosecution can not be avoided
and the defendant is facing either a “totter” or discretionary ban
(e.g. in excess of 30mph over the speed limit) we have an enviable
track record in avoiding bans by arguing “mitigating circumstances”
or “special reasons” before Magistrates.
Our experience encompasses the full range of
Road Traffic Law including Drink Driving, Careless Driving as well
as more serious offences such as Causing Death by Dangerous and
Careless Driving. We use nationally renowned experts from various
disciplines to support defences of such cases with a great track
record of success.
Recent and current examples include:
- Successfully defending a
Careless Driving prosecution (relying upon expert engineering
evidence) that a road junction was inherently defective and was the
main cause of a serious road traffic accident not our client’s
driving.
- Avoiding numerous speeding
prosecutions by skilful use of legislation, tactics and
procedures i.e. “loopholes”
- Representing a client in a
double fatality in what was one of the first prosecutions in the UK
for the new offence of Causing Death by Careless Driving – avoiding
a custodial sentence for the client.
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Financial Crime
We are recognised as one the UK’s
leading firms in criminal fraud defence and other financial crime.
We represent clients being investigated and prosecuted for a range
of offences including multi £M VAT frauds and allegations of Money
Laundering.
We also represent clients facing
investigation by HMRC and overseas investigators in relation to
both civil and criminal investigations into serious tax fraud
including off shore investigations.
Investigators and prosecutors
(including Local Authorities) are increasingly using the draconian
powers of the Proceeds of Crime Act which include asset Restraint
and Confiscation. We also act for third parties who are not subject
to a criminal investigation but whose property interests may be
prejudiced by these proceedings.
We are assisted by our commercial
litigation team who can assist in asset tracing, freezing and
recovery for both claimant and defendant. We are members of the
Legal Services Commission’s Specialist Fraud and Very High Cost
(Crime) Cases Panels. Only firms with a proven track record of
acting in the most serious, complex and high cost fraud and other
crime cases are appointed to these panels.
Current cases include:
- £50M VAT “Carousel” Fraud
prosecuted by Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office
- HMRC serious tax fraud
investigation into off- shore bank accounts by UK
resident
- HMRC cash seizure and
forfeiture of £800,000 successfully defended with all monies being
returned to client with interest.
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General crime
This includes allegations of
assault often made in the context of a “domestic” relationship
including allegations against both males and females. An arrest for
this type of offence let alone a conviction can have drastic
consequences such as onerous bail conditions not to reside at the
family home, which can limit the contact a father or mother has
with their children.
There can often be related family
law proceedings such as divorce or disputes concerning children and
we work closely with both our Family Law team and our nationally
renowned Child Abduction Unit with whom we work closely in such
cases including Hague Convention international abductions.
We have over 40 years experience of
representing clients facing the gravest of charges such as Murder
and Manslaughter. We currently have a case of an alleged
Manslaughter in Italy involving a European Arrest Warrant and
international investigations. We are also instructed in cases of
fatal Health and Safety and Corporate
Manslaughter.
We represent clients facing
allegations of historical rape and sexual assault going back many
years which presents unique challenges. We have particular
experience of possession of indecent images on personal computers
and have particular expertise in computer hacking prosecutions and
the use of experts in the field of forensic computer analysis and
digital evidence tracing.
There are many prosecutions brought
by non-police prosecutors such as Local Authorities for breaches of
Trade Descriptions and Trade Marks legislation such as sales of
counterfeit goods as well as enforcement action arising from
breaches of planning and licensing requirements
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Armed services investigations
We have lawyers experienced in
representing members of the armed services facing investigations by
the Services Police and Special Investigations Branches. We have
experience of Courts Martial trials and Appeals which can be funded
by the Armed Services Legal Aid Authority.
For many years we operated a free
legal advice surgery at the community centre at RAF St Athan and
assisted 100’s of servicemen and their families on issues as
diverse as medical discharges, clinical negligence, personal injury
claims, sex discrimination redundancy claims, divorce and related
children cases as well as criminal defence and disciplinary
cases.
In addition to the services
investigations we represent service men and women facing criminal
investigations and prosecutions by civilian authorities.
Cases have included;
- Multiple charges of indecent
assaults of airwomen and out of bounds allegations
- Multiple charges of theft
and deception
- Dangerous driving (driving
across airfield whilst drunk)
- Misuse of medical
records
- Assault
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