“Guy produces high-quality work and goes the extra mile.” – Chambers & Partners, 2023

“He’s very approachable and down to earth.” “A calm and relaxing presence in the courtroom.” – Chambers & Partners, 2022

“He is a safe pair of hands; he is experienced, calm and good with clients.” – Chambers & Partners, 2021

“A highly regarded silk with a proven track record advising on fraud cases with aspects of regulatory law. Sources are fulsome in their praise of his style, and his ability to engage effectively with juries.”

“He is very calm in the face of adversity, which is great in this area.” “I certainly recommend him for his skills – an excellent performer.” – Chambers & Partners, 2017

”A smooth operator, who embraces a modern approach” – Legal 500, 2016

“Sought after to handle serious offences such as murder, manslaughter and fraud” – Legal 500, 2015

A very experienced criminal advocate, who has dealt regularly with murder, gross negligence manslaughter, and serious sexual allegations, he is also instructed by leading Fraud Panel Solicitors in lengthy commercial fraud cases and regulatory work.

GENERAL CRIMINAL CASES

Serious Sexual Allegations:

• Various cases of Rape and Serious Child Abuse both prosecuted and defended.

Drugs Importations:

• Many cases involving alleged financiers, organisers, pilots, lorry drivers and couriers.

Gross Negligence Manslaughter Cases:

• Senior Manager Electricity Board – Acquitted (instructed by Russell Jones & Walker
• Senior Managers Railway Industry – Acquitted (instructed by Davis Blank Furniss)

One Punch Manslaughter/Causation Cases:

Several of these cases, most recently R v Parry – Acquitted (instructed by Brian Koffman & Co)

Murder Cases:

• I have both prosecuted and defended in a huge variety of murder cases, ranging from ‘mercy killings’ , domestic murders to gang related and contract killings.
• I successfully defended a 13 year old babysitter charged with murder of a baby.
• I recently prosecuted in one of the first murder cases to involve the calling of a series of anonymous witnesses.

Fraud and Regulatory Cases:

• Multiple Share Application cases – arising out of alleged abuse of powers of attorney in applications for shares in privatisation of BAA, BT, British Gas [Various defendants, all acquitted] • Mortgage Frauds,
• Insurance Frauds,
• Investment Frauds & Ponzi Schemes
• Accountancy Frauds
• Prime Bank Instrument Frauds
• Income Tax Evasion – for Individuals, Restaurants, Retail Businesses;
• Construction Industry Frauds and Payroll Frauds
• VAT Frauds – MTIC, Carousel, Diversion frauds – I was involved in the London City Bond case and many other such cases since.

In these cases I’ve represented companies and individuals, including;

• Entrepreneurs
• Directors, Shadow Directors and Company Officers
• Insurance and Mortgage Brokers
• Business Advisers and Analysts
• Insolvency Practitioners
• Accountants
• Doctors
• Legal Executives
• Solicitors – R v K (instructed by Pannone)
• Barristers – R v M (instructed by Maidments)
• Police Officers

Selected Cases:

R v Ashton-Hill (instructed by Burton Copeland) – Defence

Banking Fraud – The collapse of the Savings and Investment Bank on the Isle of Man; represented a Solicitor who was a non-executive Director of the bank. The case was stayed after a substantial Abuse of Process argument prevented a lengthy and expensive trial.

R v Various Defendants (instructed by Burton Copeland) – Defence. Multiple share applications – at the time of various floatation’s such as BA, British Gas etc., members of a community noticed that applications could be made via a Power of Attorney. They collected such PoA’s from members of their community worldwide – all agreed any proceeds should go to the community, which funded the applications through benefactors. More than a dozen were charged; all bar 2 were successfully let out at the committal stage following submissions of no case. 2 were sent to Knightsbridge Crown Court for trial; both were acquitted by the jury.

R v T (instructed by Maidments) – Defence. A 13 year old female babysitter was charged with murder of a baby in her care. The medical establishment, relied on by the prosecution, all testified that the child’s head injuries could not have come about accidentally, as the babysitter had explained to police. She said baby had “kicked” its legs out into her chest, while at the top of the stairs, which cause it to fall backwards out of her arms and land headfirst on a half landing on the stairs. The prosecution alleged that this explanation was untenable. We advised a visit to the scene by scientists from the Road Research laboratory with ‘crash test dummies’ which they dropped from an appropriate height and they measured the results. Thus it was discovered that there was a very severe risk of life threatening injury if the child’s head had landed towards the edge of the half landing – it was extremely strong, no give at all, and the carpet made no difference whatsoever. Prosecution experts were called to suggest the result was a freak, and that there were other medical factors indicative of murder. They were cross examined, the suggestion being they were now backing their initial rush to judgment with flimsy evidence. 13 year old T was acquitted http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/1999/sep/29/paulkelso

R v Sampson, Hurley & Watts (instructed by Cooper Kenyon Burrows) – Defence. The case involved an allegation of abuse of the Landfill Tax scheme. It was both complex and detailed, and lasted for many months. Although convicted by the jury [majority 9:1], the convictions were all overturned in the Court of Appeal on the basis of a flawed summing up – which although drawn to his attention, the trial Judge had not corrected. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/ECA/Crim/2007/1238.html

R v Hauxwell-Smith (instructed by Irwin Mitchell) – Defence. The case involved allegations of Fraud and Bribery against an Ikea supplier, in which the sums at stake were in excess of £14 million. While 2 buyers had received substantial sums, (eventually admitted to be bribes) there were allegations of false and double invoicing as well as non-delivery and under delivery. The evidence underlying the fraud allegations was complex; and was further plagued by disclosure problems. A strong abuse of process argument was prepared, and ultimately the fraud allegations were left on the file. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6980875.stm

R v Ramsden (instructed by Crown Prosecution Service) – Prosecution – ‘The Facebook Killer’. Murder. This was one of the first cases to involve the calling of eye-witnesses under conditions of anonymity, which gave rise to a number of legal submissions. After the case, at the request of the CPS and police, I prepared a report to assist the police in the management of investigations where multiple anonymous witness are called, who either know or may know one another, or are related. Press report – http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/29/facebook-stabbing-bolton

R v Tyrrell (instructed by Forbes) – Defence. Attempted Murder involved the shooting of a policewoman with a shotgun. Issues of joint enterprise – 2 men were trying to escape the scene of a robbery.

R v Simons (instructed by Maidments) – Defence Murder. Execution in the street by ‘contract killer’

R v Heginbotham (instructed by Blackburn & Co) – Defence. A 99 year old man – the oldest person in Britain to have been charged with murder; plea of guilty to manslaughter accepted, and he was spared a jail sentence. http://www.telegraph.-co.uk/news/ uknews/1466543/100-year-old-cut-his-ailing-wifes-throat-in-act-of-love.html

R v Muhummed (instructed by Crown Prosecution Service) – Prosecution. Murder by stabbing which involved ‘friends’ in a flat; detailed forensic evidence including blood distribution allowed the jury to assess what had really happened.

R v Miller, Ford, Hussain; The ‘Vance Miller’ case (instructed by Abbeys) – Defence. Trading standards brought a prosecution alleging conspiracy to defraud against Vance Miller and his senior staff. All defendants were acquitted. The Trading Standards evidence was demonstrated to be flawed, the investigation to be unreliable; the case was withdrawn from the jury, and Oldham MBC were ordered to pay all costs. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1192597_ councils_10k_no_comment_over_failed_vance_miller_case

R v Peter Bradley (instructed by Cooper Kenyon Burrows) – Defence. A £45 million fraud in a company called Alta Gas. Client decided to plead guilty to one count of fraudulent trading; he had been facing 36 charges. He received a sentence of 4 years imprisonment. Following a contested confiscation hearing, he was ordered to repay £1m. http://www.sfo.gov.uk/pressroom/latest-press-releases/-press-releases-2008/former-directors-of-merseyside-bottled -gas-business-jailed-after-45-million-collapse-of-company.aspx

R v LL and Sabrewatch (instructed by Burrows Bussin) – Defence. Breaches of the Security Industry Authority Licensing scheme; following a trial at Southwark Crown Court and convictions on some counts, the sentence was successfully appealed in the Court of Appeal.

R v Brown & Brown (instructed by Crown Prosecution Service) – Prosecution. Manslaughter by one of two sisters who stabbed her boyfriend and gross negligence manslaughter alleged against the other, who deliberately prevented a call being made for an ambulance. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1299214/Despicable-sisters-jailed-stabbed-boyfriend -calling-lesbian.html

R v Howells (instructed by Russell & Russell) – Defence. This was a murder trial at Chester Crown Court; the case involved a drug feud. A verdict of Not Guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter by reason of provocation was achieved.

R v BS Sandhu (instructed by Murria Solicitors) – Defence. Client faced allegations of fraud [MTIC] and money laundering. We argued successfully for the exclusion of evidence, which led to his acquittal on the money-laundering charge.

R v David Wilson-Gill (instructed by Linskills) – Defence. A long and complex construction payroll fraud involving allegations of cheating the revenue by paying contractors a basic wage and thereafter by means of non-existent expenses.

R v Fisher (instructed by Russell Jones & Walker) – Defence. Misconduct in Public Office: Police Sergeant alleged to have abused access to restricted police computer systems for personal advantage.

R v NW (instructed by Judge & Partners) – Defence. A substantial trading standards prosecution in the Crown Court; after protracted pre-trial negotiation, NG verdict entered, Defence Costs Order made.

R v Luqman (instructed by Forbes) – Defence. Alleged multi-million pound commercial fraud.