Crime

Nick is experienced in both prosecution and defence work at Crown and Magistrates Court level and Youth Courts.

Recent cases include: attempted murder (preliminary hearing); grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to import cocaine, child cruelty and neglect, dangerous dogs and robbery (trials); animal cruelty (appeal).

Whilst Nick principally defends, he has prosecuted for the Crown Prosecution Service, the Chief Constable of Dorset Police, the National Probation Service, Department for Work & Pensions, Revenue & Customs and Local Education Authorities.

Notable cases

Defence

R v T - led Junior in a six-handed conspiracy to import Cocaine. The case involved a sophisticated international drug-smuggling operation utilising car fuel tanks. Multi-jurisdictional disclosure issues arose and the case reportedly involved the first ever extradition of a co-defendant from Brazil.

R v ME - successful defence of a youth charged with indecent exposure.

R v Nguyen - case involved large-scale production of cannabis at factories in Hampshire.

R v F - represented a defendant charged with numerous counts of making indecent images of children.

R v F - successful defence of a youth charged with two offences, namely an offence of killing a deer contrary to the Deer Act 1991; and in the alternative cruelty to a deer contrary to the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.

R v J - a contested confiscation hearing where the Crown sought to confiscate over £200,000.

Gapp v RSPCA - successful appeal against two convictions for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

R v M - represented a serving police officer charged with careless driving.

R v DC - defendant acquitted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

R v HH - case involved two aggravated offences of having a dog whilst dangerously out of control.

R v CH - successful appeal against conviction. The Appellant had been convicted of using threatening, abusive and insulting words and conduct at a league football match (AFC Bournemouth v Swindon Town) so as to cause harassment, alarm and distress. On departing the ground he had shouted comments and directed derogatory gestures towards the away fans thereby provoking disorder. On appeal, despite the finding that his conduct was in fact threatening, the appeal was allowed on the footing that given the context no one was likely to have been caused harassment, alarm or distress.

R v F - represented a defendant charged with a serious affray; court found no case to answer following legal argument as to the meaning of “threat of immediate violence”.

R v M - successfully argued “special reasons” on the basis of the shortness of distance driven.

R v C - acquittal of an inmate charged with a drug offence at a Prison Adjudication hearing.

R v H - successfully defended a person charged with assaulting two police constables following argument as to the meaning of “lawful execution of duty”.

R v W - represented a defendant who was acquitted of a sexual offence; issue in case was whether contact was “sexual” in nature.

I v R - successful appeal against sentence on the grounds of exceptional hardship.

R v H - client acquitted of failing to provide a specimen of urine despite the absence of medical evidence; this followed legal argument as to what constitutes a “failure to provide”.

R v D - successfully defended a client charged with benefit fraud; legal argument as to issue of dishonesty and the test held in R v Ghosh.

R v W - mitigated on behalf of a defendant charged with arson.

Prosecution

Chief Constable of Dorset Police v X, JC & C - successful applications for forfeiture orders under Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

DWP v G - successful prosecution brought under the Forgery & Counterfeiting Act 1981.

H-S v Secretary of State - prosecuted in an appeal against sentence (appeal dismissed).