Sam has a quarter of a century of experience in dealing with criminal cases of all types. Sam will always stand up for peoples rights and never gives up. He has worked on some of the most substantial and significant cases throughout his career such as the ‘Dome Robbery’, the ‘Railway Murders’ and the first Non Jury Trial.
His practise is exclusively defence.
Sam has successfully defended in many serious sex offences, murders, fraud, large scale drugs and POCA cases and many cases where juveniles and adults have been prosecuted under the controversial law of ‘joint enterprise’.
Sam now offers (with Andrew Jefferies QC) a lecture on joint enterprise and his submissions to the Law Commission reviewing Joint Enterprise have been published. Sam has particular experience in dealing with complicated cases, developing novel points of law and difficult cross-examinations.
Throughout his career Sam has always loved a challenge and relishes the cases that others find hard to deal with. He is always prepared to work harder and longer for his clients to get the right result.
Ranked in Chambers and Partners (Queens Counsel – Crime) 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Sam is also qualified as a direct access barrister and can be approached directly by members of the public without the need for a solicitor. You can contact Sam by clicking here.
Professional Memberships
CBA and SE Circuit. Member of the Bar Standards Board; Chair of Standards, Advocacy Trainer for the Inner Temple and Keble Advanced Advocacy Course
Chambers & Partners: “Leading Silk”
Notable Cases
R -v- Mulcahy – The longest ever single defendant murder trial in English legal history. The result of three separate police investigations with the original investigation being the largest police manhunt since the Yorkshire Ripper.
R -v- Adams – The Dome Robbery. Arguably the most audacious robbery since the Great Train Robbery. The result of a massive police operation and lengthy investigation
R -v- Grant & Others – Multi-handed conspiracy to murder –acquitted.
R -v- Gul – The ‘Turkish Mafia Baybasin’ case covering allegations of blackmail, kidnapping, torture and money laundering. The primary source of evidence was a probe placed in the defendant’s premises recording over six months, thousands of hours of material.
R -v- Matiluko – The Harmondsworth Detention Centre Riot – acquitted after piecing together hundreds of hours of CCTV material to accurately form a picture of the events involving the defendant.
R -v- Walker – Large scale conspiracy to supply class A; successfully appealed confiscation finding to the CA.
R -v- Kearney – Police corruption case, ground breaking legal argument re: ECHR Article 10 (2) journalist right to protect sources. Prosecuted by Sir Allan Green QC, offered no evidence following argument
Fraud
R -v- Kusi-Appiah – Mortgage frauds dealing with 47 residential properties: On instructions negotiated a plea ensuring that wife would not be proceeded against.
Drugs/Money Laundering
R v Carden Successful defence of first defendant in money laundering and drug supply allegations involving analysis of the Defendant’s business interests and cash flow over a period of about 5 years
R –v- Crocker – Successfully represented first defendant in extensive money laundering allegations covering 7 years of a building firms operation and financial analysts evidence which was the subject of detailed cross-examination by Sam leading to the successful half time submission. Court of Appeal denied the Crown’s application to challenge the Judge’s decision.
R –v- Evans – Money laundering and drugs smuggling case involving the importation of substantial quantities of cocaine concealed in a specially adapted vehicle.
R-v- S Operation Zambezi – First on indictment, multi-handed attempted murder, money laundering, firearms, cocaine and cannabis conspiracy with voluminous Queen’s Evidence – 107 page statement following 80+ interviews of QE Witness. Legal submissions resulting both in the exclusion of background violence and in the finding of an implicit waiver of privilege over solicitor’s material on the part of the QE Witness. This matter is the subject of an ongoing appeal.
R -v- Zachariah – Multi-Million Pound Drug and Money Laundering Conspiracy, argued disclosure and RIPA points relating to 7 months of recorded material equaling thousands of pages of transcripts.
R -v- N – Representing Chairman of Aston Rothbury Co Ltd on allegations of laundering the proceeds of frauds on UK clearing banks
R -v- Dixon & Others – Conspiracy to Supply Class A and money laundering– Ipswich Crown Court – successful plea bargain negotiated.
R -v- Tran – Drugs and Money Laundering. Sam’s successful opposition of the Crown’s application to introduce hearsay evidence using the recently decided case of Al Khawaja resulted in the acquittal of all 5 defendants.
Youths Murder/Manslaughter
R v B – Represented first defendant alleged to have murdered a stall holder in a market as part of a ‘joint enterprise’ revenge attack. Successfully argued that the Defendant should be entitled to rely upon the fact that he suffered from a severe type of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] called hyperkinetic disorder when presenting his defence of self defence as well as in support of the alternative defence of diminished responsibility.
R v D – Successfully represented first defendant in ‘joint enterprise’ robbery of an elderly man targeted as he was suspected of having kept gold at his premises. Only defendant acquitted in this multi-handed case.
R –v- P – Manslaughter and robbery allegation involving youths and a ‘joint enterprise’ attack on another youth who when being chased and then died under the wheels of a bus.
R –v- S.H. – Attempted murder of another youth, Sam advised that psychiatric and psychological evidence be obtained relating to the victims memory of the incident and the effect of the trauma and treatment leading to memory loss and possible confabulation. Defendant successfully acquitted.
R -v- B – The manslaughter by ‘stoning a man to death’ of a man in his 60’s playing cricket with his son by a gang of 10-13 year old boys. This was the centre of huge public and media interest before and during the trial. Argued that the fatal cardiac arrhythmia was not necessarily connected to throwing of stones by the boys as his fatal symptoms have been initiated at the start of the arguments between the parties. Conviction successfully overturned on Appeal.
R v H – joint enterprise manslaughter allegation suggesting that a group of youths intimidated another and then chased him onto the tracks of the Docklands Light Railway where he was instantly killed by a train
Non-Jury Trial Cases
Appeal of Hibberd – Following the first non-jury trial in 350 years, the Appeal before the Lord Chief Justice The appeal centered on the failure to appoint a disclosure judge, disclosure issues generally and the possible ‘bias’ of the High Court Judge stemming from his having been shown apparently prejudicial material ex parte. This matter is subject to an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Appeal of Guthrie – Consolidated Appeal, representing all appellants. Jury tampering, trial judge ruled that trial should continue to verdicts without a jury. This matter is subject to an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
R -v- Hibberd – The fourth trial of the ‘Heathrow Robbers’ following allegations of jury tampering, this became the first trial in England and Wales to take place without a Jury before Mr. Justice Treacy at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Murder/Manslaughter
R v Brown – ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ murder of ex-girlfriend, six pathologists were instructed on behalf of the Crown requiring detailed cross-examination on the possible signs left in the internal structure of the brain from an alleged smothering of the deceased
R v Cowdry – Plea to murder successfully secured minimum term for a robbery and deliberate strangulation of elderly householder
R –v- James – Murder, argued on behalf of the defendant that his mother’s long-term sexual abuse of him since he was a child was a ‘trigger’ for new defence of ‘loss of control’
R v S – argued that a defendant’s long term alcohol addiction was a recognised mental health basis for his defence of diminished responsibility
R –v- Khaleel – Murder, bad character evidence challenged before the jury and the court was persuaded to call a crucial witness from the first trial (manslaughter conviction in similar circumstances), which formed the basis of the bad character application.
R -v- Roberts & Others – Blue Lagoon Murder – Widely reported murder involving 6 defendants and the ritual torture of a vulnerable adult, ultimately leading to his death. His dismembered body was discovered in a lake.
R v P – successful defence of a drug addict alleged to have murdered another in an argument about a drug deal
R -v- Hong – Murder allegation; Diabetic hyperglaecamic defence raised to explain the defendant’s memory loss at the time of the stabbing.
R -v- Turauskaite – Murder allegation involving lengthy cross examination of ‘best friend’ to show that he was responsible for the death.
R -v- Gayle & Others – ‘Joint enterprise’ alleged gangland Murder – Central Criminal Court –acquitted.
R -v- Ramanlal – Murder allegation; argued diminished responsibility defence.
R v K – successful defence of two sisters alleged to have killed their grandmother for her funeral money
Sexual Offences
R v P- successfully defended a series of rape allegations alleged to have been committed with the context of a violent marriage
R v D – historic homosexual rape allegations successfully stayed as an abuse of the courts process
R v B – defended a catholic priest alleged to have committed multiple sexual offences against children over many years
R v P – successful defence of a series of alleged ‘revenge’ rapes of very young children
R v M – incest case historic allegation suggesting very long-term rapes of the defendants own children
R v T – successfully negotiated a plea to sexual touching after lengthy negotiations with the prosecution regarding the Defendant’s youth, status as a victim of abuse, Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
R v M – Scoutmaster accused of indecent images and sexual assaults successfully negotiated a plea to limited offences leading to a much reduced sentence
R v K – successful plea negotiation in a case involving Genetic Sexual Attraction (GSM) mitigation presented included argument about the research in this area and the surprising number of individuals who have been affected by this condition
Appeals
R v Momo – successful appeal against conviction as a result of admission in trial of co-defendants character
R v Senior and Senior – leading case in relation to questioning when carrying out stop and search powers
R v Walker – successfully argued that there should be no confiscation of Appellant’s trust monies despite his conviction for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply
Professional Associations & Memberships
Bencher Inner Temple
Criminal Bar Association
Member of the South Eastern Circuit
Chair of Standards for the BSB
Advocacy Trainer for the Inner Temple
Keble Advanced Advocacy Course
Chambers & Partners: “Leading Silk”
