Nick Robinson
Year of Call: 2006
Email Address: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
Telephone: 01202 292 102
Clerk Details
- Clerk Name: Stuart Pringle
- Clerk Telephone: 0330 332 2633
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Motoring offences
Nick has appeared at every level from the Magistrates’ Court to the High Court (case stated) in the most serious road traffic cases: death by dangerous and careless driving, automatism, drink and drug driving, and novel questions of identification and regulatory compliance.
Selected Cases
R v PB — (2025) Causing serious injury by dangerous driving (three counts). Southern Vectis double-decker bus crash on the A3056, Isle of Wight — the defendant missed a turning, failed to negotiate a bend, and the bus left the road. Twelve passengers on board; three sustained broken backs. Unanimous not guilty on all three counts after 30 minutes of jury retirement. Defendant admitted careless driving - sentenced to a fine and penalty points. Reported: Isle of Wight County Press, Island Echo.
R v CC — Magistrates’ Court (2024) Drug driving. Direct access. Prosecution failed to provide the second blood sample and analytical data pack for the defence expert — 89 days after a court order. Prosecution offered no evidence. Acquitted.
R v JB — Magistrates’ Court (2021) Drink driving. Direct access. Laced drinks defence at trial supported by expert toxicology evidence. Acquitted.
R v IC — (2020) Causing death by careless driving — fatal pedestrian collision. It was not in dispute that the defendant had driven over the pedestrian whilst she lay prone in the carriageway. The Crown alleged his failure to take evasive action amounted to careless driving. The defence was that another vehicle may have caused the fatal injuries before the defendant's arrival and that, confronted with a sudden emergency, he made a wrong decision in the agony of the moment — the collision was explicable by external factors including road conditions, lighting, and weather. Expert evidence from two pathologists and two collision investigators. Bad character and hearsay evidence excluded. Unanimous not guilty after 90 minutes of deliberation in a six-day trial. A second driver pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court to careless driving. Reported: The Sun, Daily Mail, Metro, Daily Echo.
R v GB — Magistrates’ Court (2019) Failure to provide a specimen. Direct Access instruction. No statutory warning given; critical CCTV withheld despite a court order. Prosecution offered no evidence. Acquitted.
R v TM — (2019) Careless driving conviction appeal. Direct Access. Sole prosecution witness an off-duty police officer. Nick’s skeleton exposed that the officer had simultaneously acted as investigator, officer in charge, and disclosure officer; that the in-car camera was “non-functioning” without independent verification; that the schedule of unused material was missing; and that the prosecution’s own telematics expert had inadvertently corroborated the defence case. A former police officer instructed as defence expert. Crown offered no evidence at appeal; conviction quashed. Costs ordered.
R v DQ — (2018) Causing death by careless driving — fatal collision at a right-turn junction in Ferndown; motorcyclist aged 67 struck and killed. Expert witnesses for both prosecution and defence agreed that parts of the carriageway were obscured by shadows and bright sunlight. Nick successfully argued that a careful driver in the same conditions might have failed to see the motorcycle, and the defendant’s account that it was obscured from view was consistent with the expert evidence. Acquitted. Reported: Daily Echo.
R v JB — (2016) Causing danger to road users (s.23 RTA 1988). Defendant alleged to have grabbed the steering wheel of a moving vehicle at approximately 70mph on the A35 at 3am, causing it to roll. Three witnesses in the car alleged the defendant caused the vehicle to overturn, seriously injuring its occupants. Nick instructed an independent accident reconstruction expert who challenged the prosecution’s vehicle examiner on the significance of the absence of seat belt marks — establishing that in a rollover the absence of marks cannot indicate that belts were not worn. Unanimous not guilty verdict.
R v AM – (2016) Guilty plea to causing death by careless driving whilst unfit through drink. High-profile and tragic case. Defendant was sentenced to 4 years and 4 months imprisonment: Reported: BBC News.
R v AP — Magistrates’ Court (2013) Drink driving in a Ferrari. The defendant's drinks had been spiked without his knowledge. Successful special reasons argument supported by expert evidence, securing no disqualification despite an elevated minimum disqualification period arising from a prior drink driving conviction. Absolute discharge.
R v PH — (2011) Four-day trial. The defendant, a National Express coach driver, lost control of his vehicle in the New Forest late at night, drifting onto the hard shoulder and up an embankment before crossing three lanes of the motorway with 49 passengers on board. With expert evidence from a neurologist and a sleep specialist, Nick successfully argued that the defendant had not fallen asleep as alleged but had suffered an episode of automatism. The jury also accepted that his decision to continue the journey to Ringwood did not constitute dangerous or careless driving. Unanimously acquitted on all counts. Reported: Daily Echo and Daily Echo.
R v Fitch — High Court (2011) Case stated appeal — s.172 RTA 1988. Obligation to “give” information does not extend to ensuring its safe receipt. Conviction quashed.
R v MH — Magistrates’ Court (2008) Failure to provide a specimen of urine. Legal argument on the proper meaning of “failure to provide”; not guilty in the absence of medical evidence.
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Recommendations Court of Appeal
In an appeal against sentence R v Sherriff [2012] EWCA Crim 2381, Lord Justice Aikens said:
"Mr Robinson presented the arguments very concisely, clearly and persuasively."
In an appeal against sentence R v Kluver [2010] EWCA Crim 3237, Lord Justice Moses said:
"There is ample authority for the proposition that counsel for the defence has so skilfully identified both in his written grounds and in his oral submissions, and we are indebted to Mr Robinson for them."
In an appeal against sentence R v Bennett [2010] EWCA Crim 1032, Mr Justice Davis said:
"Mr Robinson, on behalf of the Appellant, has put the case very well."
In an appeal against sentence R v Woodcock [2011] EWCA Crim 1347, Mr Justice Blair said:
"Mr Robinson has argued the case well for the applicant."
In an appeal against conviction R v Knight [2013] EWCA Crim 2486, Mr Justice Fulford said the written submissions were:
"Detailed and able."
In an appeal against sentence R v Simpson [2022] EWCA Crim 201, His Honour Judge Griffiths-Jones QC commended Nick's:
"good judgment."
In an appeal against sentence R v DH [2024] EWCA Crim 1003, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith said:
"The Court is grateful to Mr Robinson for the high quality of his written submissions."
Chambers & Partners — Western Bar (Crime)
Chambers UK 2026 / Crime — Western Bar > “Nicholas is a dynamic barrister. He is calm, sympathetic and gives a huge amount of effort to every case. He is a strong and persuasive advocate with an eye for persuasive arguments.”Chambers UK 2025 / Crime — Western Bar > “He has a great practice.” > “He is a smooth advocate who has a great way of speaking to the jury.”
Chambers UK 2024 / Crime — Western Bar > “He is highly effective and highly skilled in all aspects of criminal defence work.” > “Clients love Nicholas. He’s a very good lawyer and a persuasive advocate.” > “Nicholas handled the cross-examination deftly but devastatingly. His ability to juggle disclosure requests, client management and legal arguments is remarkable.”
Chambers UK 2023 / Crime — Western Bar > “He has a very client-centred approach.” > “His advocacy skills are impressive.” > “Nick is an industrious individual.”
Chambers UK 2022 / Crime — Western Bar > “Has a very positive attitude and his written work is excellent.” > “He has an approach and flair which juries like.”
Chambers UK 2021 / Crime — Western Bar > “He has a very good reputation and his written work is of the highest quality.”
Chambers UK 2020 / Crime — Western Bar > “He is both responsive and proactive, and his advocacy skills are fantastic.”
Chambers UK 2019 / Crime — Western Bar > “He is both responsive and proactive, and his advocacy skills are fantastic.”
Legal 500 — Western Circuit (Crime)
Legal 500 2026 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is a good barrister. He is always well-prepared and will fight his corner as required.”Legal 500 2025 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is a committed, highly competent and effective criminal barrister. He is an effective trial advocate who gets good results, and his pleas in mitigation are always carefully constructed with great preparation.”
Legal 500 2024 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is diligent and always enthusiastic about his work. His written work is of the highest quality. He is also a very persuasive and effective advocate.”
Legal 500 2023 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick is a top level operator. A first-class and fearless advocate with a very robust and incisive approach to criminal litigation. An exceptional strategist.”
Legal 500 2022 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Nick’s strengths are his intelligence, his ability to fully engage with a jury and his thorough preparation.”
Legal 500 2020–21 / Crime — Western Circuit > “A criminal defence specialist.”
Legal 500 2018–19 / Crime — Western Circuit — Tier 1 > “An expert in defending in serious crime cases.”
Legal 500 2017 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Self-assured and dedicated.”
Legal 500 2016 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Extremely diligent in his approach to cases.”
Legal 500 2015 / Crime — Western Circuit > “Known for his defence work in the Crown Court, and his practice has an emphasis on serious crime.”
Legal 500 2014 / Crime — Western Circuit > “He specialises in sexual offence cases, particularly those involving children and historical allegations of misconduct.”
Legal 500 2013 / Crime — Western Circuit > “A very confident and knowledgeable advocate.”
Nick was also recommended by the Legal 500 for 2011 and 2012.
Related News
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3PB Barristers’ specialist criminal defence barrister Nick Robinson has secured the acquittal of a vulnerable young defendant. The prosecution’s case was that vulnerable defendant, then aged 18, had raped a 15-year-old girl at a residential address in November 2021. The defendant had a full-scale IQ of 64 (first percentile), the language skills of a child aged between six and nine, markedly impaired memory and pronounced suggestibility under pressure. The complainant was also a vulnerable witness,...
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Leading criminal defence barrister Nick Robinson of 3PB Barristers successfully defended JB in a two-week attempted murder trial at Winchester Crown Court before HHJ Morris The Recorder of Winchester. Mr B was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in Weymouth in June 2025. Nick’s client stabbed two males in an unprovoked assault. He was charged with attempting to kill one of the males. The prosecution alleged a premeditated attack, relying heavily on compelling...
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Three of 3PB's crime and regulatory crime team (pictured left to right) - Kate Lumsdon KC, leading Thomas Evans, and Nick Robinson (led by Zafar Ali KC of 23ES) - have secured the acquittal of their respective clients following a six-week trial at Winchester Crown Court. Four defendants stood trial arising from two linked incidents involving e-bikes being deliberately rammed by vehicles as part of an ongoing feud. Both clients, who were youths, were alleged...
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3PB Barristers is delighted to confirm another strong set of results for its Crime and Regulatory Crime team in Chambers and Partners’ 2026 edition published today. While the team retains its Band 1 ranking for Crime in the Western Circuit, with 9 of its practitioners ranked in this area of law; and maintains its 3 individual rankings for Health and Safety in the same Circuit, it welcomes a new ranking for Financial Crime in the...
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