Crime
Oliver Hirsch is a barrister, based at 3PB’s Winchester office, who accepts instructions in both defence and prosecution work, appearing in the magistrates’, youth and Crown Courts.
Criminal Defence
R v M: represented defendant in the Court of Appeal, having his sentence reduced by one third.
R v K: ABH, client acquitted of allegation that he assaulted his neighbour. He had argued self-defence.
R v S: possession of Class A with intent to supply - client acquitted after trial by jury.
R v E: acted as junior counsel in a multi-week trial of historic child sexual abuse allegations.
R v L: defended client at his sentencing for a knifepoint attempted robbery; highly unusually, a suspended sentence was passed.
R v B: Successfully argued that the defendant would suffer 'exceptional hardship' if her driving licence was not restored.
R v W: Mitigating for his client in a court martial sentencing for going absent without leave, Oliver persuaded the court to grant (unusually) a community service order.
R v T: client acquitted at trial; self-defence to a charge of assaulting an emergency worker.
R v S: conditional discharge for outraging public decency.
R v C: possession of a bladed article; starting point of 18 months in custody reduced to a 6-month suspended sentence.
R v W: client acquitted after exclusion of prosecution evidence under the hearsay rule.
R v G: non-punitive community order for multiple deliberate failures to provide a specimen.
R v B: multi-handed affray; no evidence offered in return for a restraining order.
Criminal Prosecution
R v P: secured conviction for street robbery after trial by jury.
R v B: custodial sentence for a racially aggravated public order offence upheld on appeal.
R v D: prolific paedophile given a 12-year extended sentence, after he re-offended when released on licence.
R v P: conviction for driving in charge of a vehicle while unfit.
R v M: conviction in drink-driving case involving expert evidence.
R v W: conviction for failure to provide a specimen, where the defendant had caused very serious injuries by crashing his car. A substantial period of disqualification was imposed.
Proceeds of Crime
R v A: Oliver persuaded the prosecution to settle, after making a novel argument that the defendant’s current account balance was in fact held on trust for his bank. The client paid £16,000 less than the prosecution had been pursuing.
R v C: Oliver negotiated the amount sought by the prosecution down from £15,000 to £3,500.
Regulatory
Oliver acts in all areas of regulatory law. His most recent experience includes taxi licence appeals and a private prosecution under the electric pedal cycle regulations.