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      Nicholas Cotter successful as HSE drop prosecution after defence representations

      3PB's crime and regulatory barrister Nicholas Cotter (pictured here) saw the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) drop its Section 7 HSWA Prosecution against a former employee of Crediton Dairy. The Dairy and another company had pleaded guilty and been fined for failing to remove asbestos correctly. However the HSE sought to continue its prosecution of the company employee, who had pleaded not guilty and the matter was proceeding to trial. However, after the production of...

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      Nick Cotter and Graham Gilbert successfully prosecute organised crime gang in major phone fraud case

      3PB's crime and regulatory barristers Nick Cotter and Graham Gilbert acted for the Crown in prosecuting an organised crime gang who defrauded major phone companies out of over £400,000 - seeing four of the five fraudsters jailed for a combined total of 11 years with the fifth, who admitted his part in the fraud conspiracy, due to appear for sentencing at a later date. The fraudsters all pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court to defrauding...

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    • Nicholas Cotter's client acquitted of conspiracy to murder

      3PB's crime and regulatory barrister Nicholas Cotter (pictured here), led by Mark Wyeth KC, has just completed a three-month trial at the Central Criminal Court in which his client was acquitted of conspiracy to murder The client was alleged to be involved in a gangland shooting in a nightclub, which was indicted at the outset as a conspiracy to murder. Following trial, the client was found guilty of a firearms offence but acquitted of all...

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    • Professional discipline and regulatory newsletter

      Professional discipline and regulatory newsletter - out now!

      Welcome to 3PB's Professional Discipline and Regulatory newsletter celebrating new rankings for our barristers in the latest Legal 500 publication. Edited by Daniel Brown, our newsletter has analysis from Sam Shurey on how to avoid erasure from the GDC register for non-compliance. Sunyana Sharma brings you news of the HCPC's updated standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Sunyana also considers the High Court's decision in Sudheer Shabir v. General Medical Council [2023] EWNH 1772 (Admin). Daniel Brown analyses Dr Sun v General Medical Council [2023] EWHC 1515 (Admin) concerned with mental health considerations in the context of findings of dishonesty.

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    • Chambers and Partners 2023

      3PB Criminal Law team achieves the TOP TIER in both legal directories again

      3PB offers its congratulations to its Criminal Law team for again reaching the top tier in the latest editions (2023) of the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories. The team has increased its number of juniors ranked in the Western Circuit by Chambers and Partners to 10 (+2 on last year), and now achieves 12 rankings in the Legal 500 (+2 on last year). 3PB’s criminal law team ‘offers an impressive array of criminal practitioners’ and...

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    • Simon Astill

      3PB excels with 73 rankings in Chambers and Partners 2023

      3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) has been awarded a record number of rankings in the latest edition of Chambers and Partners with a total of 73 accolades for its barristers. The national heavyweight chambers achieves its rankings in London, South Eastern, Western and the Midlands - in 18 categories of law. Earlier this year, 3PB also celebrated its first ranking in Chambers and Partners High Net Worth guide. Click here to view the full results...

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    • Simon Astill

      3PB triumphs in latest Legal 500 ratings of the UK's best barristers  

      3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings), the UK's third largest chambers, is delighted to report its best rankings yet - totalling 130 - in the Legal 500 2023’s edition published last night, up 12% on last year’s 116. The set has achieved its rankings across 5 large UK regions - or Circuits (London, South Eastern, Western, Midlands and Chester and Wales) - in 21 categories of law. Earlier this year, 3PB also celebrated its first rankings...

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      Nicholas Cotter secures not guilty result for pub landlady prosecution

      3PB's specialist regulatory law barrister Nicholas Cotter (pictured here) with Phil Williams, of Blackfords LLP secured a not guilty result on the eve of the trial for pub landlady Mrs. Kellie McGarry who was facing prosecution by the HSE over the death of a customer. Mrs. Kellie McGarry who ran Rosehill Tavern, where Elaine Horrocks died after falling down the cellar steps more than four years ago, was charged with failing to do business to...

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    • Nick Cotter in complex health and safety case : R v Young & Others 2021 (Cardiff)

      3PB criminal and regulatory barrister Nick Cotter, pictured here, represented South Wales Safety Consultancy Ltd which was one of the defendants in a Crown Court trial, after a scaffolder was crushed to death when a church collapsed ahead of its demolition in Cardiff. This was a complex case concerning individual corporate defendants facing a range of offences and four contractors were given suspended prison sentences. Keith Young was the contractor in charge of the demolition,...

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      5 year FA ban successfully overturned by 3PB Sports Team

      3PB sports law and disciplinary specialist barristers Nick Cotter and Graham Gilbert were successful in a FA appeal hearing on behalf of a talented 16 year old footballer, Nathan Hieatt, who in February 2020 was accused of spitting at a referee's foot and given a 5 year ban at the initial FA hearing. In spite of five witnesses from his team and his college tutor corroborating Nathan’s story, and with the referee having no independent...

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    • 3PB barrister Nicholas Cotter in first criminal trial since pandemic

      Crime barrister Nicholas Cotter of 3PB appeared as junior counsel for the defence in the first criminal trial in the UK to successfully return to the courts since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020. The fifty-eight day trial at the Old Bailey involved six young defendants who faced an allegation of murder with the stabbing of a male on the Edgware Road in West London. The case helped provide a working example on the...

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    • Dorset murder of father by lighter fluid addict son

      3PB’s criminal law barrister Nicholas Cotter, acting for the defence, assisted in reducing the life tariff of a son who sadly murdered his father when under the influence of butane gas. Dominic Hodgson, 37, thought his father had "turned evil" when he inflicted multiple head wounds at their shared home in Sherborne, Dorset, in May. Robert Hodgson, 72, had reluctantly let his son stay with him as he had nowhere to go, Winchester Crown Court...

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