Crime and Regulatory Crime News

Kate Davies returns from her sabbatical and secures not guilty verdicts to GBH and ABH charges

10th March 2026

3PB's criminal law barrister Kate Davies saw immediate success after her recent return from a sabbatical, when she secured two not guilty verdicts for her client to charges of both GBH and ABH. The prosecution had alleged her client had taken someone to ground and then assaulted them repeatedly causing injuries. The defence was that it was an accident. Kate was instructed by Rio Kellman of specialist criminal defence solicitors firm, Renshaw Derrick, whose client...

Nate Lara celebrates his first year at 3PB by securing an acquittal in an exposure trial

3rd March 2026

3PB Barristers' criminal barrister Nate Lara has successfully secured an acquittal for his client in relation to two allegations of exposure in a case heard at Portsmouth Crown Court. DH faced allegations of exposing himself to a family member on numerous occasions both in person and by phone. DH accepted that he committed the acts, however he denied his intention was to cause harm, as the law requires. The prosecution relied on DH’s responses in...

Nick Robinson secures acquittal in high profile attempted murder trial at Winchester Crown Court

27th January 2026

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...

Nicholas Cotter prosecutes the first offence under new watercraft safety laws

26th January 2026

3PB crime regulatory law barrister Nicholas Cotter has acted in the first prosecution of a case under the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023, which was introduced in 2024 to enable the prosecution of users of powered vessels and personal watercrafts for their unsafe operation. Instructed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the case concerned a man who crashed into a 15-year-old kayaker near Milford Haven, causing injury and fear and wrecking the boy’s kayak....

Kate Lumsdon KC, Thomas Evans and Nick Robinson secure acquittals for youth defendants in Winchester murder trial

11th December 2025

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...

Nicholas Cotter successfully appeals 30-year minimum life sentence for murder

8th December 2025

3PB's crime and regulatory barrister Nicholas Cotter has successfully appealed the imposition of a 30-year minimum term for murder, which had been witnessed by a very young child. The case involved the use of knife resulting in a brutal killing on a public street. The full court were persuaded that whilst this was a significant case of its type the enhancement of the minimum term due to the presence of the child was excessive. The...

Ben Thompson successfully prosecutes serious affray involving nine children

3rd December 2025

3PB criminal barrister Ben Thompson has successfully acted for the Crown in a serious affray involving multiple child victims. Ben prosecuted a man in his 40s who confronted nine children in a public park, brandishing a knife and threatening to “cut their hearts out.” The defendant denied having a knife, claiming instead that he was holding a vape, but the jury rejected his account after a four-day trial in Southampton. The defendant was unanimously convicted...

Nate Lara successful in sentence reduction in the Court of Appeal

31st October 2025

3PB criminal law barrister Nate Lara (pictured here) has been successful in the Court of Appeal, arguing that the original sentence imposed in the Crown Court was manifestly excessive and wrong in principle. The defendant received a sentence of imprisonment of 30 months. Nate argued that despite the aggravating features the sentence was excessive, going outside the range in the relevant sentencing guidelines, without sufficient justification for doing so. Nate also argued that the court...

Tom Acworth obtains seven year sentence reduction at Court of Appeal

30th October 2025

3PB's criminal law barrister Tom Acworth, who is instructed in general crime, regulatory crime and police law, acted for FBD at first instance and in this Court of Appeal hearing. FBD had been convicted of 13 sexual offences, which were committed against five children in the late 1990s. He was sentenced to 32 years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal agreed with Tom’s submissions that the sentence was manifestly excessive and reduced the overall term of...

Kate Davies successfully defends two different clients in two Crown Court assault trials in October 2025

20th October 2025

3PB’s criminal law barrister Kate Davies, pictured here, has already successfully defended two different clients in two separate Crown Court trials for assault this month. Kate’s first client was charged with assault. The alleged assault was caught on CCTV. The defence was accident, and the case involved the cross-examination of four witnesses. The jury acquitted the defendant unanimously in less than an hour. Kate was instructed by Kate Green of Renshaw Derrick and Co Solicitors....

3PB breaks through the 100 rankings ceiling in Chambers and Partners 2026 edition

16th October 2025

3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) have been awarded a record number of individual rankings in the 2026 edition of Chambers and Partners, reaching a total of 104 (96 last year) achieved by 86 of its barristers. The national set has doubled its number of individual rankings in 5 years (52 in 2021) and is rewarded with accolades in 22 areas of law across the London Bar as well as in the North Eastern, South Eastern,...

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...