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    Juliet Osborne and Nate Lara explore the key changes under the Sentencing Act 2026

    3PB's second six pupil barrister, Juliet Osborne, and criminal law barrister, Nate Lara, have written an article titled ‘A New Suspended Reality – Significant Reform to Suspended Sentence Orders’. In this piece, they examine the Sentencing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026 and outlines the key provisions set to reshape sentencing law. They explore how these reforms aim to address the ongoing pressure on the UK’s prison system, both by reducing...

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    Jonathan Underhill and Emily Lanham secure sole acquittal in £8 million duty evasion conspiracy trial

    3PB's specialist criminal and regulatory crime barrister Jonathan Underhill, leading Emily Lanham (Pump Court Chambers), secured the only not guilty verdict following a 7-week, multi defendant trial alleging a criminal conspiracy to evade duty payable on illegal cigarettes and tobacco products. In an HMRC prosecution against 8 defendants, Jonathan and Emily's client was the sole defendant to be acquitted of his alleged role in a wide-ranging and long-running conspiracy trial, following 14 hours of jury...

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  • Kate Davies

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

    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...

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

    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...

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

    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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    Nicholas Cotter prosecutes the first offence under new watercraft safety laws

    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....

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

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

    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...

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  • Ben Thomson

    Ben Thompson successfully prosecutes serious affray involving nine children

    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...

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    Nate Lara successful in sentence reduction in the Court of Appeal

    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...

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    Tom Acworth obtains seven year sentence reduction at Court of Appeal

    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...

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  • Kate Davies

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

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