Crime and Regulatory Crime News

Following a 6 week trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, 3 defendants were convicted of the murder of Richard Hardy on 26 January 2018 and have been sentenced to life with minimum terms of 29, 28 and 27 years respectively. A 4th Defendant was sentenced to 8 years for manslaughter. In passing sentence Mrs Justice Cheema-Grub DBE referred to the offences as “brutal”, noting that the Defendants had murdered a man in less than 30 seconds in...

Tom Horder has represented a building contractor in a HSE prosecution arising from damage to a gas main. During the subsequent repair works escaping gas ignited. On 6.11.18 At Folkstone Magistrates’ court Southern Gas Networks (the Co-defendant Company) was fined £1.2m and the building contractor £60,000. Click here to view Tom Horder's profile.

3PB Barristers, Nick Cotter, Elisabeth Bussey-Jones and Adam Norris, have represented defendants in Birmingham Crown Court in relation to a conspiracy to bring drugs and other contra-band items including mobile phones into a variety of prisons across the UK by using of drones.  The “Drone Conspiracy” has been described as the largest ever seen in the UK. It involved various participants playing different roles in the use of drones to steer and navigate perimeter fences and deliver cannabis,...

3PB’s Head of Chambers Nigel Lickley QC leading David Richards prosecuted an army officer for offence of gross negligence manslaughter and another officer and a warrant officer for negligent performance of duty arising from the death of soldier Michael Maguire on Castlemartin Ranges, West Wales in May 2012 during a live firing training exercise. The 8 week trial was both factually and legally complex. The case concerned the planning, organisation, and running of live firing ranges. Additionally,...

The defendant's Renault Clio had collided with a Kawasaki motorcycle ridden by 67-year-old Graham Hibbs in Victoria Road, Ferndown. Mr Hibbs, who lived in Wimborne, was "catapulted" through the air in the collision, which happened as Miss Quartey attempted to turn right into Westwood Avenue. He suffered severe head and chest injuries and died at the scene. Expert witnesses from both prosecution and defence teams agreed that parts of the carriageway were obscured by shadows on...

Nick Robinson successfully defended Mr Michael Henley-Smith at his Conspiracy to blackmail trial at Bournemouth Crown Court. The trial lasted seven days and concluded when the jury, after three hours in retirement, unanimously acquitted Mr Henley-Smith. The count faced by Mr Henley-Smith had been one of a number of counts on an Indictment containing offences of Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs against seven other defendants. The drugs conspiracy stemmed from an extensive police investigation...

Nigel Lickley QC has been appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge under section 9(4) of the Senior Courts Act 1981. He has been assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Thomas Evans successfully appealed Mr Thomson's 18-month sentence for possession of a Samurai sword in a public place. The Court of Appeal found that the sentence imposed had been "manifestly excessive" and substituted a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment. Mr Justice Goss described Mr Evans' submissions as "cogent and economical". Click here to view Thomas Evans' profile.

The Crime group at 3PB welcomes the result of the recent CBA ballot confirming acceptance of the Government’s revised proposal on the new AGFS.  This brings to an end the action taken by the bar and 3PB since 1st April.  All members of the criminal team will now undertake new work under the revised scheme.  We would like to thank all of our instructing solicitors for their understanding and patience during this time. For more...

Michael Vere-Hodge QC, instructed by Central Bedfordshire Council, successfully prosecuted registered charity and spiritual organisation Science of the Soul. In April 2014, a volunteer was using a scaffolding platform to inspect lighting at the organisation’s main UK site at Haynes Park. The volunteer tragically fell from the scaffolding sustaining fatal injury. Subsequent investigation revealed that the scaffolding tower was fundamentally unsafe and that the nominated supervisor was an elderly gentleman with poor eyesight who was...

On 18 May 2018 Sunyana Sharma secured the largest financial penalty for the Maritime Coastguard Agency ('MCA') against Sodexo Ltd in the sum of £300,000. The Defendant Company pleaded guilty for failing to operate a passenger vessel, 'Symphony' on the River Thames, with a valid Domestic Ship Safety Management Certificate for a period of 6 weeks. During this period, it had carried approximately 10,000 passengers. For an offence which was contrary to Regulations 6 and 10 of the Merchant Shipping (Domestic Passenger Ships)(Safety Management Code) Regulations...

This case concerned the deaths of 4 sailors. They were the crew of the Cheeki Rafiki sailing from Antigua to the United Kingdom in May 2014. The vessel capsized when 1000 miles off the east coast of the USA after her keel became detached following the failure of the keel/hull attachment. Mr Innes was the managing agent for Cheeki Rafiki. His business Stormforce Coaching Ltd ran her as a commercial charter for races and cruising....