Criminal Appeals & Miscarriages of Justice

Sally Challen murder conviction quashed and manslaughter plea accepted in “coercive control” case (2019) 
Landmark case in which Sally Challen walked free after prosecutors accepted a lesser plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, for killing her abusive husband after decades of psychological abuse. Coverage in BBC, Guardian and ITV News.

High Court allows appeal on time limit for prosecuting summary offences (2019) 
Acting for the appellant in a case described by the High Court as one ‘which raises a short but important point as to the…time limit on the commencement of a prosecution for a summary offence’.

Successful appeal against sentence secures imminent release from custody for 18-year-old (2018) 
It was argued that the two-year sentence for robbery committed with two others when the defendant was 17 was excessive, and the sentencing judge had failed to give proper regard to the young man’s age, mitigation or the comparatively lenient sentences imposed on the young man’s co-defendants.

Successful appeal against conviction almost 10 years out of time (2017)
Representing Mr K, who in 2007 pleaded guilty to possessing a false passport contrary to section 25 of the Identity Cards Act 2006. He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. The conviction was quashed.

R v Jogee, Ruddock v The Queen (2016)
Supreme Court and Privy Council clarification of joint enterprise

R v Ched Evans (2015)
CCRC referral of footballer Ched Evans’ rape conviction to Court of Appeal and subsequent successful appeal

R v L & Ors (2013)
Successful test case creating further protections for trafficked victims under Article 26 of the Anti-Trafficking Convention and the relevant EU Directive, and overturning the convictions of four victims of trafficking, three of whom were children

R v McNally (2013)
Leading authority on when consent may be vitiated in relation to sexual offences

R v Victor Nealon (2013)
Overturning rape conviction of Victor Nealon, who was wrongly imprisoned for 17 years, after fresh DNA evidence was considered on appeal

R v Sam Hallam (2012)
Widely publicised miscarriage of justice appeal. The case was reported in The Guardian

Tabeel Lewis v The State (2011)
Reprieve secured in Privy Council death penalty case

R v Altaf Hussain (2008)
Last in series of CCRC referrals exposing malpractice and the use of PIs by Customs and Excise in the 80s and 90s

R v Suzanne Holdsworth (2008)
Conviction for toddler murder found unsafe in light of fresh medical evidence

R v Derek Bentley (1998)
Earliest case on principle of joint enterprise: Derek Bentley was hanged in 1953 and posthumously vindicated in 1998 when his conviction was set aside