Patrick Roche has over 30 years' experience practising in high profile inquests, public law cases and in criminal defence. Patrick was one of the leading counsel for the families in the Hillsborough inquests and has a similar role in their current action for misfeasance against the Police. He is ranked in the Legal 500 2018 for Civil Liberties and Human Rights.
Inquests and Inquiries
Overview
Patrick has extensive experience representing families of the deceased in inquests. Chambers UK described him as "an effective opponent who comes into his own before a jury" and "always gives 100%."
Patrick believes in working closely with families and solicitors to ensure that the families' voice is heard effectively in the inquests and doing his utmost to expose failings which have contributed to a death.
Patrick was engaged in the Hillsborough Inquests for two years as one of the leading counsel for 77 families who lost relatives in the disaster. He also appeared for the families at the High Court hearing in 2012 which successfully quashed the original inquests.
Patrick has represented a substantial number of bereaved families whose loved ones have died in custody or due to the failings of other State bodies such as prisons or hospitals.
Patrick drafted submissions to the Bishop of Liverpool's Review following the Hillsborough Inquests and has been involved in the drafting the proposals for a Hillsborough Law.
Notable Cases
Past notable cases can be viewed below. Click here to see a list of recent notable cases.
Sathiyanathan and Others (East Sussex Coroners Court 2017 )
Patrick represented 6 families whose children had been drowned off Camber Sands in two separate incidents in 2016. The Coroner accepted that Rother District Council had failed to implement recommendations to deploy life guards in a series of reports from the RNLI.
Inquest touching the death of Nelson Richards (Exeter Coroners Court 2017)
Patrick represented the family of a prisoner who had been transferred from prison to hospital with a rare disease and died a month later. Throughout this period he was chained to a prison officer despite the fact that he was a model prisoner.
Inquests into the Hillsborough Disaster (2014 – 2016)
Acted as Leading Counsel for 10 families in the inquests which lasted 2 years.
Attorney General v Her Majesty's Coroner for South Yorkshire (West) [2012] Inquest L.R. 143
Patrick acted for 77 of the Hillsborough families in a successful application to the Administrative Court to quash the decision of the original inquests that the deceased had died as the result of an accident.
Tabriaz Mahmood Preston Coroner's Court (2012)
Patrick represented the family of a prisoner who took his own life.
Dylan Kemp Croydon Coroner's Court (2012)
Patrick represented the family of a soldier who took his own life shortly after his return from Afghanistan and release from custody. The inquest exposed the failures of the Army to care properly for soldiers after active service.
Dodi Al Fayed (1999-2007)
Patrick represented Mohamed Al Fayed for eight years in relation to the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed. He drafted the successful application for judicial review of the Coroner's refusal to sit without a jury: R (aoa Paul) v Deputy Coroner of the Queens' Household [2008] Q.B. 172
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Criminal Defence
Overview
Patrick's expertise spans a wide range of serious and complex criminal cases. He regularly acts as leading junior counsel in heavy weight cases. He has led in murder cases as well as large scale multi-handed conspiracies to kidnap and import drugs.
Chambers UK described him as "an effective opponent who comes into his own before a jury" and "always gives 100%."
Patrick has sat as a Recorder since 2005. He has conducted numerous appeals in serious cases. These included successfully quashing convictions for murder in one case due to privilege being wrongly waived and due to a failure to provide adequate disclosure in another.
Notable Cases
Past notable cases can be viewed below. Click here to see a list of recent notable cases.
R v Jacques, Sheffield Crown Court (2017)
Represented Defendant accused of attempted murder who pleaded guilty to section 18.
R v McGregor, Sheffield Crown Court (2016)
Represented Defendant acquitted of attempted murder by shooting during attempted robbery.
R v Micheala, Harrow Crown Court (2012)
Represented Defendant accused of £14 million fraud.
R v Silcott, Croydon Crown Court (2012)
Represented Defendant accused of multiple armed robberies.
R v Chana, Kingston Crown Court (May/June 2009)
Represented Defendant accused of largest ever importation of heroin into the UK.
R v Atehortua, Central Criminal Court (January-March 2009)
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder.
R v Otis Matthews, Court of Appeal, Chester Crown Court and Liverpool Crown Court (2006/7)
Represented Defendant on successful appeal against his conviction for murder on the basis that the Appellant had wrongly been allowed to waive privilege and in two re-trials.
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Claims Against the Police and Public Authorities
Overview
Patrick has a long record of acting for Claimants in actions against the Police and challenges to State authorities. He represented 77 Hillsborough families during the recent inquests and is one of the leading counsel for the families in their current actions for misfeasance against the Police.
He has acted in successful challenges against the police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (now IOPC), and the Test and County Cricket Board and represented Terry Venables in an action against the BBC.
Notable Cases
Past notable cases can be viewed below. Click here to see a list of recent notable cases.
Hegazy v Commisioner for The Metropolis (2014) EWHC 235 (QB)
Patrick represented the Claimant in an action in the High Court for false imprisonment, assault and racial discrimination. He successfully applied for the court to treat a number of previous incidents involving the officers involved in the arrest as similar fact.
A and B v Ministry of Defence (2012)
Patrick represented two Claimants who achieved a favourable settlement in an action against the Ministry of Defence for malicious prosecution following a charge of conspiracy to murder.
SA v KCC [2010] 2 F.L.R. 1721
Patrick succeeded in the Court of Appeal in a landmark case establishing the principle that kinship carers ought to have the same rights as other foster carers when a local authority places a child with them.
Ijebuode v The Chief Constable of Dorset Police & Others (2010)
Patrick represented the Claimant in his discrimination and malicious prosecution claims against Dorset Police.
X + Y v Greater Manchester Police (2006)
Patrick represented the Claimant who was awarded damages of £120,000 for breach of confidence.
