Kevin Slack

Call 1997

slack@exchangechambers.co.uk

Photo of Kevin Slack

Criminal

Kevin is a highly experienced practitioner in criminal and regulatory work.  He is a CPS Category 4 Prosecutor and a CPS Specialist Prosecutor on the Fraud Panel (category 4) and Serious Crime Panel (category 3). He is also on the Regulatory Advocates Panel (List B).

Kevin undertakes all aspects of criminal work but has particular expertise in:

  • fraud
  • money laundering
  • confiscation
  • environmental crime

He will often be instructed to prosecute cases which have attracted national media interest.

Kevin has wide-ranging experience of regulatory work. He prosecutes on behalf of the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and Insolvency Service and has, for many years, represented the GMC in disciplinary proceedings against medical practitioners. Kevin also has an interest in taxi licensing and has represented a number of different local authorities in relation to cases involving the regulation of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

Kevin prides himself on his attention to detail, thorough preparation and his understanding of complex issues and how to resolve them.

Criminal Cases

  • Operation Eucalyptus (2022 – ongoing) Leading Prosecution Junior Counsel in 6 week trial of 5 defendants involving allegations of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering. Over AUD$37m (£21m) dishonestly obtained by the dishonest exploitation of a glitch on an Australian cryptocurrency digital trading platform.
  • Operation Paratrooper (2020-2022) Leading Junior Counsel in successful prosecution of 8 defendants involved in conspiracies to commit fraud by abuse of UK tax credit and child benefit systems. Fraudulent claims advanced using fictitious identities of 70 adults claiming for 188 fictitious children resulting in a loss of over £1.75million. Confiscation proceedings ongoing.
  • R v A, B and C (2021). Prosecution Junior in 6 week murder trial involving two youth defendants aged 14 years and 15 years (as well as an adult charged with assisting an offender). Several prosecution witnesses were themselves children.
  • R v DL (2020). Prosecution of defendant charged with attempted murder following an attack on victim with an axe. Prosecution complicated by refusal of victim to cooperate with police investigation.  
  • R v JS (2018). 3 week trial of defendant accused of conning over 30 victims into paying DBS fees as part of process for applying for non-existent employment.
  • R v MC, SR, MS, AP, FP and YEH (2017-2019). Advance fee fraud and associated money-laundering in which over 40 victims duped into handing over cash deposits to purchase residential properties that were not in fact for sale.  
  • R v Z (2018). 4 week trial concerning conspiracy to produce cannabis at 31 properties in Merseyside.
  • Operation Pepper (2017). Prosecution of 7 defendants involving “cash for crash” insurance fraud and large-scale multiple identity social security benefit fraud.
  • R v BK, MK, KK and GH (2017). Income tax, VAT and social security benefit fraud revolving around undeclared earnings from two businesses. Case attracted widespread publicity.
  • R v F (2016 ) A contested High Court application to vary a Serious Crime Prevention Order. Instructed by the CPS Organised Crime Division on what was believed to be one of the first such cases in the North of England.
  • HSE v S Ltd (2016) which concerned the uncontrolled discharge of toxic liquid at a chemical factory. One of the first Crown Court cases in the country to apply the new Sentencing Guidelines for Health and Safety offences. The fines imposed totalled £200,000.
  • R v E Ltd, CT Ltd and CC Ltd (2016). A joint prosecution between the Environment Agency and a local authority involving oven cleaner that illegally re-entered the market following its recall instead of being disposed of as toxic waste. The total fines imposed exceeded £350,000.
  • R v Nawaz [2015] EWCA Crim 1930 – involving the successful challenge to fresh evidence called before the Court of Appeal in an appeal against conviction.
  • Operation Dishcloth (2014). A successful four-handed prosecution on behalf of HMRC of individuals who had defrauded the tax credit system by claiming for fictitious children.
  • Operation Enigma (2010-2017). Junior prosecution Counsel in complex multi-million pound international money laundering case focussed on the activities of a Money Service Bureau remitting funds to Pakistan. The prosecution originally involved 12 defendants.
  • Operation Pacifier (2012-2013). Kevin prosecuted a total of 16 defendants involved in a fraud orchestrated by an employee at a Pension Centre who abused his position to manipulate computer records in order to divert payments due to 24 pensioners into the bank accounts of others assisting him in the fraud.
  • Operation Tanglewood (2010-13). Kevin was led junior in a UKBA prosecution of 7 defendants alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to import class A drugs by light aircraft into the UK.
  • Operation Pandora (2011-2012). This was a complicated prosecution in Preston Crown Court involving the dumping of hazardous waste across 6 sites in the north west of England by companies controlled by 4 individuals. Much work was required to devise a means of presenting detailed evidence relating to hazardous waste consignments in a form that was digestible for a jury. Originally listed for a 6 week trial, all four defendants were successfully convicted. The sentence hearing received nationwide publicity.
  • Operation Flycatcher II (2011-2012). Kevin was led junior in a joint prosecution brought by Lancashire Police and HMRC of four individuals involved in defrauding elderly victims by performing sub-standard driveway repairs. Kevin presented the part of the case which concerned a substantial tax fraud on HMRC.
  • Operation Receptor (2010 Manchester Crown Court). Kevin was led junior in a successful SOCA prosecution of a class A drugs trafficker and his financial adviser for money laundering.
  • Prosecution Counsel in R v H (2010 Liverpool Crown Court). The defendant was a dentist who was convicted of defrauding the NHS of over £300,000 by claiming dental payments to which he was not entitled.
  • Prosecution Counsel in Operation Housemaster (2009 -Preston Crown Court). This involved the successful prosecution of three employers who conspired to defraud the DWP by encouraging over 50 members of staff to falsely claim social security benefits.

 

Confiscation

  • R v KK (2020-2021) Successful application pursuant to section 22 POCA to increase amount of confiscation order to include recovery of after-acquired back-dated benefit lump sum.
  • R v SB (2019-2020). Convoluted confiscation proceedings involving a fraudster who had defrauded pensioners of their life savings by impersonating a bank official. Issues of hidden assets and potential third party interests considered. Confiscation order exceeding £300,000 ultimately obtained.
  • R v BK, MK and KK (2017-2018). Complex confiscation proceedings involving expert evidence and resulting in successful recovery of over £350,000 from convicted tax and benefit fraudsters.
  • Environment Agency v P and P (2016). Complicated confiscation proceedings in Preston Crown Court following convictions for the illegal storage of waste. Benefit from criminal conduct ultimately assessed at £1.2 million.
  • R v Nawaz (2016). Confiscation proceedings following R v Nawaz [2015] EWCA Crim 1930, including consideration of the extent to which the defendant could call evidence in confiscation proceedings already rejected by the Court of Appeal in appeal conviction proceedings.
  • R v DW (2016). Ongoing proceedings involving a contested s23 POCA application in the context of a confiscation order against a drugs trafficker and applications to intervene by third parties.
  • Operation Receptor (confiscation) (2010-2013). Protracted confiscation proceedings involving two convicted money launderers. Following the obtaining of very substantial confiscation orders, Kevin was instructed by CPS AFD at all stages of the enforcement process including contested applications under s23 POCA. Issues raised have included contested claims by third parties to beneficial interests in property held in the UK and abroad as well the consideration of the effect of rights of occupation under Italian law on valuation of an Italian property.
  • Environment Agency v BSH, NWR & RA (2012-2013). This was the prosecution in Carlisle Crown Court of two companies and their managing director who were together responsible for the illegal depositing of thousands of tonnes of waste at various sites in Cumbria. The case involved consideration of a number of issues including the approach to be taken when calculating criminal benefit in cases of depositing waste for the purposes of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
  • R v Bajwa and others [2011] EWCA Crim 1093. Prosecution led junior in complex confiscation proceedings following convictions for conspiracy to evade over £1m in excise duty on smuggled cigarettes. The Court of Appeal considered the correct interpretation of section 75(2)(c), section 76(4) and section 76(5) POCA in the context of goods seized by HMRC before physical collection by the conspirators.

 

Environmental Crime

  • Please see Environmental Regulation CV

 

Health and Safety

  • Please see Health and Safety CV