John Jones Q.C.

NARRATIVE PROFILE:

Specialist in all forms of serious fraud and ancillary issues such as confiscation proceeds of crime and money laundering.   Serious fraud practice includes work prosecuted by the SFO and CPS (Revenue and Customs Division), which require I.T. skills and understanding of data management.  Currently retained in several multi million pound City insider dealing and duty evasion cases, which cases command a detailed knowledge of the issues of restraint, confiscation and extradition, along with more specialist experience of F.C.I.B. and U.M.B.S. related issues.  Such general descriptions of work types include within them more specialist areas of work including S.F.O. and C.P.S. (Revenue and Customs Division). Has dealt with cases involving mental health issues.   The Gonzales case in particular raised a significant number of issues concerning mental health problems and the distinction between motivation and illness, true mental illness and self induced illness brought on by illicit drugs.   Within fraud work he has successfully defended cases brought by the SFO.   These cases have led to specialisations in insider dealer and computer fraud, carousel fraud and duty evasions.  He has been briefed in “shaken baby” cases and other cases involving non-accidental injuries to children. Has dealt with case of historic sex abuse for both adults and children as the following cases demonstrate.

PRACTICE

All aspects of serious fraud, crime, asset tracing and recovery, money laundering and confiscation, including the following cases: -

SERIOUS FRAUD

R-v-Knights & Others

Retained by the defence in "……the largest mortgage fraud ever prosecuted in this country".  (As openned to the jury by Prosecuting Counsel). Known by the S.F.O. case reference as BMF 01 the case concerned the fraudulent acquisition of approximately £63M from various commercial lenders. Case required detailed cross-examination of experts as to the duties and responsibilities of a solicitor involved in transactions of this type. Case was complex involving both criminal and regulatory breaches. Defendant unanimously acquitted after a five month trial.

R –v- Cahill & Others
Retained by the defence in a prosecution by the SFO of Defendant’s charged with conspiracies and fraudulent trading.   A case of the utmost complexity and difficulties.    Successful plea bargain resulted in a non-custodial sentence. 

R –v- Gosling & Others
Retained by the defence in a prosecution by the SFO into the notorious “buy to let” fraud concerning the activities of P.P.P. Limited.   Described by the S.F.O. as the most significant “buy to let” type fraud involving over £80 million of investor
monies of which £65 million provided no prospect of any return. There were ultimately £16 million in investor claims following the collapse.

R-v-Mawdsley
Chester Crown Court. A serious fraud concerning both criminal and regulatory offences/matters. Case concerned the abuse of trust by a tied agent in the financial services field and the fraudulent trading of an IFA through a series of off-shore companies after the changes brought about by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 had restricted his U.K. based activities.

R-v-Brown (and others):  
Birmingham Crown Court: otherwise known as the “IKEA fraud.” Retained by the defence in a prosecution by the SFO of various defendants allegedly supplying goods to IKEA at a time when these goods were not in fact required by IKEA. The initial allegations were in excess of £15m but the SFO were
compelled to accept greatly reduced figures in respect of various charges of corruption and to abandon the principle allegation of Conspiracy to defraud resulting in the verdicts of Not Guilty.

R –v- Cox & Others: (also Known as “Operation Divert”)
Liverpool Crown Court. M.T.I.C. fraud of EU exporters.   At the time of conviction this was the largest and most complex fraud of its type.

R –v- Issitt (also Known as “Operation Divert 2”)
Liverpool Crown Court M.T.I.C. fraud of EU exporters.   (Linked to Cox & Others).

R-v-Ascroft
Fraud involving the evasion of duty on bonded liquor and the theft of such liquor from sealed containers. On Appeal the case is now reported at (2003) EWCA Crim 2365 and (2004) 1 Cr. App. R (S) 56 and (2003) Crim L.R. 894

R –v- Forsyth:
Newcastle Crown Court defending in a major computer fraud prosecuted by the S.F.O.  Concerning the sales of defective computer equipment by a manufacturer to high street suppliers such as Argos and Tesco.

R –v- Jackson & Others:
Manchester Crown Court a rail-track/HSE safety fraud case following the Hatfield rail disaster were rail railway safety was said to be compromised in consequence of working hours and practices being constrained by budget.  The allegation concerned the activities of workmen to circumvent these “rules” and deliver work on time.   All defendants were acquitted after the Prosecution abandoned the case after several weeks when the management of the providing Companies were shown to be aware of these practices and even to have condoned them, matters which were denied at the start of the trial.

R –v- Duff:
Manchester Crown Court. Prosecution of a solicitor accused of money laundering.

R –v- Bowes:
Liverpool Crown Court a confiscation proceedings following an alleged fraudulent share floatation.  

R –v- Aspin:
Lincoln Crown Court commercial fraud/tax evasion.

NON-FRAUD SERIOUS CRIME INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

R –v- Gonzales
Central Criminal Court, the Defence of a serial killer who engaged in 4 random killings and two attempted murders over a two day period.   Whole life terms
were imposed upon conviction.   The Defendant was described by staff at Broadmore Hospital as the most difficult and dangerous of those in their care. The case involved a significant mental health issues induced by a prolonged period of illicit substance abuse.

R –v- Turner (No. 2)
Manchester Crown Court. Defence of a Defendant charged with murder in a gang rivalry allegation.

R –v- Turner:
Central Criminal Court.    Multiple accounts of attempted murder when a mentally disturbed man ran amok and attacked a Brixton bus queue with several large knives.

R-v-Turner (Anthony):
Retained by the defence in the Manchester Crown Court, case tried in September 2007. Defendant was charged with the murder of a rival, against the background of gang rivalry in Manchester’s Moss Side. Defendant was acquitted of murder and all charges.  

R –v- Kabir:
Carlisle Crown Court, case involved the ritual killing of a 10-month-old baby in a bakery and again involved issues of cultural differences set against a long history of mental health problems.

R –v- Burton:
Liverpool Crown Court the homicide of a Judge’s daughter. 

R –v- Seddon & Others:
Preston Crown Court a conspiracy to murder set against gangland rivalry where the murder victim was a 4-year-old child.

R-v-Oladapo:

Central Criminal Court. Allegation of murder following an alleged vigilante attack following the activities of a notorious gang member. Case involved intrusive covert Surveillance methods and alleged covert confessions. Defendant acquitted of murder.

R-v-Duffeal:

Central Criminal Court. Allegation of murder in a gang attack on a group including a 14 Year old boy. Defendant and the co-accused were members of the notorious “London Fields Boys” gang. The case involved complex areas of joint enterprise and related issues. Thee case was extremely sensitive due to the age of the deceased and the issues of Knife crime amongst inner city teenage gangs.

R-v-Riley:

Bradford Crown Court. Allegation of murder (5 co-defendants) concerning the shooting of a man in the Icon nightclub in Bradford, in what was alleged to be a revenge attack for an earlier incident involving the man who was to become the Deceased and the co-defendant. The case depended largely upon the testimony of eye witnesses granted anonymity pursuant to the new provisions. Submissions of no case were made and upheld (both by the Trial Judge and the Court Of Appeal). Case against Riley depended wholly upon the alleged joint enterprise and his alleged involvement in this enterprise.

R-v- Anthony Greenwood

Defence of a teenager involved in the events surrounding the murder of the Liverpool teenager and cadet soldier Joseph Lappin. A case where the principle issue was joint enterprise where the Prosecution ultimately accepted guilty pleas to lesser offences.

R-v- Stephen Brighouse
Defence of a man accused of manslaughter of a supermarket employee following her attempted apprehension of him as he attempted to leave the store. In consequence of a rapid rise in blood pressure during the chase an undiagnosed and unknown aneurysm ruptured causing her death. Complex medical and causational issues were raised. The case was ultimately withdrawn from the Jury upon a submission of no case being upheld.

TERRORISM AND RELATED OFFENCES

R –v- Girma & Others
Defence of alleged terrorist charged with rendering assistance to those in the London Tube Bombings on the 21st July 2005. 
 
R-v- Mustafa and others.
Muslim fundamentalists and conspiracy to cause explosions.

R-v-Shaykh Asif Hussain Forooqui
An eminent Muslim cleric released without charge following his arrest and investigation for involvement in alleged terrorist offences. Pre-charge advice on disclosure, seizure and related matters given.

HISTORIC SEX ABUSE AND RELATED MATTERS

R –v- Anthony Briggs
Retained by the defence in an historic sex abuse case. Defendant acquitted on 25 counts in two indictments.

R –v- Andrews:
Manchester Crown Court, the case involved the Senior Director of Social Services involved in serious allegations of rape, buggery and indecent assault (male and female) on children within local authority care. Complex inter departmental disclosure issues.

R –v- Beech:
Manchester Crown Court, historic sex abuse case, allegations dating back 30 years against a former Sunday School Teacher and Methodist lay preacher. The Defendant was 78 years of age at the time of trial.

HIGH PROFILE CELEBRITY CASES

R-v-Khan
Defence of Champion boxer and Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan in a case alleging dangerous driving.

R –v- Hancox
Defence of the driver of a Lamborghini motor vehicle allegedly driving at 196 miles per hour on the M20 motorway.   Charged with dangerous driving.

R –v- Luke McCormack
Defence of the Plymouth Argyle Goalkeeper accused of causing the death of two children in consequence of dangerous driving.

MISCELLANEOUS CASES OF NOTE.

R –v- Harper (& Others):
Manchester Crown Court a counterfeiting conspiracy.

R –v- Nevin:
Leeds Crown Court a large-scale conspiracy to supply class A drugs.   Alleged profits of £500,000 per month.   Super grass evidence was discredited.   

WHAT THE DIRECTORIES SAY :

CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS” ENTRY 2008

“Praised for his grasp of details and ability to retail the facts in a telling way.  Known for his imposing presentations to juries”. 

CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS” ENTRY 2009

“John Jones QC is a particularly fine communicator with a direct and an incisive advocacy style.   He possesses expertise in the full range of serious crime, confiscation and money laundering matters and is working on a number of multi-million pound City and Duty Evasions.  Sources describe him as “excellent at dealing with difficult and demanding clients”. 

CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS” ENTRY 2010

“….a hard hitting and aggressive advocate who has appeared as Leading Counsel in a number of large scale S.F.O. cases”.

CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS” ENTRY 2011

“John Jones Q.C. has a formidable reputation as an advocate. A heavy hitting Silk, he is frequently instructed in the most demanding S.F.O. prosecutions"

LEGAL 500 ENTRY 2011

"Notable fraud practice..."

PERSONAL:

Call 1981

Silk 2002

Education – The University of Liverpool

Inn – Middle Temple

Memberships – Criminal Bar Association

Email: johnrjonesqc@exchangechambers.co.uk