Simon Berkson
Practice
Simon specialises in criminal work, both for the defence and prosecution. He is on the Attorney General’s unified panel and is recommended in the “Legal 500” and “Chamber’s Guide to the Legal Profession”.
Simon is a specialist criminal practitioner who has acted in a variety of cases including homicide, drugs conspiracies, cases involving serious violence, serious sexual offences and firearms offences. Simon has appeared as a Leading Junior in complex and lengthy cases. As well as doing general crime, Simon has extensive experience in fraud cases and cases prosecuted by the Revenue and Customs.
Areas of Practice:
- White collar fraud
- Excise cases
- Large scale drugs conspiracies
- Murder and other homicide offences
- Serious sexual offences
- Robbery and firearms cases
- Criminal appeal work
- Money laundering offences
- Confiscation
- Disciplinary hearings
- Computer crime
- Regulatory work
- Health and Safety
Simon has also defended fraud cases involving:
· Mortgage fraud
· Carousel fraud
· Benefit fraud
· Large scale theft
· Counterfeiting bank notes
· Theft from employers
· Tax fraud
Simon has acted for the prosecution in fraud cases involving:
· Excise fraud
· Benefit fraud
· Computer fraud
· Money Laundering
· Identity fraud
What the Directories Say
"Simon has been recommended in crime in the Chamber’s Guide to the Legal Profession over many years:
“He never drops the ball: he always does a fantastic job” (2007)
“Confident performance in difficult cases” (2008)
“Deals with violent crime and has also carved out a niche in white collar crime” (2009)
“Simon Berkson’s practice, meanwhile, includes both defence and prosecution work. He has recently handled a number of cases concerning drugs and prison violence” (2010)
Simon is also recommended in the Legal 500:
“Simon Berkson is a recommended junior for fraud and white collar crime” (2007)
“Simon Berkson appeared in the House of Lords biased jury appeal” (2008)
Simon Berkson is described as “highly rated at the junior level” (2009)
Notable cases
Fraud
R v O’Toole - Leading Junior in a fraud involving the sale of damp proofing for the defence. The case featured on the television programme Rogue Traders.
R v Dickens - defended in a multi-million pound mortgage fraud with related confiscation proceedings. This was a VHCC case which lasted for 2 months.
R v Munir - represented the main defendant in a large-scale carousel fraud with related money laundering charges and related confiscation proceedings. This resulted in one of the biggest confiscation orders made in any case.
R v Marshall - represented a defendant charged with a multi-million pound counterfeiting conspiracy.
R v Knowles - benefit fraud involving an army pension for the defence.
R v Nesbit & others - acted for the prosecution in a multi-million pound excise fraud.
R v Abdullah - representing a defendant charged with a diesel fraud.
R v Poolagasingan - acted for the defendant in money laundering case involving a large amount of unexplained cash.
R v Henshaw - representing the defendant as Leading Junior in a money laundering charge connected to a number of cash-in-transit robberies with related confiscation proceedings.
R v Tufail & Others – prosecuted a computer fraud and related money laundering conspiracy involving 10 defendants selling I tunes vouchers which had been fraudulently obtained on Ebay.
R v Parkes – defended a benefit fraud case involving Income Support and DLA overpayments in excess of £40,000.
R v Dorton – conspiracy to defraud in which the defendant’s premises were said to have been used as a warehouse for fraudulently obtained food products.
R v Potter – ILA fraud in which the defendant was said to have been involved in the recruitment of others into the fraud.
Murder/Manslaughter
R v Holcroft - acted for the defence in a murder involving significant psychiatric evidence.
R v Collins - defendant charged with the brutal murder of a neighbour with arguments as to hearsay and bad character.
R v Greenwood – defendant charged with the murder of a young army cadet pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent. The case attracted national publicity.
R v Watson - acted for the defendant in a manslaughter case involving the death caused by alleged bad driving on an airfield.
R v Green - defended an attempted murder where the defendant was convicted after trial of a Section 20 wounding.
Sexual Offences
R v S - acting for a defendant charged with cruelty in children’s home and related fraud charges connected to her work at the home as a counsellor.
R v H - defended a man who was charged with the prolonged sexual abuse of his children.
R v F - representing the main defendant in a child sex abuse case involving a number of defendants.
R v C - represented a young defendant charged with a double rape of two schoolgirls and a further rape upon another young woman.
R v Mc - representing a father charged with the sexual and physical abuse of his children and the rape of his wife.
R v M - defended a man charged with indecent assault upon his step – daughter, indecent assault and gross indecency towards a step- grandchild and rape and sexual assault upon another step – grandchild.
Drugs
R v Wignall - large scale drugs conspiracy involving importations from abroad with related confiscation proceedings for the defence.
R v Roylance – defended in a case involving the importation of Class A and B drugs involving complicated telephone evidence for the defence.
R v O’ Neil – a drug supply case representing the defendant who was said by the prosecution to be the ring leader of a number of conspiracies.
R v Makareth - conspiracy case in which the defendant was said to have been involved in premises where the drugs were made to look like they had been recently imported.
Other
R v Lashley - representing a defendant charged with a serious armed robbery with difficult identification evidence.
R v Bandaria - represented a Sri Lankan national charged with blackmail in the UK.
R v Dickenson - prison fight in which the defendant was alleged to have caused a very serious injury with a bladed weapon.
R v Hewitt – HSE prosecution in connection with dangerous gas appliances being fitted into residential properties.
House of Lords & Court of Appeal
R v Williamson - House of Lords case involving the issue as to whether a juror being a Solicitor employed by the CPS could sit on a jury in a case prosecuted by the CPS.
R v P - Court of Appeal case acting on behalf of a young offender who received a life sentence for manslaughter as to the dangerousness provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
Civil Work
Simon acts for claimants in cases involving claims against the police for assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. These cases often contested at trials before a Judge and jury. Simon also acts for claimants in cases where there may be claims arising out of treatment in prison establishments.
Personal
Education: Wellington School, Bebington, Calday Grange Grammar School & Bristol Polytechnic
Inn: Gray’s
Membership of Professional Bodies: Criminal Bar Association
Outside work Simon enjoys indie-music and goes to a number of live concerts. He is a keen supporter of Tranmere Rovers Football Club and also enjoys walking particularly in Lancashire. He also has an interest in food and drink.
