COURT OF APPEAL (CRIMINAL DIVISION)

R v Ali [2025] EWCA Crim 473: Successful appeal against sentence; Importation of 80kg of cannabis; Court agreed that the appellant’s role was ‘lesser’ rather than ‘significant.’ Sentence of 41 months’ imprisonment reduced to 27 months. Read the Judgment here.

 R v Gray [2024] EWCA Crim 296: Successful appeal against sentence following refusal of leave by the Single Judge; Importation of 16.5kg+ of cannabis from Jamaica into Manchester; Court agreed that the doubling of the starting point was unjustified; Sentence of 33 months’ imprisonment quashed and substituted with a 22-month suspended sentence. Read the Judgment here.

CROWN COURT

Drugs

R v Williams & Others (‘Op Agra’) [2026]: Defence (D1); Drugs conspiracy involving the use of cryptocurrency on the dark web. Complicated by co-defendants alleging violence used against them. Vulnerable client with significant mental health issues.

R v McCook & Others (‘Op Vanity’) [2026]: Defence (D2); seven-handed conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine involving youth co-defendants.

R v Dulieu & Others (‘Op Hammett’) [2026]: Defence; Conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis. Prosecution accepted a guilty plea to participating in the activities of an OCG.

R v Dziewiatkowski & Others (‘Op Sundance’) [2026]: Defence; Representing the leader of a seven-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis into prison.

R v Hamadmad [2025]: Defence; Possession with intent to supply class A drugs including identical offending whilst on bail; Suspended sentence secured follow guilty pleas on a ‘lesser role’ basis.

R v Joines [2024]: Defence; Importation of 25kg of Class A drugs (Methamphetamine) worth £2 million; Reported in the Manchester Evening News.

R v Hornby [2024]: Defence; Possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs; Suspended sentence secured following late guilty plea on a basis that limited the class A offending to one day of social supply.

R v Popov & Others [2024]: Defence; Production of cannabis; No evidence offered by the Prosecution after cross-examination of the Officer in the Case.

R v Habibullah & Ors (‘Op Riverside’) [2024]: Prosecution Junior; Large-scale drugs conspiracy involving 10 defendants; Reported in the Manchester Evening News.

Sexual Offences

Defence

R v MA [2026]: Rape; Jurisdictional issues with the complainant facing criminal contempt of court proceedings in the USA.

R v RE [2026]: Rape, assault by penetration and strangulation; Both the complainant and defendant aged 17 at the time and have neurological impairments; Section 28 case.

R v AE-A [2026]: Assault by penetration and sexual assault.

R v CW [2025]: Rape of a 15-year-old girl in care; Acquitted after a five-day trial.

R v GB [2025]: Serious offending against step-grandchildren including the rape of a three-year-old.

R v SC [2025]: Rape alleging the use of violence. Prosecution accepted guilty pleas to the violence following a non-defendant bad character application to adduce material which substantially undermined the Complainant’s credibility.

R v LC [2024]: Sexual activity without consent involving penetration; Acquitted within 25 minutes following a trial.

Prosecution

R v ZQ [2026]: Sexual assault and false imprisonment of a 15-year-old girl; Grooming and abuse of trust; Section 28 case.

R v JC [2025]: Extensive offending against four child family members, including an assault by penetration of two-year-old daughter. Sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment.

R v NT [2025]: Sexual activity with a child; abduction following the child running away from home in the night; Expert evidence called on the transfer of DNA though saliva; Unanimously convicted of all four counts following a trial.

Driving Fatalities

R v T (a youth) [2026]: Defence; Death by dangerous driving; 14-year-old boy tragically caused the death of his friend who was a pillion passenger on an e-scooter

Firearms

R v R. Vincent [2026]: Defence; Possession of a modified Glock loaded with ammunition as well as drugs supply offences.

R v Jones [2025]: Prosecution; Possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Shotgun discharged at the occupant of a house.

 R v Alfredo [2024]: Defence; Possession of three firearms (a 9mm pistol and two shotguns); Defendant with autism aged 17 at the time of the offence; Mandatory minimum term of three years’ imprisonment imposed following a trial of issue; Reported in the Manchester Evening News.

Violence

 R v Jones & Wlazlo [2026]: Prosecution; Aggravated burglaries with blank-firing pistol which were discharged at the occupants, as well as multiple s.18 stabbings, and a knife-point robbery. Extended sentences of 19 and 17 years imposed.

R v O’Brien [2025]: Defence; Kidnapping of a vulnerable teenager involving threats with a knife; Victim forced to drive dangerously at over 100mph; Resolved with favourable pleas and an exceptionally lenient sentence of 10 months’ imprisonment. Reported by Wales Online (https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/teen-forced-drive-van-100mph-32537994).

R v S. Vincent [2025]: Defence; Successful application to stay Indictment as an abuse of process arising from failures in the service of evidence and disclosure of unused material.

R v Maguire [2025]: Prosecution; s.18 wounding with intent; Sustained attack with a lump hammer causing a compressed skull fracture, as well as fractures to the jaw, cheekbone and eye socket.

R v Cross & Rigby [2025]: Prosecution; s.18 wounding with intent; Targeted attack with machetes causing large wounds to the head.

R v Pickering [2025]: Prosecution; s.18 GBH with intent. Use of a brick as a weapon causing a fractured skull and a brain haemorrhage.

R v Gillibrand [2024]: Defence; s.18 wounding with intent of a police officer; Defendant suffering from paranoid schizophrenia; Plea to s.20 accepted after eventually being deemed fit; Hospital order imposed.

R v Matthews [2024]: Defence; Robbery of an elderly neighbour in a dwelling; Pleas to s.47 ABH and theft on a limited basis accepted; Short custodial sentence imposed following a Goodyear indication which avoided an inevitably lengthy term of imprisonment for a client with significant previous convictions for like offending.

R v Esiaka [2024]: Defence; s.20 wounding; Victim ‘glassed’ to the face; Suspended sentence imposed.

R v Keating [2024]: Defence; False imprisonment and assault; Suspended sentence imposed following pleas on a reckless basis.

Dishonesty

R v Sansom & Another [2026]: Defence; Fraud; Breach of trust case where the defendant is alleged to have breached his mother’s trust by fraudulently taking a finance agreement out in her name.

R v Gordon [2026]: Defence; Successful exceptional circumstances argument against the imposition of the 3-year minimum term for the Defendant’s sixth dwelling burglary.

R v Ceponis & Another (‘Operation Berrington’) [2025]: Defence; Conspiracy to steal Porche motor vehicles; Total value over £1M. Reported by BBC News (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1571qnzyz8o) and in the Manchester Evening News (https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/two-men-jailed-after-25-33104758)

R v Chadderton & Another [2025]: Defence; 35-count Indictment containing many dwelling burglaries and thefts of high-value cars. Total estimated loss of £190,000; Defendant aged between 17 – 18 at the time of offending.

R v Nasir [2025]: Defence; Fraud by false representation; Pharmacist, who was struck off for theft, fraudulently earned over £54,000 by continuing to work as another; Suspended sentence imposed.

R v Barnard [2025]: Defence; Fraud by abuse of position; Over £62,000; Suspended sentence imposed.

R v Miah & Noor [2024]: Prosecution; Conspiracy to burgle 13 dwellings; Gold jewellery and other property stolen worth over £100,000.

R v Budd & Smith [2024]: Prosecution; Conspiracy to blackmail involving an elderly family member.

Proceeds of Crime

R v O’Flaherty & Another [2026]: Defence; Instructed post-conviction for drugs supply and money laundering offences; Complex confiscation proceedings involving consideration of beneficial interests of a third party who was represented by Kings Counsel; Secured a reduction of over £500,000 in the benefit figure and the Crown agreed not to include a home in the defendant’s partner’s name as an available amount.

YOUTH COURT

R v L (a youth) [2026]: Defence; Vulnerable client charged with child sexual offences.

R v K (a youth) [2025]: Defence; Violent rape; referral order imposed following conviction after trial.