Andrew Houston

Andrew Houston is a specialist criminal barrister. Andrew has successfully defended and prosecuted cases of serious violence, fraud, drug and sexual offences.

He is a grade 4 prosecutor.

Since 2005 he has been instructed in numerous murder cases. In this same period he has also dealt with several cases of shaken baby syndrome. He appears daily in the Crown Court and regularly in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division in appeals against sentence and conviction.

He has a particular interest in offences against children, having experience of cases involving fabricated illness, cot deaths, shaken babies, serious physical abuse and neglect. He also has considerable experience of prosecuting serious sexual offences, particularly those involving children and where there is material held by third parties.

Recent Notable cases:

• R v K T –  8 week led junior(by JNPQC) in defence trial of mother accused of fabricating and inflicting illness and injury in her young child between the ages of 0 and 3.
• R v JGS – 2 week defence trial of a teacher from Amesbury Primary School accused of sexual assault on 2 year 2 pupils in his classroom.
• R v MC – 1 week defence trial of man accused of sexual activity and grooming of teenage girl
• R v GL – One week defence trial of a man accused of rape of his stepson’s girlfriend.
• R v Martin and Valants – Prosecuted two men who left an elderly woman tied up whilst they raided her home in March 2020. They stole over £200,000 from the property in Stockbridge, Hampshire. Sentenced to 10 years.
• R v Shane Mays – Led junior (by James Newton Price QC) in the prosecution in 4 week murder trial at Winchester Crown Court. The case concerned the brutal murder of a 16 year old girl by her uncle. The disappearance of the girl and the trial attracted national media publicity, case involved complex DNA issues.
• R v Mark Oliver –  Leading Junior (leading Peter Asteris) in the prosecution of the defendant accused of the murder of his brother by stabbing in a row over pillowcases. Case received widespread media attention.
• R v Townsend and Metcalfe – Led Junior (by James Newton Price QC) in the prosecution of two defendants for various child sexual offences following a 4 week trial at Southampton Crown Court. Also conducted the appeal against their conviction at the RCJ.
• Blackwater Shooting – Leading Junior (leading Eleanor Fargin) in a 3 week prosecution at Winchester Crown Court of a 17-year-old boy who shot a teenager after a feud about a fatal road crash. Subsequent 2 week trial of 2 co-defendants who were convicted of assisting an offender.