News & Events: Criminal
R v Shane Mays
James Newton-Price QC and Andrew Houston have successfully prosecuted Shane Mays for the murder of 16 year old Louise Smith who was his wife’s niece. The trial attracted widespread attention in local and national news media. On 8 May 2020, Mays lured Louise to a secluded clearing in the woods near Havant in Hampshire where […]
Fit your own mask first: living life at the criminal Bar
We defend fearlessly our clients’ best interests and fight for the underdog every day in court, but neglect to apply that same attitude to ourselves. What is needed to improve the lives of those who seek to stand up for justice and assure the future of the profession? Siân Beaven’s article ‘Fit your own mask: […]
Chambers and Partners 2021
Pump Court Chambers are delighted to see our hard work and dedication to our clients has been recognised once again within the Chambers and Partners 2021 Guide. The highly respected annual guide, released today, ranks both counsel and chambers based on the research of more than 170 full-time editors and researchers who talk to lawyers […]
Why was Ceon Broughton’s conviction quashed?
Introduction The quashing of Ceon Broughton’s conviction was met with indignation. The well-publicised tragedy of Louella Fletcher-Michie’s death, and Ceon Broughton’s subsequent trial, has cemented a number of conclusions in the court of public opinion. This article will set out why the Court of Appeal decided to overturn Mr Broughton’s conviction for manslaughter. […]
R v AD [2020] EWCA Crim 849
In R v AD [2020] EWCA Crim 849 the Court of Appeal quashed Mr D’s convictions for sexual assault and assault by penetration after hearing fresh evidence which undermined the medical evidence which had led to the prosecution. The case joins a long list of seemingly water-tight convictions subsequently quashed on appeal after the expert […]
How can the backlog be addressed?
It is no secret that the effects of COVID 19 have had a substantially detrimental effect on the “flow” of cases through the Crown Court. Prior to the lockdown, approximately 39,000 cases were waiting to be heard; now, five months on, there are well over 41,000 by most estimates. Some trials are being listed as […]
Siân Beaven secures Referral Order in youth robbery sentence
Siân Beaven represented R, a youth, who had pleaded guilty to 5 charges of robbery and 3 charges of attempted robbery at sentence. The client, who had been 13 years old at the time of the offences, had been part of a group that had committed the series of street robberies against other teenage victims. […]
Justin Gau secures rape acquittal
Justin Gau secured an acquittal for his client in a recent rape trial, where the Crown alleged the defendant had confessed in a text exchange with the Complainant. After a 4-day trial at Wood Green Crown Court, the jury were out for less than an hour before returning a verdict of Not Guilty.
38 members ranked in Legal 500 2021 Edition
We are proud to announce that Pump Court Chambers has been recognised as a ‘Top Tier Set’ in the Legal 500, 2021 Rankings. Described as the ‘go-to‘ set on the Western Circuit, 38 of our members have been recognised across a number of practice areas including: Chancery, Crime, Employment, Family and Children Law, Personal Injury and […]
Oliver Foy Joins Pump Court Chambers
Pump Court Chambers is pleased to welcome Oliver Foy to chambers following successful completion of his pupillage. During his pupillage he undertook work across Chambers’ core areas and gained specific experience in Employment, Criminal and Family law under the supervision of Heather Platt, Eleanor Fargin and Claire Fox respectively. Tony Atkins; Senior Clerk said: “We’re delighted […]
Suspended sentence for man who tried to smuggle Class A drugs into prison
Richard Tutt represented Darren Lane, a heavily convicted serving prisoner from Bournemouth with 49 convictions for 161 offences on his record. Mr Lane was charged with conveying a List A article, 13.8g MDMA, into prison with an estimated value of £2,010. It was concealed in a hi-fi system when Mr Lane handed himself into a […]
Sarah Jones QC & Richard Tutt secure murder conviction
Sarah Jones QC, leading Richard Tutt, secured the conviction of Trent Hutchinson for murder at the Crown Court at Hove before HHJ Gold QC. Hutchinson (aged 16), stabbed his friend, Ollie Wells (aged 18), who had been staying with him. He stabbed him twice, once to the back and once to the head. Hutchinson claimed […]
