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: […]
Diversity at the Criminal Bar
Alejandra Llorente Tascon has been speaking to Martin Bentham of the Evening London Standard about how Diversity at the Criminal Bar has been affected by debt, low fees and the current pandemic. Alejandra is the joint Chair of the Criminal Bar Association’s (CBA) Young Bar Committee and a member of their Social Mobility Committee. To read […]
James Newton-Price QC prosecutes lockdown murderer
James Newton-Price QC has successfully prosecuted Darren McClean for the murder of an elderly man at his home in the early phase of lockdown. Mr Dennis Kellond, an 88 year old widower, was shielding at home in Godstone, Surrey, on 25 April 2020 when the defendant burgled his house and killed him in a brutal […]
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. […]
Chambers Welcomes New Pupils
In October 2020, chambers welcomed three new pupils. Ed Wylde is s criminal pupil under the supervision of Peter Asteris. Laura Tilt is a common law pupil, currently in her family seat, under the supervision of Helen Brander and Ulrike Ramsay is our second common law pupil, currently in her family seat, under the supervision […]
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 […]
