criminal law
Mark Ruffell and Stephanie Painter prosecute a drug gang who were jailed for smuggling £64m of cocaine into UK on a speedboat
The drugs gang that smuggled £64m worth of cocaine into the UK on a speedboat has been jailed for a combined 92 years. Seven men planned to bring 889kg of the drug into Hampshire on a rigid-hulled inflatable boat in July 2024. Winchester Crown Court heard that all seven men had admitted conspiracy to import cocaine. The […]
Hester Calder secures SSO for a client charged with PWITS
Hester Calder, instructed by Mishma Muambe of Andrew Storch Solicitors, represented a client for sentencing, having been charged with PWITS Class A. The Judge was clear that his intention was to sentence him to immediate custody, considering a starting point of 4 years 6 months. However, after lengthy submissions, Ms Calder successfully obtained a SSO […]
Hester Calder secures convictions in Winchester Crown Court trial
Hester Calder won her trial in Winchester Crown Court, after securing a conviction on 3 counts of fraud, burglary, and taking a vehicle without consent. For further information about Hester’s practice or to instruct her, please contact Tony George, Senior Criminal Clerk, or another member of the clerking team at clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com or 020 7353 0711.
Timothy Akers publishes an article in the June edition of the counsel magazine – A rallying cry for RASSO counsel
Timothy Akers has published an article in the June edition of the counsel magazine – A rallying cry for RASSO counsel This article is a clarion call to all RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) counsel/potential RASSO counsel. Discussing the current climate in the CJS, Undertaking RASSO work, the CPS RASSO list, and more. For the […]
Christopher Pix prosecutes 39 year old woman, convicted by a jury of causing serious injury by dangerous driving
Christopher Pix prosecuted a 39 year old woman who was convicted by a jury of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. This followed a five-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court. The Crown’s case was that the woman drove her car at her estranged husband, who was standing in front of the car. He suffered multiple injuries, including […]
Sentencing Historic Sex Offences
The Sentencing Children and Young People guideline is now a widely utilised mechanism for approaching youth offenders. However, this guideline is also essential to consider when an adult is being tried for historic sex offences, carried out in his or her childhood. In approaching sentence for these individuals, counsel must consider the overarching Sentencing Children […]
Pump Court retains its ISO accreditation for seventh year
Following a successful audit process, Pump Court Chambers has retained its ISO accreditation (ISO 9001:2015) for another year with no issues raised. ISO is a globally recognised standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS). It is the most widely used QMS standard in the world, with over 1.1 million certificates issued in 178 countries. The 2015 […]
Emily Lanham joins Pump Court as a tenant
Pump Court Chambers is very pleased to welcome Emily Lanham as a tenant. Emily is an established advocate and is regularly instructed in a range of both Defence and Prosecution work in all areas of Criminal Law. She also accepts instructions in regulatory matters. She has acted as led junior and junior alone in complex […]
Ed Wylde prosecutes Southampton-based paedophile
Ed Wylde prosecuted a 72-year-old man, who was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a 13-year-old child. The Crown’s case was that the Defendant effectively groomed the Victim, by virtue of his position as the grandfather of her close friend L, with the offending culminating in a sexual episode at L’s house. After […]
Annabel Hazlitt successful in the Court of Appeal
On 14th February 2025, Annabel Hazlitt appeared in the Court of Appeal, successful in appealing a sentence imposed in the Crown Court sitting at Newport (Isle of Wight), as manifestly excessive. The Defendant received a 24-month period of imprisonment for one count of Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm. Annabel argued that this was manifestly excessive, […]
Are we too reliant on sentencing guidelines?
“What am I looking at then?” asks a client charged with assaulting an emergency worker. A pertinent and reasonable question any anxious individual would ask – often before they have even pleaded. Thankfully, the Sentencing Council are on hand to assist and members of the criminal justice system will be all too familiar with the […]
Pump Court Criminal Law Podcast Episode 3 – Casey Chard
In the latest episode of the Criminal Law podcast, Ed Wylde speaks with Casey Chard about his pupillage experience at Pump Court Chambers, where he provides helpful techniques for how one can make the most out of the process. Casey discusses a number of insights he learned from each of his supervisors and how acquiring […]
