3PB

Crime

Overview

Daniel Sawyer is a criminal law specialist who is instructed in the full range of criminal cases, including murder, violence, drug supply, sexual offences and multi-handed conspiracies, as well as causing death by dangerous or careless driving. He has been instructed alone, as a led junior and as leading junior.

Crime

Daniel Sawyer is a criminal law specialist who is instructed in the full range of criminal cases, including murder, violence, drug supply, sexual offences and multi-handed conspiracies, as well as causing death by dangerous or careless driving. He has been instructed alone, as a led junior and as leading junior.

His cases often involve mobile phone and other location data evidence, as well as many different sources of evidence, where he is known for his ability to explain large amounts of evidence and technical matters in simple terms.

He is also regularly instructed in serious sexual offences, particularly with young or vulnerable witnesses.

Daniel has extensive experience in dealing with expert witnesses and technical points of evidence. This includes: drugs experts (police and defence); mobile phone location evidence; computer evidence; medical and psychiatric evidence (including cross-examining psychiatrists as to a defendant’s capacity); forensic experts, including DNA, fingerprints, footwear, fibres and glass fragments; accident reconstruction in fatal road traffic collisions.

Daniel often trains expert and professional witnesses, including:

Training and assessment of police drugs experts on behalf of Sussex and Hampshire Constabularies Training of communications data analysts on behalf of Hampshire Constabulary, with particular emphasis on location data and attribution of mobile phones Annual training at the University of Winchester for doctors, covering the court process and cross-examination.

Daniel has a strong background in the armed forces and is involved with a charity that provides rehabilitation for veterans with PTSD through riding and conservation. He has a particular interest in representing current and former members of HM Armed Forces.

Cases

R v SN: Murder of a 13 year-old girl, as well as raping her when she was 12. This case involved detailed forensic evidence and evidence of mobile phone location that was described as groundbreaking by the expert witness, including tracing the GPS location of a phone that had not been recovered.

R v DFC and others: prosecuting a 9 handed conspiracy to supply class A drugs (county lines), including arguments about child exploitation.

R v DM and others: prosecuting 12 defendants across 3 different indictments, all accused of travelling to Hampshire from London and stealing tools from vans, transporting the to London and selling them on.  This case involved mobile phone location evidence, CCTV and ANPR evidence.  The case resulted in lengthy sentences and over £300,000 in confiscated assets.

R v MS and another (ongoing): defending a father accused of shaking his 6 week old daughter, causing her serious injury.  This case involves a wide range of medical expert evidence.

R v AS and others: leading junior for the prosecution in a 12 handed conspiracy to supply class A drugs (county lines).

R v JB: successful defence of a man accused of raping his ex-partner.  He made a full confession in interview but later claimed that he only did so because the complainant threatened to withhold contact with their child.

R v DS: prosecuting causing death by careless driving. This case involved detailed accident reconstruction evidence from experts on both sides.

R v CR: successful defence of a foster parent accused of sexual assault on his 17 year old foster daughter, who had secretly recorded him apologising to her for doing so.

R v WG and CD: successful prosecution of two defendants charged with a series of armed robberies of small businesses. This case involved cell site and ANPR evidence and identification from clothing.

Called 2001

Western Circuit Criminal Bar Association

MA (Cantab)