Guildhall Chambers

Crime; health and safety; environment.

Andrew is a criminal silk who regularly appears in cases of homicide, complex fraud and regulatory crime. He has appeared in some of the most notable cases on the Western Circuit including the Bristol trial concerning the murder of Becky Watts.

Ranked as a 'Star Silk' in the Chambers & Partners Guide he is reported by them as having "...all the gravitas, demeanour and intellect that one would hope for in a QC. There is no case that he could not handle. He is passionate, persuasive, forensic and delivers in a way that most barristers can only dream of emulating."

The Legal 500 reports: ‘An absolutely first-class criminal silk. He has it all. Extraordinarily bright, respected by the judiciary and a master at unearthing arguments or points that change cases. He is also great with clients and solicitors love him.’

A passionate believer in trial by jury, Andrew regards appearing as a barrister in the criminal courts of England and Wales 'an immense privilege that brings with it a heavy responsibility. The only recipe is hard work.'

Qualified Middle Temple 1986; QC 2006; recorder 2003 to date.

Over the years, Andrew has won a reputation for his ability to handle heavy and complex cases. He is presently instructed in the most serious cases on the Western Circuit. For both defence and prosecution, he leads in mainstream serious crime, involving murder, drugs and fraud; but aspects of his career are outside the mainstream. He has prosecuted and defended corporate and gross cases in recent years.

Andrew was on sabbatical as Chairman of the Bar in 2017. He returned to practice in 2018 and since then his cases have included (with the most recent first)

• R v Young & Others 2021- (Swansea) Andrew led the team which prosecuted twelve defendants (seven at trial) in relation to a fatality on a demolition site in Cardiff. This was a complex case concerning individual corporate defendants facing a range of offences. • R v Clarke 2021 - (Bristol and Court of Appeal) the defence of a man charged with the murder of his baby which featured multiple medical experts. • R v E, 2021 - (Bristol) The defence of a 16 year old, who with four adult co-defendants was charged with joint murder at a silent disco. • R v Hannis & Others 2021 - (Winchester) In a three-month trial, Andrew led the prosecution for murder of members of a drug dealing gang, in a shotgun-assassination. • R v Mays 2020 - (Winchester and Court of Appeal) The defence of a man charged with the murder of a child and the subsequent destruction of the body. • R v Gordon 2020 - (Bristol) The defence of a woman who had murdered an associate and then sought to dispose of the body in the Forest of Dean. • R v Dawood 2020 - (Gloucester) The prosecution of a man who stabbed another to death in a public place.