5 St Andrews Hill

Nick is an experienced criminal advocate who also provides advice and representation in regulatory proceedings, business crime, and confiscation/asset recovery proceedings.

Nick is an experienced criminal advocate who also provides advice and representation in regulatory proceedings.

Prior to joining the Bar, Nick was a solicitor (admitted 1998). As a former solicitor he understands the importance of working as part of a team and the need for meticulous preparation.

He has held Higher Rights of Audience (both criminal and civil) since 2003. He has been exclusively acting as an advocate in the Crown Court since 2008.

Called to the Bar in 2016.

Year of higher rights: 2003.

Prior to joining the Bar, Nick was a solicitor and was admitted in 1998.

Criminal Defence

Sexual Offences

Nick defends the full range of sexual offences including rape and serious sexual assault. He has experience in cases involving “historical” allegations and Internet-based child pornography offences. Nick has successfully acted for a number of Defendants in relation to applications for variations of SOPOs and SHPOs.

Nick has completed the Bar’s vulnerable witness training.

Serious Violence

Nick has a particular expertise in cases involving serious violence. He is regularly instructed in cases of section 18 GBH, firearms, robbery, violent disorder and affray. He has acted in a number of cases arising out of the 2016 Dover riots. He is also experienced in multiple defendant trials.

Drugs Crime

Due to his extensive practice near the ports on the South Coast, Nick has had substantial experience both as a solicitor and as an advocate in cases involving the importation and the sale of illegal drugs. In early 2016 he defended a number of Defendants involved in Operation Panther and Cargo (at Canterbury Crown Court). He has acted in a 60kg Encrochat conspiracy in Leicester and has been involved in a number of “cannabis factory” cases.

Appeals

Nick regularly advises on appeals against sentence and conviction. He is instructed by a number of solicitors to provide a “fresh pair of eyes” to a case. Nick has appeared successfully in the Court of Appeal on a number of occasions.

Business Crime & Financial Regulation

Nick has defended a number of complex benefit and employee frauds. He is used to handling cases involving a high volume of documents. As an MBA graduate, Nick is commercially aware.

Nick has in the past acted as a Money Laundering Reporting Officer for several solicitors practices.

Disclosure

Nick has recently been instructed in a successful joint Insolvency Service and HMRC multi-handed prosecution as a disclosure junior. The role involved reviewing the DMD and advising on disclosure requests. The case involved hundreds of thousands of documents in multiple locations including third party material.

Criminal Prosecutions - Private & Public

Nick is on the CPS panel (level 3) and prosecutes for HMRC and the Insolvency Service.

Nick has also acted in a number of private prosecutions.

Nick acts regularly for a number of local authorities in prosecutions under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Housing Act 2004 before Crown and Magistrates’ Courts. He is experienced in dealing with the applications for confiscation orders that arise in these cases.

He has also acted in cases under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 as well as Education Act, Social Housing fraud, Trademark, unauthorised advertising and animal welfare offences.

Nick has also prosecuted offences under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations.

Professional Discipline & Regulatory

Traffic Commissioner

Nick has acted for several transport managers and haulage companies around the country before the Traffic Commissioner in Eastbourne, Cambridge, Birmingham and Leeds. He has handled cases involving issues of good repute, fitness and financial standing.

Medical Professionals

Nick accepts instructions to represent medical professional appearing before their professional regulator. He can provide advice and representation before the following tribunals. He has recently successfully represented a social worker before HCPC accused of sexual misconduct.

Police Misconduct

Nick has also acted for the IOPC in disciplinary proceedings brought against two serving police officers.

Asset Recovery, Civil Fraud & Confiscation

Nick is regularly instructed in high value or complex confiscation cases. Within the last 12 months he has been involved in a case before Leicester Crown Court where the Crown were seeking an order for £5.3m. In February 2019 he was led by Mark Cotter KC in a complex confiscation case involving a substantial hidden asset claim. He has dealt with a wide range of confiscation cases including certificates of inadequacy.

Middle Temple. Criminal Bar Association. Fraud Lawyers Association. Kent Bar Mess.