2 Dr Johnson’s Buildings

Simon specialises in criminal prosecutions including non-regulatory work.

Summary of Experience

Called to the Bar in 1979

In his early years at the Bar, Simon represented clients in relation to a broad spread of civil and criminal litigation. In the early 1990’s he started to do a lot of work for local authorities. He has conducted hundreds of prosecutions for local authorities, almost all of which have involved strict liability offences including trade descriptions, video recordings, trade marks, package holidays, property misdescriptions, health and safety, food safety, pollution control etc.. A large proportion of these have had dishonesty offences, such as Fraud Act offences, as additional counts.

He has had high rates of success as an advocate for local authorities.

Simon now specialises in criminal prosecutions including non-regulatory work. Cases have included section 18 GBH (catastrophic injuries), having firearms with intent, false imprisonment, mortgage fraud, perverting the course of justice and arson.

In addition to his work as a barrister, Simon has sat as a recorder trying a broad spectrum of cases including section 18 woundings, historic sex cases, causing death by careless driving, robberies, kidnap, false imprisonment, and drugs offences. He has commensurate experience of sentencing and confiscation proceedings.

Judicial Appraisal

Simon has received a number of plaudits from the judiciary including “you did it brilliantly” in relation to a complex trade marks prosecution in the Crown Court; “very well presented” (High Court Judge); “Simon’s ability to communicate appropriately with the judiciary, witnesses and jury are very clearly of the highest standard.. . . his advocacy stands out as excellent” (Circuit Judge).

Recent Reported Cases

Recent cases include the following:

R. v Xue (Fa)  [2020] EWCA Crim 587 | [2020] 4 WLUK 361  [2020] 2 Cr. App. R. (S.) 49

Appeal against sentence resulting in reduction from 12 years to 8 years.  Simon argued that the shop wounds inflicted did not amount to greater harm, i.e. that they were not “serious in the context of the offence”.  The Court of Appeal quoted extensively from Simon’s skeleton argument and endorsed his submissions.

Recent Unreported Cases

Recent cases include the following:

R v Humphrey Southwark Crown Court 2022

Successful prosecution of Section 18 wounding with intent and racially aggravated ABH

R v Herolind Kotarja, Gentian Koldashi and Selim Koldashi Maidstone Crown Court 2021

Successful prosecution of three defendants for robbery and one defendant for attempted grievous bodily harm;

R V Daniel Read St Albans Crown Court 2021

Successful prosecution of grievous bodily harm with intent.

R v Ilyas Mohammed Isleworth Crown Court 2020

Successful prosecution of grievous bodily harm with intent (shooting). Defendant was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment