Queen's Counsel

Peter Rouch was appointed Queens Counsel in 1996 following a fully engaged and successful practice as a junior in South Wales.

On taking silk Peter moved to London where he enjoys the reputation of an extremely busy and sought after leader. His practice is not only centered on London and South Wales but he also appears on behalf of clients in other major court centres of the UK. Peter regularly appears in some of the most serious of criminal cases ranging from Murder (including multiple killings, contract killings and gun crime through Operation Trident) and Serious Sexual Offences. In addition, Peter receives instructions on a regular basis in high profile fraud and regulatory cases.

Peter Rouch sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court.

The Legal 500 says of Peter ...‘The silk of choice for many professional clients'

Recent Cases:

R v. Owen [2019] - Operation Midas - Multi-million pound misallocation of Welsh Assembly and European Union Grant Funding into the Aquaculture industry - 5 years of police investigation - VHCC - Trial set down for 5-8 months - Cardiff CC - acquitted of all counts

R v. Pogmore [2019] - Operation Intrada - Transcontinental Conspiracy to import substantial amounts of cocaine from Brazil and Columbia through Tilbury Docks - estimated street value of all 7 importations in excess of £150m - 6 weeks at Harrow CC - acquitted of all counts

R v. Goble [2018-2019] - Operation Jericho - MTIC fraud into the trading of precious metals - £19m+ - 6 months at Southwark CC

R v. Zhao [2018] - Massive Importation of Cannabis by Chinese Organised Criminality into Northern Ireland - Belfast CC

R v. Dong [2017-18] - Operation Sodergren - Money laundering within the course of a money transfer business between the UK and China - in excess of £366m transferred - 3 weeks at Blackfriars CC

R v. Woodcraft [2015-16] - Operation Starling - multi-handed, multi million-pound money laundering case - tried over 6 months in Bristol CC. Billed as the largest ever fraud against Carillion Tellent/British Telecom. The Defendant was acquitted by the Judge of 2 counts of money laundering after a successful submission of no case, and one further count by the Jury. Convicted on one remaining count by majority.

Other Notable Cases:

R v. Jennings - Operation Mistral - ‘Cardiff 3' case - UK's largest ever alleged police corruption case - acquitted of all charges

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15981541

R v. Cornelius (Court of Appeal) - Representing on appeal a solicitor who had been convicted of a £650k mortgage fraud and sentenced to four years imprisonment. The appeal was successful and the conviction against the Appellant was quashed with no re-trial ordered.

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Jailed-solicitor-freed-appeal/story-15521004-detail/story.html

R v Vanthopolous - At the time, the largest single importation of cigarettes into the UK (loss circa £28 million).

R v. Thornhill - Large scale importation of cocaine (value circa 65 million).

R v Chowdhury - Microsoft fraud trial - largest ever copyright fraud.

R v Nolan - Heathrow robbery (£33 million)

Queen's Counsel - 1996 Recorder of the Crown Court LLB (Wales)