Thomas More Chambers

Specialist criminal defence practitioner. Regularly instructed in high profile, complex and lengthy trials as leading junior and lone junior counsel. Experienced in murder cases, firearms and serious violence. Particular experience in multi-million pound fraud, having successfully defended in a wide variety of tax, immigration and fraudulent trading cases, including complex money laundering investigations. Long and wide-ranging experience in large scale drug conspiracies, involving Encrochat and encrypted phones, county lines and associated complex cell site and telephone evidence. Frequent instructions in serious driving offences resulting in death and serious injury. Substantial experience defending allegations of sexual offences often involving s.28 hearings, and including numerous acquittals in rape, serious sexual offences, and historic sexual offence cases.

Recent cases include:

Fraud:

R v ES - Leading junior, leading Nicola Thompson in Chambers, in £3million Gift Aid fraud on HMRC. Defendant acquitted of all charges following month long trial.

R v EK - Led junior, led by Chris Harding in Chambers, representing the second Defendant in Operation Bygone / Berg Meeker, a substantial case concerning an immigration applications fraud, one of the lengthiest cases ever tried at Southwark Crown Court.

R v LC - acquitted of all counts in Operation Perth, a case alleging a professionally organised duty fraud on HMRC carried out by hauliers.

R v GP - Led junior representing the first Defendant in Operation Aldgate, involving multiple allegations of Fraud at Southwark Crown Court.

R V LM - The only Defendant acquitted in an 11 handed Conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a fraud. Prosecution case built on substantial quantities of telephone evidence.

R v MN - successful defence at trial of allegations of organised employee theft over many years, leading to a conviction of possession of criminal property alone. Further successful arguments at sentence reduced the loss suffered from £1/2 million to £50k leading to the imposition of a suspended sentence. Link to news report.

R v LM - Acquitted in Operation Entail, allegations of duty evasion.

R v BS - Instructed to represent the first Defendant facing numerous allegations of money laundering and fraud against HMRC and other creditors. Acquitted of a number of the counts faced.

Violence:

R v BK - Led by KC defending in murder case, involving complex evidence re: blood pattern analysis and other forensic evidence.

R v BC - Acquitted of s.18 GBH in case concerning widespread Violent Disorder in high profile Central London department store, involving a knife fight between multiple parties. Complex case involving significant tactical considerations as cut-throat defence in which the 6 other defendants indicted all implicated the defendant whilst he implicated them.

R v PD - Led junior in missing body murder case, concerning complex cell site and telephone analysis evidence.

R v QH - Acquittal of all charges in s.18 GBH stabbing case in the face of eye witness evidence implicating the defendant.

R v SC - Acquittal in serious firearms case alleging possession of shotguns implicating a number of other defendants.

R v AN - In a case capturing national media attention, represented a Defendant facing allegations of s.18 GBH for biting part of another man's ear off. Acquitted of all charges.

R v MW - Defending alone in case concerning Attempted Murder and Kidnap, successfully negotiated a plea to s.18 GBH on the eve of trial, the allegation of Attempted Murder being dropped.

R v MR - Possession of firearms and ammunition, a case concerning complex issues of expert testimony concerning the firearm itself, DNA evidence and telephone analysis.

R v TE - Successful defence of all counts alleging Blackmail and Kidnap in complex case resting on cross-examination of key eye witnesses.

R v BK - Defence in case alleging a knife attack against 2 complainants. Acquitted of s.18 and all possession of knife related counts, convicted of s.20 GBH that alleged only a single punch.

Drugs:

R v KJ - Acquitted in case alleging a substantial county lines drugs Conspiracy - Operation Warship. Case involved 14 Defendants.

R v RC - Ongoing case concerning multi-kilo supply of cocaine on nationwide basis. Case involves complex issues of encrypted phones and Encrochat, cell site analysis and substantial quantities of phone evidence.

R v LE - Led junior, led by Mathew Sherratt KC, defending allegations of massive nationwide supply of cocaine alleged to involve more than 1 tonne of cocaine. Case concerned complex evidence involving encrypted phones, cell site analysis and surveillance. Acquitted of nationwide supply, negotiated plea to local supply of a far smaller quantity of Class A.

R v NF - Represented first Defendant in a 7 handed Conspiracy to import and supply class A drugs. The case involved substantial quantities of telephone evidence and transcripts of coded telephone conversations. Involved cross-examination of phone, forensic, DNA and drugs experts.

R v MR - Defending alone in case concerning the supply of more than 5kg of cocaine, a case concerning complex other issues of DNA evidence, firearms evidence and phone analysis.

R v PS - Led junior in a 5 handed Conspiracy (Operation Rampage), representing the second Defendant facing allegations of involvement in the supply of £25 million of cannabis smuggled into the UK.

R v JK - Representing the first Defendant in one of the largest importation cases prosecuted in the UK.

Sexual Offences:

R v AL - Acquittal of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences allegedly committed by an older male against a teenager.

R v BA - Historic allegations of sexual offending with multiple different complainants. Acquitted of 2 of the 4 counts faced.

R v AI - Multiple allegations of rape within a marriage, acquitted of all counts.

R v AA - Representing the first Defendant in a case involving a sexual attack on an elderly, mentally vulnerable, individual. Acquitted of multiple counts of sexual assault.

R v RA - Acquitted of multiple counts of rape despite the case proceeding in the Defendant's absence.

South Eastern Circuit

• The University of Nottingham, BA Hons History (First Class) • The College of Law, Guildford, Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction) • The College of Law, London, Bar Vocational Course (Outstanding) • Major Inn Scholarship from Middle Temple