LLB Law (First Class Honours) – Lancaster University

BVC (Outstanding) – Northumbria University

Simon is an expert criminal advocate with significant experience in both the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. He combines a passion for advocacy with an expert working knowledge of the law to ensure the highest standards of representation throughout all cases in which he receives instructions.

Whilst Simon does keep his practice broad, accepting instructions for all types of offences, his practice has developed with a particular emphasis on both financial crime and serious violence. Arising from his financial crime practice and further experience in drugs offences, Simon has significant knowledge of the Proceeds of Crime legislation in relation to both its criminal and civil aspects.  Further, Simon recently appeared in the Privy Council is the first case before the Supreme Court considering the issue of proof of a predicate offence in an allegation of money laundering.
 
He believes in proper case management and ensures that his clients are fully informed, advised and assisted at every stage of their proceedings. Simon has represented all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds and continues to do so with a particular emphasis on client care. He ensures that all elements of a client’s case are comprehensively explored and prepared. Simon’s cases frequently involve the instruction and active participation of expert witnesses.

Through experience as his practice has developed Simon has established a particular expertise in dealing with clients with mental health difficulties and the elements of the criminal law specific to people who have such difficulties. As an additional specialism Simon has an expert knowledge of road traffic law and regulatory offences (such as Trading Standards and Local Authority prosecutions) and accepts instructions to represent clients charged with such offences.  Simon also receives instructions in other regulatory matters such as taxi licence appeals, school disciplinary matters and social service review tribunals.

Simon is direct access qualified and can accept instructions on a direct access basis; please contact the clerks for further information.

There follows a brief list of examples of cases Simon has recently completed or in which he is presently instructed (acting as junior alone unless indicted):

Fraud offences

1) R v KW (Oxford Crown Court) – a multiple count confidence fraud indictment of a value over £150000.

2) R v BI and others (Blackfriars Crown Court) – a multiple count sophisticated payroll fraud of a value of £50000.

3) R v A and others (Blackfriars Crown Court) – use of an estate agents business to commit a fraud and launder the proceeds.

4) R v M and others (Basildon Crown Court) – a sophisticated and long running six figure benefit fraud.

5) R v KP and others (Southwark Crown Court) – a large scale conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime and linked mortgage frauds.

6) R v SR and others (Harrow Crown Court) – conspiracy to possess criminal property and credit card fraud.

Drug supply

7) R v RA (Blackfriars Crown Court) – an indictment alleging possession with intent to supply class A drugs but also the recently criminalised drug known as “meow meow”.

8) R v LH (Snaresbrook Crown Court) – an indictment alleging possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Homicide

9) R v AW - junior counsel in an indictment alleging 2 counts of attempted murder and involving an anonymous witness.
10) R v NR – junior counsel for a defendant facing a charge of familial homicide on an indictment alleging murder against co-defendants.

Serious violence

11) R v HI (Harrow Crown Court) - an indictment alleging grievous bodily harm- use of a broken bottle as a weapon as a weapon to the victims face.
12) R v IH (Basildon Crown Court) – an indictment alleging grievous bodily harm – repeated stamping on the victims head causing brain injury.
13) R v JP and others (Chelmsford Crown Court) – an indictment alleging both robbery and section 18 – a gang attack on a victim using both an axe and Stanley knife as a weapon.
14) R v JJ and others (Basildon Crown Court) – an indictment alleging aggravated burglary and section 18 – the stabbing of the victim during the course of the burglary.
15) R v A (Snaresbrook Crown Court) – an indictment alleging grievous bodily harm – pushing of wife down a staircase by husband.
16) R v D (Snaresbrook Crown Court) – an indictment alleging unlawful wounding– biting off of an ear during a fight by a serving police officer.
17) R v H and others (Southwark Crown Court) – an indictment alleging unlawful wounding and violent disorder arising out of a stabbing in the vicinity of Trafalgar Square.
18) R v M (Blackfriars Crown Court) – attacking involving the use of 2 hammers as weapons.

Sexual offences

16) R v AA (Basildon Crown Court) – an indictment alleging sexual assault by a nurse on a patient

17) R v H (Basildon Crown Court) – an indictment alleging a series of night time sexual assaults and robberies all targeted against young women over the course of a week

Robbery/theft

19) R v H (Basildon Crown Court) – an indictment alleging a series of night time sexual assaults and robberies all targeted against young women over the course of a week.
20) R v B and others (Central Criminal Court) – gang based street robbery.
21) R v R and others (Blackfriars Crown Court) – pickpocket gang targeting public houses in London.

Confiscation proceedings

22) R v BR (Basildon Crown Court) – confiscation proceedings with an alleged value of over £500,000.
23) R v RM and others (Basildon Crown Court) – on-going confiscation proceedings under the Criminal Justice Act.

Simon also successfully defended Mark Wright of ‘The Only Way is Essex’ in his threatening behaviour trial at Redbridge Magistrates' Court.

DPP v Bholah [2011] UKPC 44

R v Shah [2011] EWCA Crim 2333

R v Dale [2011] EWCA Crim 1675

R v Spriddell [2010] EWCA Crim 583

R v Williams [2009] EWCA Crim 6

Re Thomas Boyd Whyte Solicitors [2007] EWCA Crim 2740