Hospital order for infanticide

Jim acted for a young mother and secured a Hospital Order imposed for the infanticide of her infant after the initial murder allegation was dropped.

Election fraud

Jim acted for X a conservative party employee who was prosecuted for offences of election fraud at a seat during the general election.

Successfully appeal against sentence in relation to drugs supply through the dark web

Drug supply sentence reduced from 11 years and 2 months to 8 years imprisonment. Jim acted for A who had originally been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the supply of drugs through the “dark web” whilst a student. Jim was instructed to give a second opinion and after appearing at the Court of Appeal the sentence was reduced to 8 years.

Attempted murder and GBH acquittal

Jim acted for Z, who was acquitted of attempted murder, gbh and section 20 wounding after a trial. Z was alleged to have shot X in the back. The defence was self-defence/accident, Z having been the victim of a series of burglaries and damage to his property by groups of youths trespassing on his property he took a shotgun that did not belong to him and discharged it hitting one of the trespassers. Z received a suspended sentence for possession of the shotgun without a licence.

18 months for causing death by dangerous driving

Jim acted for Antonio Boparan who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving on 7th March 2019. The original accident had occurred in 2006, but the injured child did not pass away until October 2015. The Judge concluded that the “starting point” that would have applied at the time of the accident (bearing in mind the factors that were relevant to culpability, such as excessive speed and dangerous overtaking) would have been 7 years, but after making appropriate reductions for the mitigation in the case he reduced the sentence to 18 months imprisonment. See the Guardian’s press coverage.

Dealing class A drugs

Jim acted for Aled Gray at the conclusion of the Operation Zeus series of cases. The trials heard by the Court were a series arising from a long term, sophisticated covert police operation into dealing in class A drugs in North Wales. The drugs involved were cocaine and heroin in purportedly “industrial quantities”. It was alleged that Mr Gray was the “king pin” at the head of an organised crime group that dealt in up to £2.6 million of drugs which were delivered to North Wales by associates in Liverpool and Manchester. He was sentenced to a total of ten years imprisonment after a guilty plea. See the BBC’s coverage of the case.

Murder of Eastenders’ star and her 2 children

Jim acted for Simson Kent, who pleaded guilty to the murder of his partner (a former star of the television series “Eastenders”) and the two children of their relationship.

Suspended sentence and community sentence for stabbing

Jim acted for BT who pleaded guilty to a section 20 wounding, having stabbed a relative and two onlookers after an argument at a party whilst under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Mr T received a suspended sentence and was ordered to perform community service.

Suspended sentence for student who grievous bodily harm (wounding)

Jim acted for LW who received a suspended sentence (after a period of deferred sentence) for a single count of section 20 wounding at Oxford Crown Court. The defendant’s case attracted considerable notoriety with many sections of the media calling for a more severe sentence and criticising the sentence as being too lenient, the defendant had been a medical student studying at Oxford University at the time of the offence and the case attracted extensive international and national media coverage.

Acquittal in historic sexual abuse allegation

Jim acted for X, a man of effective good character with no other suggestion of sexual impropriety who faced trial on a single count that related to an incident 35 years ago. It was alleged X had assaulted a young family member at a party. The jury acquitted X.