Daniel is a criminal barrister with a formidable reputation, whether he's defending or prosecuting serious offences.
Daniel’s analytical approach to cases, along with his approachable manner, together instil confidence in his clients. He has an engaging courtroom style – and his handling of witnesses, particularly experts or those with vulnerabilities, is exceptional.
When defending, Daniel appears in the most serious of cases, instructed in his own right in allegations of attempted murder, rape and other serious sexual offences (often committed against children), large scale drugs conspiracies and financial crimes. He is also led in allegations of murder and other serious offences.
Background and Expertise
Daniel is a Level 4 prosecutor on the CPS General Crime and Serious Crime Panels. He is regularly instructed by the Special Casework Unit, and prosecutes multi-handed cases concerning financial crime, wide-ranging and complex drugs conspiracies, serious violence and sexual offences.
Daniel often appears in cases concerning allegations of serious and complex fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes. The evidence in these cases is often voluminous, but he is able to focus on issues and present evidence and arguments clearly and concisely.
Before coming to the Bar, Daniel worked for a large financial organisation, developing guidelines for investment funds and operating compliance programmes. This gives him an insight into how such organisations work.
Daniel undertakes appeal work, often when instructed by people who have been represented by others at first instance. In the Court of Appeal, his success has resulted in convictions being quashed, and sentences reduced.
Although Daniel is most often engaged in serious and complex cases in the Crown Court, he understands the importance of every allegation to the client – and that has brought him considerable success in allegations of road traffic offences. These allegations are often a client’s only experience of the court system, so it is vital that they have someone who understands their needs and can present their case in the best way.
Notable Cases
R v FM and Others, 2023
Daniel acted as junior alone in a four-week trial concerning the supply into Sussex of Class A drugs by a London-based OCG. Daniel’s thorough analysis of telephone and CCTV evidence enabled him to minimise the impact of the prosecution evidence of his client’s association with alleged co-conspirators and allowed him to robustly challenge Police recognition evidence. His forensic scrutiny of observation logs allowed him to undermine extensive surveillance evidence. Daniel’s well-drafted written submissions, amplified by persuasive oral ones, led to the Crown’s bad character application being successfully opposed.
Lewes Crown Court
R v R and Others, 2023
Daniel led the prosecution in a four-week trial of a largescale Class A drugs operation, leading to the convictions of all but one of the five defendants. Daniel presented complex and voluminous expert cell-site evidence in a palatable form for the jury. He also fairly and efficiently dealt with tricky disclosure issues relating to Class A drug customers of the drugs line, as well as with modern slavery and duress defences relating to a juvenile defendant and a defendant with significant mental and physical health issues. Daniel’s thorough and clear presentation of the case received widescale praise.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
R v BS, 2021
Junior alone representing a defendant in a six week long, serious organised drugs conspiracy. Daniel’s defendant, the youngest in the conspiracy, claimed that he was a victim of Modern Slavery, which required a careful and detailed presentation of this defence, hampered by the absence of a positive conclusive grounds decision from the Single Competent Authority and in the face of significant documentary and prison intercept evidence.
Maidstone Crown Court
News report
R v NS, 2021
Junior alone representing a defendant in an eight week long, large-scale County Lines conspiracy. Following a detailed analysis of thousands of pages of telephone and other evidence, and extensive cross-examination of the Crown’s drugs and cell-site experts, Daniel’s defendant was acquitted.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
News report
R v L and others, 2019
Led junior in a five week long, highly sensitive and complex, prosecution trial of the rarely prosecuted offence of conspiracy to procure a miscarriage through the administration of a drug, before a High Court Judge. Complex legal issues had to be determined, such as the legal definition of ‘miscarriage’, and whether the mother was a ‘victim’ and therefore could not be a party to the conspiracy.
St Albans Crown Court
News report here
Operation Topanga, 2019
Led junior in a successful prosecution of over 20 defendants in an undercover Class A drug dealing operation, over a series of four trials, which was instigated following national media interest after members of the local community had sought to combat the issue.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
News report here
R v W & others, 2015 and 2016
Daniel, as led junior, was instructed by Special Casework Unit to prosecute large scale and complex multi-handed Class A drugs conspiracies.
Harrow Crown Court
DrugsR v HD, 2023
Daniel was junior alone in the successful prosecution of a defendant in a six-week complex fraud. As well as presenting expert voice recognition evidence, Daniel pulled together voluminous telephone evidence into a palatable and comprehensive package for the jury. Additionally, with a defendant who malingered and did everything within her means to try and de-rail the trial, Daniel ensured that proceedings remained effective, through the calling of medical expert evidence and initiating measures to enable the defendant to attend the trial remotely.
Wood Green Crown Court
Operation Bobcat, 2021-2022
Junior alone representing a defendant in an ongoing seven week long complex drug, firearms and money laundering trial. Daniel’s defendant is accused of laundering over £1m cash in a safe in her own home, on behalf of the first defendant, during the Indictment period. The case has required a detailed analysis of the content of telephone messages between the defendant and others, EncroChat material, surveillance and visual footage.
Bristol Crown Court
News report
R v W, 2019
Successful prosecution as junior alone, of a police officer who defrauded the Metropolitan Police Service of over £100k, through the submission of forged/altered medical certificates. The Defence were relying upon the Defendant genuinely suffering from a condition known as Fibromyalgia, and therefore wasn’t dishonest. Daniel had to cross-examine an expert rheumatologist in respect of this, and also clearly presented various strands of evidence to demonstrate that the Defendant was working actively in order to rebut Defence suggestions of immobility.
Southwark Crown Court
News report here
R v S, 2019
Junior alone representing 2nd defendant in a four week long complex money laundering conspiracy trial. Following extensive cross-examination by Daniel of the 1st defendant in a cut-throat defence, his client was acquitted whereas the 1st defendant and others were convicted.
St. Albans Crown Court
R v M & Others, 2016
Represented an alleged conspirator in a multi-handed £2.5 million international investment fraud. Following a four-week trial, DM was acquitted of the main allegation.
Southwark Crown Court
News story here
Financial CrimeR v AF, 2023
Daniel, as junior alone, represented a defendant prosecuted in respect of possessing a loaded firearm with intent to endanger life. Daniel successfully ran the unusual, and difficult, defence of ‘necessity’ / ‘duress of circumstances’ and pursued this through a rigorous analysis of CCTV and Body Worn Camera footage. Daniel was also tenacious in his pursuit of disclosure of prison material in order to support the suggestion of threat to life, which his client stated he was suffering from, including evidence of a near-fatal stabbing whilst awaiting trial.
Inner London Crown Court
FirearmsR v TM, Ongoing
Daniel is representing, as junior alone, the director of the Cat Survival Trust (a charity that homes non-domestic, ‘big’ cats such as snow leopards), who is accused of large-scale animal cruelty allegations and rarely prosecuted, breaches of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulations. This is a test-case for the legal concept of “commercial gain” within the context of those regulations.
Daniel will have to contend with numerous prosecution expert witnesses, including in zoological veterinary treatment and from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). The trial is estimated to last two weeks.
St Albans Crown Court
See new report on BBC News
Operation Cyclamen, 2021
Led junior in a successful prosecution of 12 defendants for the kidnapping and false imprisonment of a victim, who was taken to a number of different addresses during the course of the lengthy incident.
CrimeR v C and Others, 2016
Junior to Abbas Lakha QC represented the defendant, who, along with others, was accused of conspiring to commit breaches of immigration law following an investigation by BBC Panorama. This involved over 800 foreign students, where visas to remain in the UK to study were fraudulently applied for. This was done through the obtaining of falsified educational qualifications and bank documents, and, in particular, through the use of fake or proxy sitters who would take English speaking exams on behalf of the students.
Southwark Crown Court
News story here
Immigration, Nationality and AsylumR v TW, 2021
Led junior in the successful defence at a re-trial of a defendant accused of attempted murder following the alleged revenge attack for an earlier murder. The case attracted media interest as a member of the defendant’s group shot and killed himself when hitting a sawn-off shotgun against a vehicle. Daniel and his leader did not represent the defendant at the original trial, in which the defendant was convicted of certain offences, which undermined the then defence of non-presence. The jury were informed of that during the re-trial, and therefore the presentation of the defence case required considerable tactical decision-making.
Woolwich Crown Court
News report
R v C, 2018
Led junior in high profile six week trial involving the double attempted murder of wife, and endangerment of children, by means of (a) tampering with the domestic gas supply, and (b) tampering with the wife’s parachute. Daniel had to undertake detailed and extensive cross examination of experts in gas fittings and tool-marks.
Winchester Crown Court
News story here
R v M and O, 2017
Prosecuted, as junior alone, two defendants accused of attempted murder of a victim who was seeking to assist with the removal of one of the defendant’s possessions from a flat. He was struck over the head with a bottle and stabbed a number of times.
St Albans Crown Court
News story here
Murder and ManslaughterR v H, 2017
Successfully defended in trial involving allegations that the Defendant had carried out serious sexual offences against the younger sister of his (ex) partner. Daniel had to deal with extensive evidence against the defendant, which came from various witnesses of fact as well as electronic evidence, and he was praised by the Judge for his sensitive handling of the case.
St Albans Crown Court
R v G, 2016
Successful prosecution of a serving police officer sexually assaulting a female colleague whilst on duty.
Southwark Crown Court
News story here
Rape and Sexual OffencesR v A, 2017
Two week prosecution of defendant accused of an offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, on the basis that a police officer’s leg was broken when it was alleged that the defendant was resisting arrest. Complex legal argument was engaged relating to issues which included the legality of arrest, causation, and recklessness.
St Albans Crown Court
R v B, 2017
Inner London Crown Court
News story here
ViolenceAchievements
- Criminal Bar Association
- South Eastern Circuit
- CPS Panel (Grade 4)
- BPP Professional Education
- Bar Vocational Course 2004
- Daniel is an U11 rugby coach, and captains a cricket 1st XI side in the Surrey Championship.