Jonathan is a defence specialist who is dual-qualified in England & Wales and Nigeria – making him suited to criminal matters with an international dimension, including cases of corruption or fraud.
Background and Expertise
In England and Wales, Jonathan has experience defending a wide range of criminal matters – from fraud, corruption and money laundering to murder and common assaults.
His second qualification in Nigeria makes him suitable for joining large fraud or corruption cases with an international angle – involving, for example, asset recovery or restraint of assets.
He works well as part of a larger team, takes a meticulous approach and has strong research skills.
Before coming to the bar, Jonathan worked as a psychiatric nurse – experience which has given him insight in dealing with vulnerable witnesses and defendants, or those with mental health problems.
He is a partner in Charles Anthony LLP, a Nigerian firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in England & Wales. He divides his time between Nigeria and London.
Notable Cases
R v D, 2020
Secured a 12-month Referral Order for a sixteen year old defendant who was sentenced for what was described as ‘high-end significant role’ in Operation Iona – an undercover police operation in which undercover police officers were purchasing drugs at street level. D was charged with supplying cocaine to the undercover police officer on two occasions, being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply. The prosecution case against D was that he was at the high end of significant role, was the holder of ‘Jack’ line, he employed runners one of whom included his 38 year old uncle, the cocaine supplied was of high purity, during a search of his home found to have stock of cocaine and cannabis for supply, dealt drugs in the vicinity of a school and had management function along with financial or other advantage.
The operation involved the arrest of over 50 individuals – two-thirds have been sentenced to sentences of imprisonment of up to and including 4 years.
2022
Acted for a Defendant charged with a number of other defendants’ with conspiracy to produce, import and supply counterfeit Maltese and Portuguese passports on a commercial scale.
Sheffield Crown Court
R v SA, 2018
Represented the defendant charged with offences of fraud and engaging in misleading commercial practices. It was alleged that the defendant had extracted, through fraudulent means, £120,000 worth of payments from the victim.
Croydon Crown Court
R v CA, 2018
Defended in a multi handed proceeds of crime case.
Southwark Crown Court
R v CD, 2016
Successfully represented the principal defendant in a case in which she was said to have bullied and intimidated a vulnerable complainant into ordering items from catalogues with no intention of paying him for them.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v VM, 2015
Defended a defendant charged in what was a large conspiracy to receive stolen goods, namely stolen car parts.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
R v AA, 2010
Junior counsel acting for a solicitor who was charged with offences including conspiring to facilitate the breach of immigration law and conspiring to have possession or control of articles for the use in fraud.
Croydon Crown Court
R v JA, 2018
Successfully defended a young man charged with an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Croydon Crown Court
R v MM, 2018
Successfully defended the defendant charged with fraud. He worked for Lloyds TSB Bank and it was alleged that he opened bank accounts for others using false documents.
Inner London Crown Court
R v AH, 2018
Successfully argued against the prosecution being able to adduce evidence of an elderly complainants ABE interview under the hearsay provisions in circumstances where she was said to be unfit to attend as a witness. The prosecution had to offer no evidence against the defendant(s).
Wood Green Crown Court
R v JI, 2011-2012
Junior Counsel representing the former Governor of Delta State having been extradited from UAE on charges of conspiracy to defraud Delta State and laundering substantial amounts of money.
Southwark Crown Court
R v AP, 2008-2010
Successfully defended the defendant as Junior Counsel. The case involved an allegation of laundering substantial amounts of money for and on behalf of the former Governor of Delta State in Nigeria. The case was extremely complex and involved a number of interlocutory appeals to the Court of Appeal during the course of the proceedings.
Southwark Crown Court
Financial CrimeR v JF
Acted for a Defendant who was charged with a number of other Defendants with conspiracy to burgle. Following significant discussions between the prosecution and the Defence following the service of expert evidence the prosecution offered no evidence against the Defendant and a verdict of not guilty was entered.
Kingston Crown Court
R v AC
Acted for Defendant in a case involving 4 other Defendants that related to a conspiracy supply cocaine on a wholsale basis. Much of the evidence came from Operation Venetic, the lawful infiltration of the Encrochat servers.
Southwark Crown Court
R v OO, 2017
R v EF, 2023
Acted for this young Defendant who was jointly charged with his bother of attempting to murder their father. The Defendants were both suffering with mental illness but not sufficiently to raise the defence of insanity. A plea to section 18 Offences against the Persons Act 1861 was rejected by the prosecution and following a jury trial the Defendant (and his bother) were acquitted of attempting to murder their father.
Inner London Crown Court
R v VB, 2023
Acted for this Defendant with an established history of mental illness. She had relapsed and during the process of being recalled to hospital the emergency services were summoned to her home. She attacked police officers who were trying to arrest her and whilst one of the officers was making an attempt to go down the stairs she stabbed him to the back of his neck. The defence of insanity was rejected by the jury, however she was acquitted of attempted murder and convicted of the lesser count of wounding with intent contrary to section 18 Offences against the Persons Act 1861.
Inner London Crown Court
R v KA, 2023
Acted for this young Defendant who had only been in the country for two months to commence a business degree course. He became unwell and he approached the victim in an Indian restaurant, placed him in a headlock whilst repeatedly stabbing the victim to the stomach. He was charged with attempted murder. The Defendant was found unfit to plead and was later found to have done the act under trial under section 4A Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991.
St Albans Crown Court
R v FO, 2022
I acted for this young Defendant as junior counsel. He was jointly charged with the murder of a 14-year-old boy and attempted murder of a 15 year old boy during a confrontation between two groups not far from Woolwich Station. Following an 8-week trial the Defendant was acquitted of Murder and attempted murder.
Central Criminal Court
R v OD, 2019
R v HJ, 2006
R v DB, 2006
R v JC, 2024
Acted for a Defendant who was alleged, over the course of about 8 months (January 2023 - August 2023) to have raped (vaginally and anally) his partner on multiple occasions. It was further alleged that over the same period he subjected the complainant to coercive and controlling behaviour. Following a five day trial the Defendant was acquitted unanimously of all 8 counts.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v JH, 2019
The Defendant faced an indictment containing 18 counts - 5 counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 (5 month old baby), 2 counts of taking indecent photographs, 6 counts of making indecent photographs of a child, 2 counts of breaching a sexual prevention order and 3 counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child. The prosecution sought to adduce the expert evidence of Professor Lady Black, a professor of anthropology and anatomy regarding the identification of the Defendant by comparing the hands in the offender images and the hands of the Defendant in the custody images. The defence sought to exclude the evidence under section 78 PACE.
Winchester Crown Court
R v MM, 2017
Defendant charged with 6 counts of sexual assaults (varying degrees of seriousness) of a 15 year old girl and a further charge of raping an 18 year old girl. Defendant acquitted of the more serious allegations of sexual assault and jury undecided on the allegation of rape – defendant acquitted of rape at a re-trial.
Birmingham Crown Court
R v JM, 2015
Successfully defended a taxi driver charged with two counts of anal rape of a 12 year old. The case was a very difficult case and involved the cross examination of five young and vulnerable prosecution witnesses.
Croydon Crown Court
R v JO, 2014
Successfully defended a young defendant in an allegation of gang rape. It was alleged that the defendant and three others had taken a young girl back to the flat of a co-accused and gang raped her.
Inner London Crown Court
R v AO, 2013
Successfully defended defendant charged with 11 counts of historical sexual abuse against 4 girls.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v LH, 2010
Successfully defended a young defendant charged with 5 others of gang raping a 17 year old girl.
Croydon Crown Court
Rape and Sexual OffencesR v G, 2020
Successfully defended a young man charged with attempted murder and GBH with intent. The prosecution alleged that each of the 13 defendants was part of a joint enterprise attempt to murder. After a 5-week trial the defendant was unanimously acquitted of both charges.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v RA, 2018
Successfully defended a young defendant charged with others with multiple counts of armed robbery.
Southwark Crown Court
R v EE, 2015
Successfully defended a young man charged with a serious assault contrary to s18 Offences against the Persons Act.
Wood Green Crown Court
R v SN, 2015
Successfully defended a defendant in his absence in a multi defendant trial charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was acquitted following a successful submission of no case to answer.
Croydon Crown Court
R v TB, 2014
Successfully defended a young man charged in a multi handed violent disorder trial.
Isleworth Crown Court
R v LA, 2014
Defended the defendant in a Conspiracy to rob trial.
Winchester Crown Court
R v FK, 2012
Successfully defended the defendant in a multi handed case in which the defendants were charged with false imprisonment, assault and possessing a prohibited firearm. The defendant was the only one acquitted of all charges.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v NA, 2004-2006
The defendant was convicted unanimously of being involved in a global conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the UK. An appeal against conviction was lodged in the Court of Appeal, the application for leave was refused by the single judge but I successfully renewed the application before the full court and the Court of Appeal after hearing fresh evidence under section 23(1)(c) Criminal Appeal Act 1968 quashed the conviction.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
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Achievements
- Inner Temple
- Criminal Bar Association
- South Eastern Circuit
- British Nigerian Law Forum
- Nigerian Bar Association
- Governing Bencher of the Inner Temple (appointed 2024)
- Bar Standards Board qualifications committee (appointed 2012)
- South Eastern Circuit representative on CBA committee, 2004–08
- South Eastern Circuit committee, 2001–05
- Junior, South Eastern Circuit, 2002
- Registered pupil master
- Chambers Pupillage interview Panel and Management Committee
- Inner Temple Scholarship Panels
- LLB (Hons), South Bank University
- Jonathan is focused on the education and training of young lawyers. He sits on the Inner Temple scholarship awards panel and is a mentor for Inner Temple. In 2007, he was a member of Inner Temple working party for the Bar Standards Board equality and diversity consultation paper. He is also setting up advocacy training in Nigeria
- Jonathan is also a mentor for Urban Synergy, a mentoring charity for children aged 11–18