Justin is a highly experienced practitioner, a seasoned jury trial advocate and formidable opponent. He is also a direct access barrister and regularly acts as a ‘leading junior’ in defence cases.
He was admitted as a solicitor in 1986.
Background and Expertise
Justin’s case experience includes multi-million pound frauds; very large drug importations; murders; rapes and other serious sexual assaults; and other offences involving violence especially instances where fatalities occur.
His approach to his work is both meticulous and clinical.
Before being called to the Bar, Justin was a senior equity partner in a Legal 500 firm of solicitors and has practiced as a criminal defence lawyer for some 38 years.
He has a very detailed understanding as how to run a case.
His practice covers all criminal courts across England and Wales, and he is regularly involved in defending high-profile cases.
He was admitted as a Associate Writer to the Signet of Scotland and is still a member of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
Justin was one of the first solicitor-advocates to be appointed and was also one of the first to be instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to prosecute in the Crown Court.
He is a direct access barrister and also has qualifications to enable him to act in police stations as a duty solicitor holding a dual capacity practising certificate.
A former member of the Secretary of State's standing committee for the review of military law, and appears for the defence in courts martial wherever UK troops are stationed.
He is also president of 'Forces Law', the national organisation that provides assistance and representation to service personnel and their families.
Justin is a signatory on the Armed Forces Covenant.
He is still a member of one of the six companies of the Sovereigns Warranted Body Guards and participates in State Ceremonial Occasions.
Justin sat for many years as a member of the Legal Aid Agency's complex case appeals committee, and he undertook work as an independent cost adjudicator.
He has written articles on military law, appeared in training videos, and has advised on the production and scripting of feature films.
A freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of a City livery Company, he lives on the Welsh border spending his spare time with his horses and spaniels.
Notable Cases
R v B, 2023
Justin successfully defended in a large Kidnapping Conspiracy in a trial lasting many months in Newport South Wales.
His client was acquitted following a trial that had lasted some 7 months in total.
R v H, 2023
Justin again defended in a case of Kidnapping.
R v KS, 2023
Justin defended a senior care worker accused of physical abuse of Alzheimer’s patients.
The allegation was denied, and the trial took place at the Crown Court at Leeds, with a unanimous, not guilty verdict been returned by the jury after four days of evidence
Justin was instructed by Blackford’s solicitors.
R v B, 2022
Defended in a multi handed and complex kidnapping case in Newport Crown Court.
After some 4 months and prior to the close of the Crown case a retrial was ordered.
R v D, 2022
Represented a Senior warrant officer at court Marshall accused of fraud in connection with the disposal of spent ammunition. Three days into the trial the prosecution backed away from the allegation and he was acquitted the other defendants continue to face trial.
R v S, 2021/22
Caernarfon Crown Court represented a lady in her late 60s accused with others of kidnapping a child from the island of Anglesey. Matter taken to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that the Judge had misrepresented the law
R v W, 2021
Wolverhampton Crown Court. Grandfather accused of historic abuse of his grandchildren. Acquitted after trial
R v Q, 2020
Newcastle Crown Court. The defendant was a registered nurse who was accused at trial and again at retrial of assaulting a number of patients who were suffering from dementia. (Leading brief)
R v G, 2019
Instructed by the Registrar in place of trial counsel. To deal with an anomaly in the law between the armed forces arc and Queens Regulations. The resulting decision effected a change in the Queens Regulations.
Court Martial Appeal Court
R v A, 2019
The defendant was a registered carer accused of assaulting people in his care. He was acquitted.
Swansea Crown Court
R v J, 2018
A lengthy trial before a jury at the Crown Court at Snaresbrook where Justin led another member of chambers. The defendant was accused of tobacco smuggling. HMRC conducted months of surveillance on all the defendants in this case and located a tobacco processing plant. The loss to the public purse in taxes exceeded £1 million.
R v G, 2016
Guildford Crown Court. Case alleging a detailed and planned fraud over a period of years where the victims were vulnerable pensioners who were specifically targeted. The fraud involved building and roofing works being carried which were not required and grossly overpriced. Acquitted of conspiracy.
CrimeR v B, 2022
Secured a reduction of Sentence in the Court of Appeal for a man accused of stealing in drugs.
R v W, 2017
This defendant was one of 8 who was accused of being involved in a substantial drugs supply ring within the Black Country and the West Midlands. It involved the supply of Class A drugs. This defendant was found within the address that was used to repackage the drugs. After a 5 week trial he was the only one who was acquitted.
Wolverhampton Crown Court
DrugsR v W and three others, 2016
Successfully defended conspiracy to transfer S1 firearms. Following a forced stop by three armed response units, loaded firearms were recovered from the seat of the car the defendant was driving. A five-week trial resulted in the conviction of all other defendants.
Harrow Crown Court
FirearmsR v E, 2017
European national accused of gross commercial exploitation contrary to the Modern Slavery Act. This man was said to be the lead In an organisation that brought people from eastern Europe to the UK and then sort to exploit them financially keeping them as the prosecution service in squalor.
The case was tried before a jury Kingston Crown Court when is currently subject to leave having been granted appeal conviction.
International Human RightsR v K, 2023
Justin was briefed to defend a male in his early twenties who was accused of attempted murder where it was said that he attacked and stabbed a man in a car.
The defendant was acquitted unanimously by the jury.
Birmingham Crown Court
R v S 2022
Represented a soldier arrested for attempted murder ultimately charged with wounding but after considerable investigation and work it was agreed that he was indeed suffering from a mental illness at the time of the commission of the offence and was therefore subject to a hospital order.
R v M 2020
Birmingham Crown Court. The defendant was accused of murder on a joint enterprise basis with his brother who were accused of being responsible for the death of another passenger in the vehicle in which they were travelling.
R v W 2019
Caernarfon Crown Court The defendant was a game keeper accused of Corporate Manslaughter when a shot gun discharged in his car killing a rear seat passenger.
R v J, 2017
A company director faced trial. Prosecution having been brought against the individual the limited company and an employee. Prosecution followed very extensive investigation that resulted after the tragic death of an elderly female cyclist when she was struck by a part of a vehicle driven by one of the defendants.
R v M, 2016
Acted as junior in case alleging manslaughter by gross negligence. The case involved a JCB digger driver hitting the deceased who was in a skip crushing rubbish.
Wolverhampton Crown Court
R v S, 2016
Defendant was accused of attempted murder of her former husband who visited her at her home. The defence was one of self-defence: the defendant complained that she was raped by the witness and she feared that she would be subject to further assaults.
Birmingham Crown Court
R v C and others, 2016
Acted as junior in an allegation of murder when all other defendants were youths. Acting as a group, they entrapped and knifed a man they thought was a paedophile.
Chelmsford Crown Court
Murder and ManslaughterR v W, 2018
The defendant a man in his mid-20s was accused of rape and very serious sexual assault alleged to have been carried out on his sister. The offences were historic in that it was said that they took place when he was 12 and the sister 8. After a two week trial he was found not guilty of all charges.
St Albans Crown Court
R v M, 2018
The defendant was accused of various parts of sexual assault against a teenage male lodger. The defendant was acquitted on the order of the Judge.
Stafford Crown Court
Rape and Sexual OffencesR v L, 2018
The defendant was accused of being one of a gang who broke into the complainant’s house and attacked him with a claw hammer and knives. The injuries were very serious.
After a lengthy deliberation the jury were unable to reach a verdict and they were discharged.
Southampton Crown Court
R v P, 2018
The defendant was acquitted following a trial where it was said that he attacked a fellow worker on a building site. The prosecution case was that he attacked the alleged victim with a 1.5-meter solid metal iron bar hitting him with such force that the bar bent on impact. He was found not guilty.
Winchester Crown Court
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Achievements
- Gray’s Inn
- Midland Circuit
- CBA
- Honourable Artillery Company
- Company of Pikemen and Musketeers
- Freeman of the City of London
- Liveryman of Worshipful Company of Cooks of London
- President of Forces Law
- On FCO pro bono lawyers panel
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Horse drawn carriage driving. Member of the British Driving Society.