Alex has been instructed in a number of high profile cases, both as leading and junior counsel, and has developed a reputation as a skilled, dedicated, and successful advocate. He is of the view that by both prosecuting and defending, he has gained an enhanced understanding and appreciation of trial advocacy, to the advantage of his clients.
He is an experienced defence barrister, which accounts for the majority of his practice. He has been instructed in the following areas: murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, false imprisonment, cases involving torture, firearms offences, robbery, sexual offences, non-recent and recent cases, including gun-point rape and offences committed by and against children, cases involving indecent images.
A large portion of Alex's practice relates directly and indirectly to the supply of controlled drugs. He has both successfully defended and prosecuted such cases, both large and small, for many years. He gives sound advice in trial, and at sentence should the defendant plead guilty or be convicted.
He has particular expertise and outstanding results in high-value and complex drugs cases, notably where Encrochat evidence is involved.
He has been instructed in numerous cases involving fraud and financial crime at all levels. He has successfully appealed to the Court of Appeal on a number of occasions.
He is a grade 3 prosecutor, and prosecutes rapes and other sexual offences, crimes of violence, fraud, drugs cases. He has attended vulnerable witness courses.
Notable Cases
R v C, 2019
Alex's client stood trial as the first defendant in what was originally a 12 handed case (6 by the time of the trial). He was alleged to have been the head of an organised crime group, orchestrating a complex serious of crimes, including stealing high end motor vehicles to order and exporting them throughout the world. Following a lengthy trial in which the defendant gave evidence for over 5 days, there was a hung jury.
As a result of subsequent negotiations between the parties, the defendant entered guilty pleas to lesser offending. He received a far shorter sentence and the prosecution conceded on the proceeds of crime matters. Alex had previously successfully represented this defendant on allegations of fraud, and at this trial was led by Martin Rutherford QC.
Blackfriars Crown Court
R v J, 2019
The defendant, with lengthy convictions, faced allegations of fraud. It was a case that required extensive legal argument to limit the evidence against him. He was found not guilty following trial.
Croydon Crown Court
R v O, 2017
A multi handed large-scale boiler-room fraud involving a company purporting to sell carbon credits. 5 defendants pleaded guilty. The defendant and one other were both found not guilty at trial.
Southwark Crown Court
Financial CrimeR v A and others, 2023
The defendant stood trial on 3 counts of kidnap, false imprisonment and robbery.
He was alleged to have gone to the complainant’s home address with others, dragged him out, taken his mobile phones and violently taken him to a waiting car where he was further assaulted. The police were called by a member of the public. When the police attended, the defendant told the others to answer no comment in interview, which they did. The incident was captured on CCTV and ring door bell footage. The complainant was cross examined at trial and shown to have lied in relation to the background to this case, the nature of his relationship with the defendants, and in relation to the debt that he owed.
The defendant gave evidence and chose for good reason to adduce his previous convictions. The robbery was withdrawn from the jury following legal submissions. Following a careful direction on the ingredients of kidnap and false imprisonment, and in answer to a jury note, the meaning of consent, the defendant was found not guilty on both remaining counts.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
R v F, 2023
Alex defended a man indicted with s.18 wounding. The defendant was alleged to wounded a man during a ‘road rage’ incident. The complainant received a stab wound to his back, which was treated in hospital some half an hour after the incident. The defendant denied that he had a weapon and claimed that the wound must have been caused by someone else before or after the fight, that he accepted having had with the complainant.
The judge was persuaded to leave a defence of self-defence to the jury following legal argument. The defendant was found not guilty by the jury of the offence, and not guilty of the alternative s.20 offence as well.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v M, 2022
The Defendant stood trial in relation to armed robbery (firearm) of high value goods. The evidence at first, second and third blush appeared strong-he was arrested in a vehicle stolen during the robbery, in a green tracksuit as described by witnesses and wearing a balaclava. He had in his possession expensive jewellery stoles in the robbery.
R v K 2021
Alex prosecuted this high profile and widely reported case involving child cruelty and abuse committed by a man against his wife and children over many years. The defendant was convicted and sentenced to a lengthy sentence, deemed appropriate by the Court of Appeal.
R v O, 2022
Unanimously acquitted in a two-handed ABH where the defence related to the use of reasonable force against an individual wanted for rape and breach of a life licence relating to two further rapes.
R v M, 2021
The client, a former professional heavyweight boxer, was alleged to have assaulted two individuals in an unprovoked attack with a wheel brace and fists causing serious injury. The alleged victims, neither heavyweight nor boxers, claimed that he had approached them when they were in their stationary vehicles and had attacked them. They alleged the defendant thought that one was having an affair with his wife. The defendant claimed to have been acting in self-defence. He was found not guilty on both counts following trial. Inner
London Crown Court
R v T, 2021
The client was alleged to have been part of a conspiracy to kidnap. The allegation was that there was a sophisticated plan involving a ‘honey trap’ tracking devices and reconnaissance to kidnap an individual who owed money to an organised crime group. The defendant was also alleged to have been armed with an offensive weapon. Following legal representations, the prosecution did not proceed on that count, and after a 5-week trial, the defendant was found not guilty on the conspiracy.
Inner London Crown Court
R v K, 2021
Alex prosecuted the defendant who was convicted at trial on all counts of child cruelty and assaults committed against his family over a twenty-year period.
Reading Crown Court
R v B, 2020
Defended client accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on his girlfriend. His defence was that he was acting in self-defence. He was found not guilty following trial.
Wolverhampton Crown Court
R v RM, 2019-20
Multi-handed murder trial. Alex's client was accused of perverting the course of justice. It was alleged that he disposed of evidence used in a gang related murder. Following a lengthy trial in which all but one of his co-accused were convicted of murder, following legal argument, the prosecution dropped the case against the defendant. He was found guilty of handling stolen goods alone, for which he received a community order.
Warwick Crown Court
R v X-S, 2019
Led junior. The client was charged with running a network of brothels with her partner. Following a lengthy trial, she was found not guilty by the jury of the most serious count of conspiring to keep a person in servitude, and weapons offences. Convicted of controlling prostitution and drugs offences.
Harrow Crown Court
R v H, 2019
Alex prosecuted this case in which a child was abducted from school and threatened by a gang with extreme violence. The defendant was convicted.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
R v G, 2019
Representing the defendant, a professional man, who stood trial on a count of Section 18 wounding. He was alleged to have stabbed a man whom he believed had sexually assaulted his child. He argued that he was acting in self-defence. He was found not guilty of that offence, but guilty of a lesser offence and avoided a custodial sentence.
Woolwich Crown Court
R v W and others, 2018
This was a high-profile case, resulting from a lengthy investigation, in which some 50 defendants were prosecuted for having organised and participated in ‘Take back the streets’ protests. A number of defendants pleaded guilty, or were found guilty. The jury were hung in this case, and following representations, the prosecution did not seek a re-trial, resulting in the defendant’s acquittal.
Birmingham Crown Court
R v W and another, 2018
Two defendants were accused of administering a noxious substance to a child. Following trial, the defendant represented by Alex was acquitted. The co-defendant was found guilty by the jury.
Chelmsford Crown Court
R v M, 2018
Alex prosecuted this case in which the victim was stabbed to the chest with a knife. The defendant, who claimed that he had acted in self-defence, was convicted of wounding with intent to cause gbh following a trial.
Croydon Crown Court
R v M, 2017
Murder. The defendant was accused of having been part of an organised revenge attack on the victim, who was attacked following a sophisticated surveillance operation carried out by the group. In the event, following legal argument, the prosecution accepted a plea to manslaughter.
Central Criminal Court
CrimeR v H, 2023
Alex defended a man charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs. The defendant was stopped in a vehicle and found to be in possession of 58 wraps of controlled drugs. He was in possession of a large amount of cash. He had a number of mobile phones(to which he did not provide the police with the PINs). A search of his home address led to the seizure of further wraps of Class A drugs, mobile phones, cash, scales and other drugs paraphanalia.
The defendant answered no comment in interview. At trial the prosecution called an expert witness who gave evidence that the drugs found were not consistent with simple possession, but that the evidence was consistent with an intent to supply.The defendant gave evidence at trial that he was a heavy user and that the drugs were for his own use.The Jury returned not guilty verdicts on both counts.
Croydon Crown Court
R v H, 2022
Alex defended the first defendant in a multi-handed case involving the importation of around 100 Kilos of cocaine. The case was complex involving the use of enchrochat material and covert evidence. Expert evidence was obtained by the defence re the mobile phone evidence and the was large scale OCG's operate. A basis of plea was entered. Although the defendant had not entered his plea at an early stage, following legal argument he was given 1/3 credit. His sentence was well blow expectations such that the prosecution advised re it being unduly lenient.
R v B and Others, 2021
Alex was instructed as Leading Counsel in a Complex Case Unit in a case involving the large scale production of controlled drugs. All 6 defendants were convicted.
R v C, 2020
The defendant had previous convictions including for the supply of Class A drugs to test purchase officers. He pleaded guilty to a further offence of supplying Class A drugs to test purchase officers. Alex secured a suspended sentence, having persuaded the judge that this was an exceptional case.
DrugsR v S, 2021
Alex prosecuted a defendant who was accused of arranging and facilitating child sex offences. He was the administrator of a number of social media sites in which the abuse of children was arranged. This was a complex case involving offending by individuals in a number of jurisdictions. There was legal argument prior to trial, which following a ruling in favour of the prosecution, the defendant entered guilty pleas. He was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.
R v W, 2020
The client, a young man of good character, was alleged to have raped a woman with whom he had an on off relationship. Her account was supported by a witness as to his behaviour before and after the alleged crime. There was considerable legal argument as to the admissibility of evidence in that case. The defendant was found not guilty by the jury.
Aylesbury Crown Court
R v C, 2020
The client stood trial in a complex case where he was alleged to have committed a number of serious offences involving indecent images of children. Both the prosecution and defence relied on expert evidence at trial in relation to material on the defendant’s computer. The jury found him not guilty of all counts following trial.
Croydon Crown Court
R v A, 2020
Alex prosecuted a youth who was convicted following trial of attempted rape of a 7-year-old boy, who was a friend of the family. Woolwich Crown Court.
R v X-S, 2019
Led junior. The client was charged with running a network of brothels with her partner. Following a lengthy trial, she was found not guilty by the jury of the most serious count of conspiring to keep a person in servitude, and weapons offences. Convicted of controlling prostitution and drugs offences.
Harrow Crown Court
R v W, 2019
The defendant was charged with attempted rape and voyeurism. The victim had met the defendant on a dating site and had a long relationship with him on-line. The case required sensitivity, and concluded by the indictment being marked accordingly. Derby Crown Court
R v S, 2018
The defendant was accused by his step daughters of having sexually abused them as children. He was found not guilty following trial.
Nottingham Crown Court
R v W, 2018
The defendant was charged with production and distribution of indecent images of children. Alex prosecuted this complex trial in which experts had been instructed by both the prosecution and defence. The defendant was convicted on all counts following a trial.
Central Criminal Court
R v B, 2017
The defendant was alleged to have committed a number of sexual offences against a student who had allowed him to stay at her flat. He was found not guilty of the most serious offence (anal rape) following legal argument.
Wood Green Crown Court
Rape and Sexual Offences
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