What We Do…
Member Profile
Allan Compton
Year of call: 1994
Education: Southampton University (LLB)
Allan Compton was called in 1994, joining Chambers in 2004.
He has a wide-ranging practice, embracing all areas of serious crime both as leading and junior counsel. In particular he defends and prosecutes in murders , attempted murders, other crimes of serious violence, kidnappings, substantial drugs conspiracies and tobacco importations. He also has extensive experience in people trafficking cases and large scale conspiracies to control prostitution.
Mr Compton has defended in a number of substantial asset confiscation cases both in the Crown Court and High Court.
In recent years Mr Compton has defended and prosecuted in a number of high profile cases involving very young defendants, often charged with murder, rape and other serious sexual offences.
In addition he has significant experience in 'Baby Shaking' cases and allegations of parents or carers inflicting serious or fatel injuries on children. He has also acted for a number of mentally ill defendants alleged to have committed serious crimes.
Mr Compton regularly acts for police officers charged with crimes committed both on and off-duty, in the Crown and Magistrate's Courts and also in police disciplinary tribunals.
Other prosecution work includes acting for Local Authorities and other agencies including trading standards prosecutions, firearms appeals, enforcement notice prosecutions and other regulatory matters.
He has appeared in the Divisional Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords, acting for both defendants and the Crown.
In the last eighteen months he has successfully acted in a number of high profile cases including:
- R v S (Defending in baby shaking case in which mother was alleged to have inflicted catastrophic brain injuries and multiple factures of arms and legs on her 4 month old child. Defendant acquitted of all allegations that she inflicted injuries)
- R v Cornwall (Prosecuting 16 year od defendant convicted of murdering a crack addict in Braintree, Essex)
- R v Hayward and another (Defending 14 year old defendant charged with murdering a 25year old woman when he was 13. Successful cut-throat defence)
- R v Sokman (Defending paraoid schizophrenic charged with a double attempted murder, including a policewoman as one of the victims. Defendant found unfit to stand trial 10 days into his trial at which his defence was insanity)
- R v Knight and another (Defending a man charged with murder and unlawful burial of his 76 year old mother in law to be. Defendant acquitted of murder and manslaughter)
- R v Dobson-Starmore (Defending a 62 year old woman charged with the murder of her alcoholic partner. Defence of battered woman's syndrome. Pleas to manslaughter accepted by prosecution)
- R v Benstead and Others (Three handed murder. Successful cut-throat defence. Acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter)
- R v White and Others (Major drugs conspiracy in the South East. After a confiscation hearing in which the Crown claimed £63million, confiscation order of £13,000 was made)
- R v Howard and Others (Defending in a major conspiracy to run a network of brothels in West London)
Cases
Sexual Offences | |
| R v Green and others | 13 handed allegation of conspiracy to control prostitution and facilitate breaches of immigration law. Listed for four month trial. Successful abuse of process argument based on the submission that local police had encouraged the operation of the largest brothels in the United Kingdom, over a period of 20 years, in order to control street prostitution. Court : Sheffield Crown Court |
| R v Howard & Others | Conspiracy to run a network of brothels in West London. Court : Southwark Crown Court |
| R v C | Defending youth charged with sexual offences. Successful abuse of process application because of LSC refusal to fully fund neurologist's reports. Court : Snaresbrook Crown Court |
| R v Downer | Prosecuting date rapist with previous rape convictions. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v TC | Defending 12 year-old boy charged with serious sexual assaults on his 3 year old sister. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
| R v P | Defending 12 year old boy both in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal, charged with multiple indecent assaults on a series of adult female victims. Court : Chelmsford Crown and Court of Appeal |
Regulatory Offences | |
| R v Morris and others | Prosecution junior in multi-handed £20m counterfeit clothing case. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
Murder/Manslaughter | |
| R v Sokmen | Defending paranoid schizophrenic charged with two attempted murders (including that of a policewoman). The defendant was ultimately found to be unfit to stand trial on day 10 of a trial, at which he put forward a defence of insanity. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v Cornwall | Junior Counsel prosecuting 16 year old crack and heroin addict in Braintree, Essex. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v Bertram and others | Leading Counsel in incitement for murder. Allegation of attempted contract killing involving hiring of undercover Police Officer. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
| R v Knight & another | Two-handed murder. Defendant charged with murdering and burying 76 year old future mother-in-law then faking a missing person's enquiry. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
| R v Hayward & another | Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v Benstead & Others | Multi-handed murder involving cut-throat defence Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v Cussen | Defending alone - attempted murder. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
| R v Bush and Nicholls | Attempted murder. A cut-throat defence was run involving the admission of the co-defendant's previous convictions for manslaughter. Court : Central Criminal Court |
| R v Spearman | Defending alone Attempted axe murder. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
| R v Onley | Defending in allegation of murder by mother of her baby. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v Hewson | Defending in first murder to be tried at Basildon Crown Court. Court : Basildon Crown Court |
| R v Jennings | Defending in attempted murder and triple s 18 by householder shooting burglars. Court : Stafford Crown Court |
Confiscation and Restraint | |
| R v Howard Allen | Appeared for defendant in confiscation proceedings in the High Court. A prosecution application for the appointment of an enforcement receiver to enforce the sale of five properties owned by the defendant following conviction for a multi-million pound VAT fraud, was successfully resisted during a two day hearing in the High Court. Court : High Court |
| R v White & Others | Major drugs conspiracy in the South East in the which the prosecution alleged a benefit of £63 million and substantial hidden assets. Ultimately a figure of £13,000 confiscation figure was approved by the Court. Court : Kingston Crown Court |
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| R v Morris and Others | Junior Counsel in multi-handed prosecution alleging false imprisonment and blackmail of QPR chairman during a Championship game. Court : Blackfriars Crown Court |
Fraud | |
| R v Bingelli | Forgery and counterfeiting involving £1.5m pound Swiss bankers draft fraud by Swiss defendant with numerous foreign fraud convictions. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
| R v Marshall and others | Defending in multi-handed bonded warehouse diversion fraud at Stansted airport. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
Domestic Appellate Cases | |
| R v Seed 2 Cr.App.R.(S)69 | Leading authority concerning the approach sentencing Judges should take in the light of the prison overcrowding crisis and more effective fines enforcement |
| R v Harwich Justices Ex parte Meredith [2006] EWHC 3336 | Judicial review concerning admission of evidence under s116 CJA 2003. Court : Adminstrative Court |
| R v Fox | Successful appeal against an indeterminate sentence with a tariff of five months. Court : Court of Appeal |
| DPP v Sheldrake - [2005] 1 AC 264 | Junior for respondent in House of Lords appeal concerning reverse burdens of proof. Court : House of Lords |
| R v Wood [2002] JPL 219 | Guideline case concerning the statutory defence to prosecution for breach of enforcement notices under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990. Court : Court of Appeal |
| R v Basildon Crown Court - Ex parte Cooper LTL 16/2/2000 | Acting for the Crown in judicial review concerning equivocal pleas. Court : Divisional Court |
| McDermott v DPP [1997] RTR 474 | Authority on definition of failing to stop. Court : Divisional Court |
Drugs and Tobacco | |
| R v Greener and others | Drugs conspiracy involving the supply of multi-kilo deals of cocaine between London, Ipswich and Essex. After five trials the defendant was aquitted of all charges. Court : Ipswich Crown Court |
| R v W | Leading Counsel in major drugs conspiracy to supply large quantities of cocaine in Essex. Court : Kingston Crown Court |
| R v Livings | Defending in series of tobacco importations from Thailand. Court : Ipswich Crown Court |
| R v Salisbury | Defending in £3m cannabis importation. Court : Canterbury Crown Court |
| R v French and others | Defence junior in ten-handed drugs entrapment case involving a ten week voire dire and abuse of process argument. Court : Chelmsford Crown Court |
