2 Bedford Row

Drugs

Importation of 1 ton of cannabis resin inside specially constructed carpet hides - the defendants claimed to have been duped believing that the load was to be tobacco. First tried in 2002 when all of the defendants were convicted. A re-trial was ordered by the Court of Appeal. After a number of delays due top PII applications being made by the Crown, the second trial (Stephen Vullo first instrcuted) was heard in January 2006 whoich was aborted due to allegations of jury tampering. At the third trial in September 2006 the prosecution had to make admissions before the jury that the man named in defence statements served in the first trial had been convicted of drug smuggling on two separate occasions and had in the past duped others into doing so. Furthermore, he had ordered the murder of a co-defendant before their joint trial, who in his defence statement had claimed also to have been duped. All the defendants were acquitted.

Charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and possession of firearms. The defendant was acquitted after a 9 week trial.

Miscellaneous Crime

£53m armed robbery and kidnapping. A seven month trial at the Old Bailey representing one of the armed gang said to have kidnapped the manager of the Securitas Depot in Kent, his wife and 8 year old child. Members of the gang wearing prosthetic disguises and dressed as policemen stopped the manager on his way home from work and took him to a farm where his wife and child were being held having been kidnapped from their home again by members of the gang dressed as policemen. Stephen Vullo conducted all of the very substantial cross-examination in respect of cell site analysis. The Crown’s expert gave evidence for over 2 weeks. He also dealt with all the cross-examination of the forensic scientist on the issue of LCN DNA profiling.

An allegation of kidnap for ransom committed over a 3-day period by a gang of human traffickers attempting to collect an alleged debt owed to them by the owner of a massage parlour.

This case was relentlessly reported by the media all over the world and is still the subject of both press and television commentary. It involved allegations of abuse of Iraqi looters in ‘Camp Bread Basket’, Basra, Southern Iraq by soldiers of the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers. The ‘abuse’ was photographed and included images of Iraqi’s being suspended from a fork lift truck and being forced to strip and simulate sexual acts.

S.18 accusation - represented Sol Campbell’s brother accused of seriously assaulting the complainant following homophobic comments made about Sol Campbell at a football training ground.

An accusation of false imprisonment, assault and robbery of 2 transsexual prostitutes who the defence alleged had stolen an MP’s briefcase.

A 16-year-old girl accused of abducting a baby for 2 days following a phantom pregnancy.

Represented a man accused of seriously sexually/physically assaulting another male on a train.

Sexual Offences

In R v Uddin ?acted alone . The defendants were charged with kidnap, blackmail, various assaults including sexual assault on a male with one of the defendants charged with rape of the same victim. The trial lasted for just under 2 months and presented a myriad of problems to be overcome. The first was a legal matter relating to whether the complainant could have anonymity in respect of the sexual offences. Expert evidence was served late in relation to the download from a mobile phone on the very contentious issue of whether the defendant had photographed the sexual assault on his mobile phone. At one stage the crown's expert refused to disclose how he had obtained the material quoting copyright problems with the program he had written. This evidence was eventually excluded after a voir dire

In R v Uddin ?acted alone . The defendants were charged with kidnap, blackmail, various assaults including sexual assault on a male with one of the defendants charged with rape of the same victim. The trial lasted for just under 2 months and presented a myriad of problems to be overcome. The first was a legal matter relating to whether the complainant could have anonymity in respect of the sexual offences. Expert evidence was served late in relation to the download from a mobile phone on the very contentious issue of whether the defendant had photographed the sexual assault on his

?R v Perry ?- acted alone -? defendant charged with 'date rape' of an actress. Evidence of a previous conviction for a like offence committed in Australia for which the defendant had served 7 years in prison went before the jury. The defendant was acquitted.

Represented a Catholic Priest accused of child abuse dating back to the 1970’s when he worked in a childrens home run by the Catholic Society.

Represented an Olympic Judo coach, accused of sexually assaulting young men that he trained.

Represented a local councillor/juvenile magistrate against allegations of serious child abuse in the 1980’s when he ran a large childrens home in the East End.

Extradition

Advised in writing as to the international powers of arrest, extradition and the nature and scope of co-operation between the United Kingdom, Interpol, The United States and The Kingdom of Dubai in terms of alleged criminal offences committed in the United States.

The requested person was wanted by the Italian and United States authorities in respect of a massive prepaid phone card fraud. He was said to be the Mafia’s banker in Europe with over €30 million running through his bank account each month.

Wanted by French authorities in connection with the murder of his girlfriend in a Paris hotel room.

Terrorism

Led by James Sturman QC. The defendant was accused of planting the Tiger Tiger and Haymarket car bombs the day before breaching security at Glasgow Airport to ram his green Cherokee jeep into the front of Glasgow Airport in an attempt to detonate an improvised explosure device in the rear compartment of the vehicle. Stephen Vullo conducted all cross-examination of the Crown's numerous explosives experts. The issue was whether the devices were capable of detonation. The defendant claimed they had been manufactured in such a way as to ensure they would not explode. The Crown's case was that only incompetance prevented the mass murder of hundreds of civilians in both London and Glasgow. The defendant's assertion of intentional design was rejected but the Judge reduced the sentence he would normally have passed on the basis that he had accepted on hearing cross-examination that the devices were not capable of detonating.

Led by Michael Wolkind QC in the 21st July bombers appeal before the Court of Appeal. Neither counsel had been instructed for trial. The appeal was heard over 2 days. Stephen Vullo identified that the Police, Crown and all involved in the trial had incorrectly proceeded on the basis that senior police officers had acted in accordance with the codes of practice when denying Omar, the Warren Street bomber, access to a solicitor to allow ‘emergency safety interviews to be conducted’. In rejecting the appeal the Court had to concede that there was a breach of the codes. The Court held that the subsequent use by the Crown of the comments made in those interviews even though made in the absence of a solicitor coupled with the police administering the incorrect (new style) caution did not render the conviction unsafe. This matter is now pending appeal in the ECJ.

Murder/Manslaughter

R v T - acted alone - the defendant was charged with the possession of a firearm with intent. He had been chased across a well know London Park by police officers who gave evidence that they saw the defendant discard the item that was later found to be a loaded handgun in a sock. The case involved intricate analysis of gunshot shot residue (GSR) expert evidence, fibre evidence and DNA. The defendant was acquitted but has since been charged with murder where the same gun had been discharged two weeks earlier during a home invasion/revenge killing.

R v Wayne McDonald - led? junior - This case involved a double attempted murder following a shooting outside a nightclub in Bolton. The offence dated back to 2000 as the defendant was only arrested after being detained following the shooting of a police woman during a bungled raid of a Public House

R V Felix? - instructed alone - The defendant was charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm. The Crown's case was that the defendant had gone to a rival's property where drugs were stored with the intention of stealing them. During the robbery one of the occupants of the premises was shot in the head but survived. The defendant did not deny being at the address during that night but maintained he knew nothing of the shooting and that it must have happened minutes after he had left. The crown relied on an expert in cell site analysis who had concluded that the defendant's mobile telephone was at the scene of the shooting at the exact time. After detailed and lengthy cross examination of the expert it was shown that in fact the opposite was true and the defendant's telephone (along with the defendant) had left the scene approximately 6 minutes before the shooting occurred . The defendant was acquitted.

R?v ESP - the defendant was charged with 4 others with conspiracy to murder. The Crown alleged that the savage attack on the victim by two men with kitchen knives was well planned after significant reconnaissance.

R?v ESP - the defendant was charged with 4 others with conspiracy to murder. The Crown alleged that the savage attack on the victim by two men with kitchen knives was well planned after significant reconnaissance.

R v R - leading counsel in the trial and retrial The client opted to remain in custody for an additional 6 months to wait for a date that Stephen Vullo could conduct his retrial.. The Crown's case was that the murder was? a drugs killing. It involved the challenging of DNA, call data, cell site, fibres and blood splatter evidence.

The victim was lured to a country lane and shot by a masked gunman with a sten gun. He was in front of his wife and child. The execution was ordered due to a drug related debt. The defendant was one of four defendants and was said to be the getaway driver for his close friend Wayne Collins who was the gunman. The defendant was acquitted after a 3 month trial at the Central Criminal Court. The other 3 defendants were convicted and received life sentences with minimum terms of 33-30 years. The trial involved a wealth of expert evidence from the usual DNA, fingerprints and cell site analysis to the more unusual of a use of a palynology expert (pollen and plant analysis).

An 87 year old cab driver was violently assaulted and knocked to the ground by the defendant who then stole his taxi. The defendant did a three point turn and ran over the victim as he lay prone in the road. He later burnt out the car in an alley behind his house and claimed to have no memory of the incident due to alcohol. Stephen Vullo conducted the cross-examination of the experts giving evidence as to alcohol back calculation and the effects of alcohol on the ability to form intent and the memory.

This involved the contract killing of a well known member of the criminal underworld. It was suspected that this was the latest murder connected to the ongoing disputes and fallout from the Brinks Mat gold bullion case. The case rested almost entirely on cell site evidence and the defendant’s DNA found on a cigarette butt at the scene.

Two days after the shooting of PC Beshenivsky in Bradford her murderer Muzzaker Shah left a council estate in South London where he had been in hiding to travel to Wales. He was assisted by the defendant who with another drove him to Wales. The defendant then rented premises and stayed with Shah for nearly two weeks before the Police laid siege to the flat. After nearly 24 hours the defendant convinced Shah to surrender. A great deal of the Crown’s case relied upon cell site evidence.

A bungled contract killing where the defendant was the driver of the vehicle in a drive by shooting. It was suspected that the victim, who was shot in front of his 6 year old daughter and two year old son outside his parents address, was in fact the brother of the intended target. The defendant attempted to burn out the vehicle used but the fire did not take hold and his DNA was found in the vehicle. This case featured on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme and the gunman remains at large.

Appeared as leading junior in a conspiracy to murder. This was the high profile ‘Angolan Witchcraft’ case tried at the Old Bailey where the defendants were accused of torturing and then placing an eight year old girl in a bag and threatening to drown her in a river. This was investigated by the police unit set up after the ‘Torso in the Thames case’ and has been the subject of a number of television documentaries.

An alcoholic 17-year-old boy stabbed his father to death on Christmas Day.

A multi-handed revenge attack that led to a stabbing outside a nightclub. The defendant was extradited from Canada to face trial. Led by Michael Wolkind QC.

A 'shaken baby' case. Represented the Father in a trial where the Mother gave evidence for the Crown.

Fraud

R v McKinley - leading counsel for the defendant whose co-accused was his Father This case involved a substantial Tax fraud of many millions of pounds over a number of years. The fraud was committed by the creation of false purchase invoices to account for cash payments that were in fact being paid to a large workforce of building contractors thus avoiding the relevant taxes. The loss to the Revenue was in the tens of millions.

Drugs and Tobacco

R v Howie - a complicated plan to open up a drugs route in to the country via Tilbury Docks that involved corrupt dockworkers' forging paper work and allowing? the gang access to restricted customs areas.

R v Dale - the importation of 30 kilos of cocaine which involved the use? in evidence? of telephone intercepts provided by the Dutch authorities.

R v? J & C Hanna reported in the Press as 'the Billon Dollar bruvs' to reflect their level of involvement in? international drug trafficking. Over ?5m in cash was found on their arrest and tens of millions in assets were uncovered.

Blackmail

The defendant with a ‘Walter Mitty’ character as an accomplice attempted to blackmail a prominent member of the Royal Family armed with covertly recorded video tapes of a royal aide during drug and drink fuelled parties claiming amongst other things to have had oral sex with the royal concerned. This case involved very complex issues of privacy and protection for the victim. It led to unique orders being made for parts of the trial to be heard in camera with the public and press galleries closed save for a small number of vetted members of the media.