Practice Profile
Sam Mainds has led for the Crown and for the defence in a number of significant cases.
Recorder since 1996 Sitting in Crime,Civil and Family.
CPS Grade 4 Prosecutor and CPS Fraud Panel at level 4.
His knowledge and experience therefore encompasses;
- An ability to put over to a jury complex scientific, technical, medical or financial evidence in a way which the public, whether in the witness box or on the jury, comprehend.
- Experience in calling as witnesses or cross examining experts such as forensic scientists, forensic accountants, medical experts, mechanical engineers.
- Experience with complex telephone and cell site analysis and similar evidence.
- An ability to understand and rapidly ‘get up’ how ‘things work’.
- An ability to deal with the most serious of sexual abuse cases where sensitivity to the victims and their families is essential. At the same time appreciating that such cases may have been based on allegations which turn out to be totally false.
- Years of experience in understanding the thinking of those offenders who have committed violent or dishonest offences over many years as well as those who for the first time are before the courts charged with a criminal offence.
The cases have involved the following ;
- Deaths on the high seas, the sea bed, in factories, building sites, sporting venues, hospitals, on the highway and the workplace.•Allegations of Corporate and other involuntary manslaughter.
- Prosecutions by HMRC involving alleged losses to the Revenue of millions of pounds
- High Profile Pension Frauds.
- Complex POCA hearings.
- Mental Health Issues.
- Representing Bureau Veritas an International French Owned Company in tribunal proceedings concerning a significant commercial dispute.
Interests;
- Keen rower belonging to two clubs in Henley and rowing every week there.
- Pilots licence also experienced glider pilot.
- Married with two daughters aged 19 and 21 and live in an Old Rectory in Northamptonshire.
Notable Cases
2013 REGINA V GANG WANG
LUTON Crown Court. Murder Trial.
Leading for the defence.
The defendant was a Chinese national who had killed his employer.
The defence was of Diminished responsibility arising out of brain injury caused when defendant fell on his head as a boy of 7 resulting in significant impairment to the frontal lobe functions. This disorder was diagnosed by Consultant Forensic Neuropsychiatrist whose evidence was supported by the investigations and evidence of a Clinical Psychologist.
2013. REGINA V SULTAN KHAN
St. ALBANS Crown Court. Murder Trial.
Leading for the Crown , QC and Junior for defence. Defendant convicted of Murder.
The issue was whether this defendant or one of the victim’s other alleged consorts had killed her, so this was a rare ‘who dun it’ trial.
Important decisions had to be made as to how to exclude the other potential killers and presenting this evidence in a way which was understandable and convincing.
The victim had been stabbed over 20 times and her three young children discovered her body on returning from school. It was necessary to deal with this in a sensitive way and also extract from them crucial evidence to show motive.
The defendant was seriously disabled; his limited mobility however strengthened the prosecution case as careful examination in chief of the prosecution pathologist showed that the killing would have happened when the killer was sitting down next to the victim.
2013. REGINA V ALAN MILLS and others. Derby Crown Court
Instructed by CPS Fraud HQ in Manchester. Led for the Crown in this £9m international boiler room fraud involving 140 victims from 41 countries. The case involved a sophisticated IT set up through which investors were convinced that their investments were good and persuaded to part with their money. Companies were formed on a worldwide basis, websites were created which appeared to all to be genuine and through which, coupled with convincing and persuasive telephone sales techniques, the fraud was carried out.
Appearing for the Senior Master of The Herald of Free Enterprise in the Inquest, Committal and subsequent trial.
R v Haycroft
Successfully led for the defence of the managing director of major French owned grain Company charged with substantial fraud on customers
R v Aylesworth
Led for the defence of a G.P. charged with the murder of his daughter.
R v Stenna Shipping and Roberts
Led for the prosecution where the company charged with HSE offences and their employee with the manslaughter of a North Sea diver. The deceased was laying a cable on the bed of the North Sea and was decapitated by the ships propeller through the negligence of the defendant who was in charge of the monitoring and direction of the operation.
R v T.2010
Successfully led for the Prosecution in this case of serious sexual abuse where the allegations concerned offences over 30 years old. Including appearing in the first trial when the judge made a termination ruling staying the Indictment before the trial started. Advising on appeal and the successfully conducting one of the first appeals to the Court of Appeal by the Crown under section 58 CJA 2003 Leading for the Crown in the subsequent trial when the defendant was convicted on all Counts and received an 11 year sentence.
2012 - R v Mearns
Lead for the prosecution where defendant charged with murder by strangulation. Defence of diminished responsibly ran with complex psychiatric evidence called. Defendant represented by Silk and Junior.Convicted. Sentenced to 15 Years.
Other cases have involved the following:
• Deaths on the high seas, the sea bed, in factories, building sites, sporting venues, hospitals, on the highway and the workplace
• Allegations of Corporate and other involuntary manslaughter.
• Prosecutions by HMRC involving alleged losses to the Revenue of millions of pounds
• High Profile Pension Frauds.
• Complex POCA hearings.
• Mental Health Issues.
• Representing Bureau Veritas an International French Owned Company in tribunal proceedings concerning a significant commercial dispute.