+44 (0) 20 7421 8007
Christopher Donnellan KC has extensive experience in defending and prosecuting serious crime including murder, manslaughter, and death by driving. He has particular expertise in health and safety cases involving death in the workplace and transport industry.
He co-authored the response of the Bar to the Corporate Manslaughter Bill, and gave evidence to the House of Commons Committee. Described as having “an excellent brain and bedside manner”. He has acted in complex, high profile cases of child abuse and historical sexual offences. He also has extensive experience in fraud, corruption, money laundering and confiscation.
Key cases & testimonials
- R -v- McKenzie and others (10 defendants) – 2024-2025 – Nottingham
Prosecution of an organised gang (OCG) taking over class A drug dealing operation in Nottingham. The rival gang murdered a man associated with McKenzie. The prosecution of McKenzie and others for conspiracy to possess firearms with intent, conspiracy to possess offensive weapons and the conspiracy to supply class A drugs was of the gang on the other side of the arranged fight that had resulted in the murder. McKenzie and others cornered a member of the other gang. A firearm failed to discharge properly, and a cartridge was ejected, subsequently located by the police. 16-week trial of 8 defendants. Complex evidence including scientific evidence from expert on fibre and feather strands on a knife used to threaten one of the other gang and then cause damage to a jacket, CCTV compilation of movements of defendants with clothing comparison evidence, and mobile telephone location and message evidence. The drugs part of the case involved presentation of the bulk messaging and telephone traffic showing the take-over of drugs lines and the drug dealing operation building up, cooking cocaine and distribution to the customers controlled by McKenzie’s OCG.
Leading Jonathan Cox of 36 Crime.
Press coverage:
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/nottingham-gang-leader-tried-shoot-9578017
- R -v- Lurrell Gittens and Standley Hunter – 2024 – Leicester
Defence of 17 year old (at the time) for joint enterprise murder. Co-defendant used a knife and ran self-defence. The violence took place after the deceased and another sent messages threatening an attack on the defendant in his home. When attackers arrived the defendants were outside in a car. When the attackers launched the attack the defendant was struck with a large piece of wood from a broken gate, but did not retaliate; co-defendant was struck by the deceased and responded with a single stab wound fatally severing the iliac artery. Issues of joint enterprise, secondary party responsibility when the principal was advancing self-defence. Co-defendant convicted of murder; Defendant acquitted of both murder and manslaughter. In November 2024, an Appeal was lodged against conviction on conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, and sentence.
Leading Arthur Kendrick of 36 Crime.
Press coverage:
- R -v- Virtue and Sheffield – 2024 – Nottingham
Prosecution of man for rape of vulnerable “runaway” young female teenager who was acquainted with his son. Victim was very troubled and reluctant to co-operate and remain at court for the pre-trial special measures s.28 cross examination recording procedure. Counsel was part of the team who persuaded her and other young witnesses to complete the procedure, by explaining the process and who would ask questions, and the measures I court to protect them from seeing the defendants, enabling them to best give their evidence. Son charged with sexual offence against another underage young female. Original trial in 2023 and re-trial of Virtue in 2024 Convictions. The trial concluded in October 2024.
Press coverage:
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/nottingham-rapist-plied-teenage-runaway-9677767
- R -v- Basson – 2024 – Leicester
Defence of man charged with murder. A Firearms case in which the defendant fired a pistol at close range, killing his partner. Initial account of her walking onto a pool cue. Defence of accident required cross examination of firearms expert and understanding of the mechanism for operation of a self-loading pistol.
Leading John Simmons of 36 Crime.
Press coverage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-68676977
- R -v- Emmerson – 2024 – Lincoln
Prosecution of 51-year-old man for murder who killed his mother.
Issue of fitness to plead. Three psychiatrists gave evidence; two agreed unfit, third argued not unfit as his condition (he was mute but not “mute of malice”) was a choice not to speak. Cross examination of the third expert to establish if inability to speak about the events was a consequence of diagnosed mental illness and the Judge ruled that he was unfit. Subsequently at the trial of the act the defence team were not able to agree evidence as they could not take instructions; defence challenge to the Crown’s evidence, so the case was fully proved including presenting the expert scientific examination of the scene to exclude death being caused by another person. Legal argument as to whether the words spoken during a 999 call made by the defendant were reliable given his mental illness. Case fully presented and proved. Jury decided he did the act.
Trial of the act concluded with disposal 16/7/24. Defendant remains in Hospital currently unfit to be fully tried.
Press coverage: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd17rye7487o
- R -v- Bradley Gorton – 2023 – Oxford
Defence of youth charged in the “Jericho murder” in joint enterprise knife murder Acquitted.
Leading John Simmons of 36 Crime. Instructed by Reeds Solicitors
- R -v- Spiridonovs and Servutas –2023 -Lincoln
Murder of man thrown into River Witham in Lincoln.
Leading Ami Jones of 36 Crime
- R -v- Jessop – 2023 – Nottingham
Murder of woman in her home in rural Nottinghamshire – detailed evidence piecing together the evidence – piecing night on a push bike and sound analysis from doorbell cameras.
Leading Sarah Knight of 36 Crime
- R -v- Skebas –2023 – Lincoln
Unfit – trial of a man who murdered mother in her home – Lincolnshire
- R -v- Farrell – 2022-2023 – Leicester
Rape and Murder of partner, and rapes of previous partners. CPS East Midlands.
Leading Paul Prior of 36 Crime
- R -v-Olive and others (5 defendants) – 2020-2021 – Woolwich
[Operation Camwood] Murder and shooting – reported in Court of Appeal as authority on use of gunshot residue to support circumstantial case, when it falls short of being conclusive. The trial was moved from Luton to Woolwich. Leading Simon Wilshire of 4BB.
- R -v- Beeton & ors (8 defendants) – 2018 – 2020 – Kingston
Major drug conspiracy – Tonnes of Class A cocaine – 90% purity found in a distribution centre in Watford area and was distributed to all parts around the M25. Trial and retrial – including allegations of the Police and Counsel tampering with exhibits, the case finished just before Covid lockdown. Beeton was sentenced to 29 years. CPS London.
Christopher is charismatic, thorough and fair. His presentation of cases is second-to-none. He has a real flair for detail.Legal 500, 2025
Christopher is a measured barrister held in high regard by those he appears before. He is a jury-friendly advocate who leaves no stone unturned.Legal 500, 2025
He is a good, thorough practitioner.Chambers UK, 2025
A fine cross-examiner who knows his cases inside out and is like a dog with a bone. Chambers UK 2023
Christopher is well prepared, all over the detail and meticulous. He is tactically astute.Legal 500 2022
Calm and persuasive, he's particularly good on road traffic death cases, which represent quite a technical area of criminal law. He's been on reported cases, and has a strong technical understanding of how motor vehicles work. Chambers UK 2021
Exactly what one would expect and hope for in a senior prosecutor.Legal 500 2020