An experienced and senior criminal defence advocate who has been involved in many of the most serious of cases involving murder, manslaughter, gang related crime, large drugs conspiracies, rape and serious sexual offences.

Derek has successfully taken cases to the Court of Appeal: recently where he has argued fresh evidence is such that original conviction should be re-opened and the appellant was acquitted, and others where very long sentences have been reduced significantly.

Derek is a cross qualified solicitor and barrister. He was a solicitor from the late 1980’s. from 2005 – 2015 he was the Senior Partner of one of the largest Criminal Defence Practices in the Country. He has been appearing in all courts including magistrates’ courts, county courts, ever since 1990 and appeared full time in the Crown Court since 2007 as a Solicitor Advocate.

In 2017 he transferred to the independent bar.

Key cases

2019: R v SJ (Northampton Crown Court) – defended SJ in confiscation proceedings [lasting 5 days] under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, SJ had been a financial director who committed theft in excess of £2million from the company for whom he worked.

2019: R v HM (Luton Crown Court) – defended HM with attempted murder in which his victim was stabbed 11 times.

2019: R v JMC (St Albans Crown Court) – defended JMC in a tit-for-tat gang warfare trial which lasted 9 weeks.

2018: R v TH (Manchester Crown Court) – defended at trial TH was charged (along with 10 others) with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

2018: R v JK (Leicester Crown Court) – defended at trial JH was accused of modern slavery and forced labour offences.

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