Practice Profile
Dharmendra (Dee) both defends and prosecutes. He has developed a busy practice instructed in cases of seriousness beyond his call. He has experience in a broad spectrum of serious criminal cases, with a focus on financial crime, serious organised crime and confiscation proceedings. He offers a proven record of hard work, meticulous preparation and, persuasive and thoughtful advocacy.
Dee has developed a keen eye for detail and is often instructed on cases turning on complex issues of fact and law. He is also known to deal with cases of sensitivity involving vulnerable witnesses/defendants often requiring the need of intermediaries.
Dee approaches every case with the same degree of commitment to ensure excellent client care. A practical, hands-on approach has seen him develop excellent working relationships with his instructing solicitors and lay clients.
Dee has extensive experience in civil, quasi- criminal proceedings such as cash forfeiture, sexual risk orders and slavery and trafficking risk orders.
Work Undertaken
- General Crime
- Fraud
- Forfeiture & Confiscation
Appointments & Memberships
- Grade 3 CPS Prosecutor
- European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA)
- Fraud Lawyers Association (FLA)
- Criminal Bar Association (CBA)
Notable Cases
Led Junior
Op Gwendreath [2019 - Ongoing] – Southwark CC
Led Junior for the first defendant. Allegations of large-scale theft of motor vehicles and money laundering valued at over £10million.
Op Flan [2019 - Ongoing]- St Albans CC
Multi-million-pound money laundering case concerning the running of a money service business. Representing the company’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer. There are over 100k pages of served evidence.
Op Iron – [ongoing – 2019] – Birmingham CC
Led Junior to a QC. Instructed by West Midlands CCU (Complex Casework Unit). Allegations of police corruption involving a serving police sergeant from West Midlands Police accused of misconduct in public office.
Op Apple 1, 2 and 3 [2018 – 2019]– Birmingham and Stoke Crown Courts
Led Junior for the Crown, instructed by West Midlands CCU (Complex Casework Unit). Led to one QC and two senior juniors across three separate trials. 3 large-scale investigations by Staffordshire Police into Organised Crime involving a total of 18 defendants accused of multi-kilo supply of Class A drugs. In one case, large-scale supply was organised from within prison establishments. The case involved tens of thousands of pages of served evidence.
R v KR [2017] – Isleworth Crown Court
Allegations of historic sexual abuse of two children against an elderly and ill defendant.
Op Rakuyou [2016] – Southwark Crown Court
Allegations of conspiracy to traffick women into/within the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation; and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of criminal activity. The defendant was first on the indictment, which was laid against 9 defendants in total. The lack of investigation or adequate disclosure forced the Crown to drop all trafficking counts.
Op Dryad [2016] – Chelmsford Crown Court
Three-month trial, involving allegations of historic rape, sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs concerning three young females. Defendant acquitted.
General Crime
R v SC – Snaresbrook CC [2019]
General Crime allegation of false inprisonment. Acquitted.
R v Allen – St Albans CC [2018]
Multiple allegations of domestic sexual and physical assaults. Acquitted of all counts at trial.
Op Evolution [2018] – Leicester CC
Instructed as disclosure counsel for the Crown involving 23 defendants accused of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit violent disorder.
R v LB [2018] – Blackfriars CC
Successful prosecution of a male who targeted and robbed three lone females on public transport in London.
R v CM [2018]- Warwick Crown Court
Allegations of supplying class A drugs with several admitted previous convictions including conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs. Defendant unanimously acquitted.
R v DS [2018] – Southwark Crown Court
Allegations of GBH inflicted upon police officers. Acquitted at half time.
R v BB [2017] – Central Criminal Court
Allegation of GBH (wounding) amounting to a serious bleed on the brain. Defendant unanimously acquitted at trial.
Op Castrum [2016] – St Albans Crown Court
Multi-handed, two-week trial alleging a conspiracy to burgle houses and possession of firearm/imitation firearm. The Crown relied extensively upon CCTV, forensic, telephone, ANPR evidence. The total value of the loss was £115,000. Defendant acquitted of the firearm count at half-time.
Cyber Crime
Op Bali [2019 - Ongoing] – Nottingham CC
Junior Alone for the Crown. Multi-handed prosecution of employees of a reputable company, alleged to have been involved in a series of cyber-attacks against the company resulting in a loss of over £800k.
Fraud and Money Laundering
R v CW [2018] – Wood Green Crown Court
Represented the first defendant in a multi-handed two-week trial alleging drug dealing and sophisticated money laundering through online investment platforms. Defendant acquitted of all five counts at trial.
Op Garfunkel [2017] – Snaresbrook Crown Court
Conspiracy to evade excise duty on significant importations of cigarettes and tobacco. The alleged loss was £450,000. Represented the only defendant acquitted after a two-week trial.
R v SS [2017] Harrow Crown Court
Allegations of money laundering against a daughter said to have stolen and laundered the proceeds of her father’s estate valued at £180,000. Required careful and thoughtful cross-examination of an elderly and profoundly deaf complainant. Defendant acquitted of all charges at half-time.
Op Fireball [2016] – Central Criminal Court.
Multi-handed conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a large-scale internet shopping fraud valued at £450,000. This case involved complex financial evidence running to many thousands of pages.
Op Arad [2016] – Harrow Crown Court
Large scale Internet Shopping Fraud valued in excess of £1 million. Represented the first defendant, responsible for organising the removal of the illicit funds and managing account openers (money mules). The Crown extensively relied on telephone evidence.
Confiscation
Op Tarlac [2018] – Leicester Crown Court
Junior Alone. Multi-million-pound money laundering case. Representing a defendant during complex confiscation proceedings with forensic accountants. The Crown were represented by a QC and junior.
Op Veneer [2015 – 2017]- Southwark Crown Court
Led Junior to Dexter Dias QC. A multi-handed money laundering case which concerned the running of a money service business alleged to have been involved in a £150 million fraud. Following careful analysis, the benefit figure was reduced by over half. Investigated by HMRC.
Youth Court
R v LL [2018] – St Albans Youth Court
Allegation of Arson with intent to endanger life, against a 14-year-old boy with significant learning difficulties requiring an intermediary throughout. Acquitted at half-time.
Civil
Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Constabulary v FM and others [2018] – St Albans Magistrates’ Court
Successful opposition to the police’s application for a sexual risk order pursuant to section122A Sexual Offences Act 2003.
R v MS [2015] Central Criminal Court
Cash Forfeiture appeal heard at the Central Criminal Court. Overturned a decision of the lower court in relation to a cash sum of more than £300,000.
Consumer
London Borough of Enfield v HM [2018 – 2019] – Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court
Represented a company director involved in the importation and selling of toys. 15 allegations including offences under the registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of chemicals Enforcement Regulations (REACH), and allegations under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 along with breaches of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011.
Languages
Fluent Spanish