R v Behbod (Isleworth Crown Court) May 2009

On 7th May 2009, Khedejah Behbod, who had been arrested at Heathrow airport after almost £1.2 million in cash was found in her checked in luggage, was unanimously acquitted of money laundering by the jury.

She had previously been technically acquitted at a previous trial when Simon Baker successfully argued for the case to be stopped at half-time but the Crown had successfully appealed to the Court of Appeal (where it is was reported as R v F&B [2008] EWCA Crim 1868). The appeal, on the issue of the extent to which the Crown need to identify the underlying offending in a money laundering prosecution, was certified as a question of public importance for the House of Lords. The petition to the House of Lords, which was considered together with the case of Anwoir, was refused.

Simon Baker appeared for the defendant at all stages (and also for the co-defendant in the appeal to the House of Lords).