R v Doherty & Others (Northampton Crown Court) December 2009

David Nathan QC and Nick James represented the main Defendant in this 6 handed 17 Count trial primarily concerning a £500k fraud on Northamptonshire County Council. The Defendant was contracted to refurbish two travellers sites in the area, but it was alleged that he and two Council employees had operated the contract fraudulently. Six weeks into the trial the Crown was forced to offer no evidence on the Council Fraud as it was revealed in cross-examination that the Council themselves had mis-managed the contract and had then attempted to shift the blame onto the Defendant. The Defendant was also acquitted of the remaining Money Laundering and Tax Evasion counts following submissions of no case to answer after 9 weeks of prosecution evidence.