Qualifications and Professional Associations

• Called by the Middle Temple 1994
• Member of Criminal Bar Association
• Scholarships: Educated at Wadham College Oxford – BA (Law) 1992

Nick is an experienced criminal barrister who has been instructed in many high-profile, challenging and complex cases as both junior and leading counsel. Nick has vast experience in handling cases where there are substantial issues in relation to disclosure and public interest immunity. Nick has a reputation as a bright and forceful advocate who has successfully represented a number of difficult clients. He is especially skilled in understanding and presenting complicated telephone and cell site data. Nick joined Argent Chambers in 2008.

His recent cases include:

Murder

Junior counsel for Lakhvir Kaur Singh (the Curry Poisoning Case). In a case which attracted considerable media attention Mrs Singh was charged with murdering her former lover and attempting to murder his new partner, as well as administering poison to the deceased on an earlier occasion. This was the first murder case of poisoning by aconite in England and Wales since 1882.

Other murder and attempted murder cases that Nick has been trial counsel include:

R v Randall - where the defendant was accused as being part of a group engaging in street violence culminating in a stabbing.

R v Bains and Khan - where the defendant was alleged to have set fire to his lover’s house.

R v Khyber Khan - where the defendant was alleged to have shot a relative as an honour killing.

R v Baciunas and others - where the victim was abducted, kidnapped and left for dead.

Fraud

Junior counsel for Werner Serieux in the case of R v Nalborough, Serieux and others, a 3 month fraud trial at Croydon Crown Court in the latter part of 2009. The case involved banking services operated for suspected criminals and a series of international transactions concerning Mr Serieux and the financing of an aircraft contract in South Africa.

Nick has defended in trials across the spectrum of dishonesty offences including:

R v Olomo and Others – nationwide cheque fraud value in excess of £500,000.

R v Kaur - £500,000 theft from employee.

R v Dundon and Others  - conspiracy to produce and distribute counterfeit bank notes.

R v Bham  - car ringing/insurance fraud with links to funding of the 7/7 bombings.

Serious Violence, Drugs and Firearms Offences

Nick’s recent cases as defence trial counsel include :

R v Wood - where the central allegation of the prosecution was of baby shaking, rendering a 3 1/2 month old baby blind, deaf and severely brain-damaged.

R v Olgundeniz, Catal and Others - Nick was leading counsel for Catal who was charged with Conspiracy to supply 20kg heroin. This case became the subject of an unduly lenient sentence appeal by the prosecution and is the leading authority on basis of plea in heavy criminal cases - AG’s Ref 108,109, 110 of 2008 reported at [2008] EWCA Crim 852.

R v Babu, Dhariwar and Others - where he was leading counsel for Mr Dhariwar in a case involving the kidnap for ransom and false imprisonment for 2 days of a 10 year old boy.

R v Lucien - kidnapping, false imprisonment and torture of an 18 year old.

R v Singh, Pooney and Others  - kidnap and false imprisonment for ransom of newly arrived migrant workers.

R v Sahota and Others - false imprisonment and torture of career criminal.

Rape and Serious sexual offences

Nick has defended in numerous cases of this type, as both led junior and junior counsel. His recent cases include:

R v Jama – Led junior counsel for Yusuf Jama. The defendant was accused of being in a participant in a gang rape whilst being on the run from having shot Pc Sharon Beshinivsky in Bradford.

R v Abraham – Defendant charged with rape of his 15 year old biological daughter. Conviction quashed in the Court of Appeal and acquitted in subsequent retrial.

R v Mitchell – Defendant charged with rape of his partner on 4 separate occasions. Evidence called from his son as part of the prosecution case. Defendant acquitted on all counts. In 2003, Nick had represented the defendant at trial on similar allegations made by the same complainant where he had been again acquitted on all counts.

R v Singh – Defendant charged with rape of his wife, a solicitor who practices in crime. Defendant acquitted.

R v Moore – Defendant, a teacher, charged with a classroom assault on a 13 year old female pupil. Defendant acquitted.

R v Saapea – Defendant charged with multiple sexual attacks on female teenagers in Basildon town centre. 

Nick has completed an accredited public access course and is available for direct instruction under the Bar Council Public Access scheme.