John is an excellent tactician and a robust, charismatic, and persuasive jury advocate. His commitment to clients has consistently produced excellent results. He is respected for his thorough preparation and meticulous approach to cases. He has extensive experience of criminal cases ranging from homicide, rape (including significant experience of defending and prosecuting historic sex allegations), kidnapping, blackmail, drugs conspiracies, to fraud and money laundering offences. His practice is evenly balanced between defence and prosecution, and John has been a Grade 4 prosecutor (highest grade) since 2008, and is a rape panel advocate on the Wales and Western Circuits.

 

PRACTICE AREAS

Sexual offences, homicide, serious violence, large scale drugs supply, dishonesty and fraud including money laundering, disciplinary tribunals, firearms, and Coroner's Court proceedings.

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SEXUAL OFFENCES

John has been instructed in an extensive number of rape cases, many involving historic complaints and children. Other cases have included kidnapping and rape, gang rape, male rape, indecent assaults on adults and children, bestiality, and indecent images of children. Cases include:

R. v. VP [2024] appeal against sentence for a man charged with two sexual assaults. Sentence of 5 years and 3 months reduced to 18 months.

R. v. KH [2024] defence of a young man alleged to have sexually assaulted his half sister whilst intoxicated.

R. v. LP [2023] defence of a young man who allegedly raped a girl who accompanied him to his bedroom after a double date.

R. v. RS [2023] prosecution of a man charged with 8 counts of male rape.

R. v. CL [2023] prosecution of a man for sexual activity (intercourse) with a vulnerable 13 year old girl who would not support the prosecution.

R. v. LC [2023] prosecution of a young man for raping, sexually and physically assaulting, and controlling his girlfriend over a period of years.

R. v. LE [2023] defence of a man charged with assault by penetration of his young step-granddaughter.

R. v. PM [2023] defence of a man charged with 15 counts of sexual activity with a child family member and rape. Section 28 used due to the complainant’s intellectual disability.

R. v. FM [2023] prosecution of a man charged with raping the teenage daughter of a friend, after being allowed to stay in his friend’s house whilst drunk.

R. v. JR [2023] prosecution of a man with a foot fetish charged with sexual assault following an evening drinking with the complainant, after which they ‘topped and tailed’ in bed.

R v. KB [2023] prosecution of a man charged with an historical campaign of sexual abuse of his adopted daughter, and re-trial in 2024.

R. v. E [2023] prosecution of a man charged with attempted male rape (buggery).

R. v. JP [2022] defence of a man charged with multiple allegations of sexual assault on three complainants under 13 years, including assault by penetration.

R. v. SA [2022] defence of a young man charged with an alleged 'date rape' following consensual intimate sexual activity immediately preceding the alleged rape.

R. v. RH [2021] prosecution of a man charged with a campaign of historical rapes and indecent assaults (100 incidents).

R. v. DR [2021] prosecution of a man charged with multiple historical familial indecent assaults and rapes on two young girls.

R. v. LJ [2021] prosecution of a young man charged with raping his girlfriend.

R. v. NL [2021] prosecution of a man charged with indecently assaulting, sexually assaulting and raping two young girls, and re-trial in 2024.

R. v. SP & TP [2021] prosecution of two men charged with sexually assaulting two young girls and a boy, and raping a young girl.

R. v. LP [2021] defence of a man charged with historical rape and sexual abuse of his partner’s daughter. He was the sixth man to have been accused of sexual abuse by the complainant. The fifth also stood trial with LP also charged with rape and sexual abuse, as did the child’s mother in respect of neglect.

R. v. NE [2021] defence of a man charged with assault by penetration of a sleeping female.

R. v. MC [2021] defence of a man charged with historical rape and sexual abuse of his step son.

R. v. MJ [2021] prosecution of a man charged with historical and recent rapes and violence. The 16 day trial included issues of fabrication, withdrawal of consent, submission, mistaken penetration, sado-masochism and reasonable belief because a safe word was not used, and bestiality.

R. v. JE [2021] prosecution of a man charged with a sadistic campaign of abuse and repeated anal rapes of his partner.

R. v. SW [2021] defence of a man charged with repeatedly raping his partner's young daughter.

R. v. xx [2020] prosecution of a school teacher for inciting sexual exploitation of two pupils, securing unauthorised access to computer material with intent to gain possession of indecent images of pupils, and possession of thousands of indecent images of children.

R. v. PN [2020] defence of a business man charged with sexually assaulting a young employee.

R. v. M [2020] prosecution of a man charged with indecently assaulting his partner’s child.

R. v. AH [2020] defence of a man who was charged with raping his step-daughter.

R. v. H [2020] prosecution of a man who raped and sexually assaulted an 8 year old child in a familial setting.

R. v. PN [2020] defence of a business man charged with sexually assaulting a young employee.

R. v. K [2019] prosecution of a man who brutally attempted to rape a lone woman walking her dog in a nature reserve resulting in a hospital order with a restriction.

R. v DR [2019] prosecution of a man charged with multiple historical indecent assaults and rapes of his nephews resulting in 20 years’ imprisonment.

R. v. R [2019] prosecution of a man charged with multiple historical indecent assaults and rapes of children.

R. v. N [2019] defence of a man charged with repeatedly raping his partner.

R. v. A [2019] defence of a man charged with violently raping a prostitute.

R. v. G [2019] defence of a man charged with multiple historical indecent assaults and rapes of a child.

R. v. T [2019] defence of a man charged with sexual assault of a custody officer’s wife.

R. v. M [2019] prosecution of a man charged with multiple historical indecent assaults and rapes of children.

R. v. P [2019] prosecution of a man charged with a campaign of sexual abuse and rape of children.

R. v. G [2018] prosecution of a man charged with a campaign of sexual abuse and rape of a child.

R. v. D [2018] defence of man charged with sexually abusing a child. R. v. F.S [2018] defence of a man charged with a campaign of sexual abuse and rape of a child. R. v. S [2018] prosecution of a man who raped a woman on a Viking roleplay weekend. R. v. R [2018] defence of a 13 year old boy charged with raping a 15 year old girl after school. R. v. D [2018] defence of a man charged with, inter alia, assault by penetration of a child under 13. R. v. S [2018] defence of a postgraduate student charged with two counts of date rape of another

student. R. v. E [2017] prosecution of a man charged with historical indecent assaults and buggery of young boys. R. v. W [2017] prosecution of trainee teacher charged with possessing indecent images of children. R. v. H [2017] defence of a man charged with historical indecent assaults on a child. R. v. D [2017] prosecution of a man charged with sexually assaulting a child. R. v. S [2017] defence of a man charged with voyeurism and sexually assaulting his step-daughters. R. v. B [2017] defence of a man charged with rapes of his ex-partner. R. v. R-S [2016] defence of a man charged with rape and attempted rapes of his granddaughter. R. v. H [2016] defence of an elderly man charged with causing a child to watch a sexual act. R. v. B [2014] defence of a fireman charged with 17 rapes. R. v. G [2014] defence of a man charged with historical sex abuse allegations including rape of a child. R. v. N [2014] prosecution of a man charged with serious sexual abuse of children. R. v. P (R) [2013] EWCA Crim 2331: appeal against conviction regarding, inter alia, cross-examination on sexual behaviour pursuant to the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 s.41; namely whether questioning about the defendant having assisted a complainant to obtain a lawful abortion could be a question "about" sexual behaviour that was prohibited by section 41 – the CA agreed that it was not. R. v. T [2012] defence of a man charged with rape who maintained that he was sleepwalking at the time. R. v. Pressdee [2008] 1 Cr. App. R. (S.) 25: appeal against sentence - where an offender had committed various offences in a five-year campaign of sexual and domestic violence, he could not be sentenced to imprisonment for public protection if the only serious specified offence might have been committed before April 4, 2005, when the Criminal Justice Act 2003 s.225 came into effect. Attorney General's Reference (No. 80 of 2006) [2006] EWCA Crim 2305: a case concerning whether a rape victim’s physical and mental conditions meant that she was an especially vulnerable person and whether full credit for the guilty plea should have been given.

 

 

VIOLENT OFFENCES

John has undertaken a vast number of cases involving serious violence, including: murder, attempted murder, serious GBH, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and large scale violent disorder.

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Cases include:

 

R v. R. and others [2024] defence of a young man charged with murdering a drug dealer as part of a joint enterprise. Directed NG verdict following a submission of no case to answer based on lack of evidence of participation and intent. (Led by Nicholas Rhodes KC)

R. v. DH [2023] defence of a man charged with attempted GBH, theft and criminal damage regarding an alleged brutal, drug fuelled assault on a female acquaintance.

R. v. KT [2023] prosecution of a man charged with GBH with intent for pouring boiling water over another prisoner in HMP Parc as he slept.

R. v. M [2023] defence of a woman charged with murdering her partner. Conviction for manslaughter on basis of diminished responsibility due to alcohol dependency disorder. (Led by Nicholas Rhodes KC)

R. v. LW [2023] defence of a man charged with a range of offences arising from a road rage incident including a hammer attack.

R. v. JE, LS, and DTW [2022] prosecution of three defendants for a homophobic robbery and brutal murder of a psychiatrist. (Led by Dafydd Enoch QC.)

R. v. MJ [2021] prosecution of a man for attempted murder.

R. v. F. S. and S. [2020] prosecuting three people for modern slavery and acting as an unlicensed Gangmaster (ongoing).

R. v. JR [2020] defence of a police officer charged with assaulting a detained offender.

R. v. BM [2020] defence a man charged with the brutal murder of a female following a cocaine and alcohol binge. (Led by Peter Rouch QC.)

R. v. AM [2020] Court of Appeal quashed a sentence of 21 months’ imprisonment for biting a man four times in a pub causing wounds and replaced it with a sentence of six months’ imprisonment saying the offending had wrongly been put into Category 2, it was neither sustained nor repeated and the injuries not serious.

R. v. AH [2019] Court of Appeal quashed an extended sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for kidnapping and replaced it with a determinate sentence of 5 years’ and 10 months’ imprisonment.

R. v. T [2019] defence of a man charged with causing GBH with intent to a baby.

R v. F [2019] defence of a man charged with two robberies – one armed robbery.

R. v. R [2019] defence of a successful company director charged with aggravated burglary.

R. v. H [2019] defence of a man charged with kidnapping and related serious Class A drug offences.

R. v. H [2019] defence of a man charged with GBH with intent (blinding a man).

R. v. W [2018] defence of man charged with murdering his partner – led by Christopher Quinlan QC. R. v. J [2018] defence of woman charged with murdering her husband – negotiated manslaughter, and 8 years’ imprisonment – led by Christopher Quinlan QC. R. v. D [2018] defence of a man charged with robbery and possessing a firearm in the course of the robbery. R. v. V [2017] defended a man charged with murder with Peter Rouch QC. R. v. B [2015] defence of a man charged with conspiracy to possess a prohibited firearm. R. v. H [2015] defended as junior alone in a joint murder. R. v. W [2014] prosecution of a man charged with making bombs. R. v. M [2013] defence of a man charged with murder. R. v. C [2010] (the Blackwood Bomber) prosecution as junior alone against QC and junior counsel.

R. v. E [2008] defence as junior alone against QC and junior counsel in a case of a man charged with assisting an offender in a manslaughter.

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DRUG OFFENCES

Cases involving drugs have included conspiracies to import and to supply Class A and B drugs involving undercover and anonymous witnesses, and cannabis factories. John has defended in numerous cases following police operations involving organised crime groups. John defended in a case involving the largest seizure of crack cocaine in South Wales (R. v. B. 2014), and in(2018) defended a young woman charged jointly with others with importing cocaine from the Caribbean. Recent cases include:

R. v. KM [2024] defence of a woman in a large Class A drugs conspiracy – offshoot of Operation Venetic. (Leading Kate Lane)

R. v. E [2023] defence of a man charged with a large scale Category 1 Class A drugs conspiracy.

R. v. T [2023] defence of a man charged with a Category 1 Class A drugs conspiracy.

R. v. FS [2020] defence of a man charged with supplying Class A drugs who averred that the police witnesses conspired to ‘fit him up’.

R. v. RJ [2020] defence of a man in a large Class A drugs conspiracy.

R v. BM [2020] defence of a man in a county lines Class A drug supply case.

R. v. J [2019] defence of a man charged in a large scale conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine (Operation Regent).

R. v. G [2019] defence of a man charged in a large scale cannabis supply conspiracy (Operation Lilac Mars).

R. v. L [2019] defence of the leader of a large scale cannabis factory conspiracy (Operation Violet Panama).

R. v. S [2018] defence of a man in a large scale conspiracy to supply cocaine (Operation Avocet).

R. v. K [2018] defence of a man in a multi-handed 'county lines' case of heroin and cocaine supply and associated violent offences.

 

DISHONESTY OFFENCES

Dishonesty cases include fraud, blackmail, high value thefts, trading standards, rogue traders, (including conspiracies) and related money laundering offences and confiscation hearings. John has

undertaken complex confiscation hearings in excess of £1,000,000. John has been instructed in numerous complex cases including Operation Dino (“crash for cash”) in 2014. R. v. H [2017] defence of a man charged with fraud and perverting the course of justice by manipulating metadata on a computer. R.v. C [2017] prosecution of a fine art dealer handling stolen antiques. R. v. W [2017] prosecution of a man for fraud. Notable appellate cases include R. v. Cornelius [2012] EWCA Crim 500; [2012] Lloyd's Rep. F.C. 435; [2012] P.N.L.R. 23: appeal against conviction for a solicitor charged with fraud. The case concerned the Ghosh test, attempts; bridging loans; buy-to-let lending; certificates; conveyancing; declarations of trust; freedom from encumbrances; mortgages; mortgagors; title to land, dishonesty; and false representations. Other notable cases include R. v. Waters and Young [2008] EWCA Crim 2538: where the appropriate sentence was an immediate custodial sentence of such length that the offender would be entitled to immediate release by virtue of time in custody on remand, it was improper to impose a suspended sentence of equivalent length on the basis that the imposition of an immediate sentence would be meaningless in such circumstances.

 

 

INQUESTS

John was an Assistant Coroner from 2008 to 2019. He has considerable experience of Inquests with juries, and cases where deaths have occurred in hospitals whilst subject to Mental Health Act detention, deaths in custody, deaths in the work place, and Inquests where deaths followed police pursuits.

 

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