Murder & Manslaughter

Mountford Chambers has fought hard to maintain its place as one of the pre-eminent defence chambers. Members regularly appear as defence counsel in high-profile murder and corporate manslaughter cases.

Historically Richard ‘Dick’ Ferguson QC defended one of the ‘Birmingham six’ defendants; the Brighton bomber, Patrick Magee; Terry Marsh for the attempted murder of boxing promoter Frank Warren and Rosemary West, the wife of notorious killer, Fred West.

Members of Chambers have maintained the tradition of representing those involved in the most notorious and difficult murder cases such as the killing of Damilola Taylor; the New Year’s Eve shooting of two girls outside a nightclub in Birmingham; the 7/7 and 21/7 bombings; the bodies in canals murder; the Victoria Station case and numerous gangland executions in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester.

Chambers has deep rooted expertise in all types and variations of homicide cases, ranging from domestic and ‘honour’ killing to ‘revenge murders’, ‘contract killing’ and multiple gangland shootings. Cases often include dealing with a multiplicity of different causes of death such as where death is caused by an unusual or indirect method such as stoning; death in the workplace; a refusal to take care proper care of one-self once severely injured and death of a child by neglect. Part of the strategic planning for the case will involve detailed consideration of the likely issues such as mental health, anonymous witnesses, and the necessity for expert witnesses to be instructed in a wide range of diverse topics such as entomology, pathology, mobile phone cell site and facial mapping.

Work in thisfield involves advising and advocacy on appeal. Members of chambers were in involved in the landmark Jogee ruling on joint enterprise in the Supreme Court.

Chambers members continue to appear in a wide range of corporate manslaughter cases (often where the prosecution is brought by the Health and Safety Executive) including those involving death on the railways; death in the construction industry; fire brigade service members in a case involving the tragic death of their colleagues; death of a stunt man whilst performing and manslaughter by medical professionals.

In addition, several members have appeared in the Iraqi death in custody cases and were involved in the War Crimes Tribunals in the Hague and elsewhere.