Ben has a particular expertise in cases involving serious violence and general crime and has developed a very broad practice in all areas of criminal defence.
R v Earle [2022] EWCA Crim 881
Successfully opposed an Attorney General’s Reference for a Suspended Sentence Order imposed for a client involved in an operation that involved smuggling an estimated 500kg of cocaine with a street value of £17.25m into the UK.
Acosta [2022] EWCA Crim 1641
Successfully appealed a sentence for ABH. A sentence of 33-months’ custody was quashed and replaced with one of 27-months’ custody.
Operation Dice, Snaresbrook Crown Court
Currently instructed as a leading junior in a 10-week trial regarding an armed robbery involving the use of a sawn-off shotgun and machetes. The case involves analysis of cell-site evidence, hundreds of thousands of pages of evidence and a cut-throat defence.
Operation Adria, Southwark Crown Court
Led junior in a 10-week trial that resulted in the unanimous acquittal for a client accused of assisting two others charged with murder and attempted murder
Operation Wealcrest, The Central Criminal Court
Instructed as a led junior to King’s Counsel in a murder trial, involving youth defendants. The case involved complex considerations regarding joint criminal enterprise.
Instructed to represent a client charged with attempted murder following a stabbing at the victim’s address; extensive representations were made resulting in a plea to s.18 GBH being accepted and a 6-year custodial sentence.
Operation Spoonbill, Teesside Crown Court
Secured a Suspended Sentence Order for a client involved in a Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs. The operation involved smuggling of an estimate 500kg of cocaine with a street value of £17.25m into the UK.
Operation Pennard, Ipswich Crown Court
Currently instructed as a led junior in a case involving large-scale supply and distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine and cannabis. This case involves detailed analysis of ‘EncroChat’ Communications
RSPCA v PM, Chelmsford Crown Court
Secured the acquittal of a client charged with training and fighting dogs across Europe, all Co-Defendants were convicted. The case was one of the largest dog fighting ring cases prosecuted by the RSPCA.
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R v SC, Reading Crown Court
Secured the acquittal of a client charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The defendant was alleged to have fired a rifle upon his neighbours. The Crown’s case relied on CCTV and ballistic forensic evidence which required detailed analysis.
R v IZ, Winchester Crown Court
Secured the acquittal of a client charged with s.18 GBH. The attack involving several people in an alleyway in the early hours of the morning. The case involved the consideration of complex hearsay evidence following numerous witnesses leaving the country.
R v AA, Aylesbury Crown Court
Secured the acquittal of a client charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. The case involved successful implementation of a s.45 Modern Slavery Act 2015 defence without a positive conclusive grounds decision.
R v MR, Isleworth Crown Court
Secured Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity verdicts for a client charged with kidnapping a 4-year-old girl and causing serious injuries to a parent. The case involved complex considerations of the client’s initial fitness to plead and detailed evidence from three consultant forensic psychiatrists.
R v DM, Woolwich Crown Court
Secured the acquittal of a man accused of committing a burglary against his severely disabled brother who suffered from learning difficulties.
R v ST, Lincoln Crown Court
Secured an acquittal for a loft insulator accused of stealing £10,000 from two elderly and vulnerable pensioners. The case involved the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses.
R v TD, Woolwich Crown Court
Currently instructed to represent a client charged with two counts of rape alongside several co-Defendants.
Represented a client charged with two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The trial involved detailed and lengthy cross-examination of neurological experts.
R v SO, Inner London Crown Court
Following extensive written representations, the Crown were persuaded to Offer No Evidence on the day of trial for a client charged with two offences under the Data Protection Act 2018.
R v KT, Winchester Crown Court
Instructed to represent a client charged with a malicious communications offence. The case was dropped pre-trial following extensive written representations critically undermining the case brought.
R v SW, Guildford Crown Court
Secured a suspended sentence for a client charged with an affray involving the use of a knife and an attack on a vulnerable victim with terminal cancer.
R v LA, Harrow Crown Court
Successfully secured a Suspended Sentence Order for a client who had handled stolen goods of a very high monetary and sentimental value.
R v RA, Snaresbrook Crown Court
Successfully secured a Suspended Sentence Order for a client charged with possession with intent to supply a large amount of Class A and B drugs. The case involved challenging s.73 SOCPA 2005 considerations.
R v JO, Highbury Corner Youth Court
Successfully secured the acquittal of a schoolboy charged with GBH following an attack at school. The case involved the cross-examination of numerous vulnerable youth witnesses.
Ben has a broad range of experience in dealing with complex fraud cases. He was seconded to the Serious Fraud Office and assisted in several large-scale prosecutions regarding bribery and corruption across several jurisdictions.
Ben has extensive experience regarding disclosure, LPP, investigatory powers and cross-border prosecutions involving complex areas of international law.
Operation Electron, Wood Green Crown Court
Led junior representing a company director in relation to a multi-million pound VAT and Excise duty fraud. Prosecution brought by HMRC and Trading Standards relating to the supply of biodiesel in a trial lasting 6 months.
R v G, Southwark Crown Court
Instructed as disclosure counsel on large scale prosecution concerning a conspiracy to make corrupt payments to a South Korean public official. The case involved a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with an international company accepting charges of conspiracy to make corrupt payments and a failure to prevent bribery by employees.
R v WS, Reading Crown Court
Secured an acquittal for a Defendant charged with a high value fraud, where thousands of pounds worth of rare and unique jewellery was said to have been stolen and then sold on.
R v RR, Inner London Crown Court
Secured an acquittal for a Defendant charged with using thousands of pounds of counterfeit currency across numerous London establishments.
R v EA, Inner London Crown Court
Represented a Defendant at trial accused of money laundering following a large dating website scam. The case involved converting criminal property to Nigeria.
R v SI, City of London Magistrates Court
Represented a Company at an application for Further Cash Detention and was successful in greatly reducing the detention period.
R v AW, St Albans Magistrates Court
Secured a Suspended Sentence Order for a female client who had committed both Council Tax Benefit and Income Support fraud over a number of years.
Ben has been involved in a number of complex contested POCA hearings and has developed a strong skill set in analysing, processing and utilising novel points of law to challenge and reduce alleged benefit figures.
R v PR, Croydon Crown Court
Successfully secured an extension of time for payment following a technical s.11 POCA 2002 application.
R v JN, Guildford Crown Court
Instructed in a contested POCA hearing following the Defendant’s conviction for multiple high value domestic burglaries in excess of £1 million.
R v RS, Cambridge Crown Court
Instructed in a contested POCA hearing, managing to successfully reduce the available benefit figure from in excess of £70,000.
The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis v BH (Westminster MC)
Represented the respondent in a contested cash forfeiture amounting to in excess of £230,000.
Ben regularly accepts instructions to appear in the County Court to advise, apply for and contest applications relating to Anti-Social Behaviour Civil Injunctions and has experience in both applying for and defending in any subsequent contempt hearings for breach of orders made.
Thames Valley Police v BR, Oxford County Court
Represented the Claimant in a successful contempt application for breach of an interim Anti-Social Behaviour Civil Injunction made without notice.
Thames Valley Police v BR, Oxford County Court
Successful in applying for an interim Anti-Social Behaviour Civil Injunction order made without notice to be made final with the added inclusions of exclusion prohibitions.
Thames Valley Police v SS, Slough County Court
Successfully opposed an application to vary a condition of an interim Anti-Social Behaviour Civil Injunction.
London Borough of Ealing v JR, Brentford County Court
Successfully represented a Defendant in response to a contempt application for breaching a prohibition of an Anti-Social Behaviour Civil Injunction.
Ben Hargreaves leads Ben Brown at Chelmsford Crown Court in a case involving a multi-handed and multiple allegations of large…
The appointment is effective from 31 December 2024 for four years. The appointment flows from Ben’s previous extensive white collar…
We are excited to announce that Ben Brown and Christina Courquin have been appointed as members of the Sport Resolutions’…