Joseph Sinclair

Notable Crime cases

R v D (Operation Petteril) – Leicester Crown Court [2025]

Instructed in 6-week trial concerning a conspiracy to smuggle people into the United Kingdom from France.

R v M – Cambridge Crown Court [2025]

Junior counsel in 5-week cigarette importation and money laundering trial.

R v Q – Ipswich Crown Court [2025]

Instructed counsel representing a third-strike defendant involved in running a drugs line with estimated sales in the region of £400,000.

R v X - Operation Hwyl – Inner London Crown Court [2024]

Represented a defendant charged with eight gun-point robberies. He was alleged to have used his partner’s car as the scouting vehicle, with cell-site and ANPR attribution on three mobile phones, and DNA on items found in various cars recovered. Multiple vehicles were found in the compound or nearby to the defendant’s home address. Joseph highlighted shortcomings in the cell-site evidence and DNA evidence, leading to the Crown accepting pleas to handling stolen goods on 3 charges, with the remaining counts left to lie on the file.

R v K – Cambridge Crown Court [2024]

Client acquitted of ss.18 and 20 GBH. The defendant was an IPP prisoner, who was alleged to have slashed his housemate with a knife following an argument. His IPP sentence was for a s.18 GBH. Joseph put the defendant’s previous convictions and IPP sentence before the jury, enabling the defendant to explain his difficult up-bringing and the impact of the IPP sentence on his decision-making. He successfully resisted an application by the Crown to cross-examine the defendant on propensity grounds.

R v B – Croydon Youth Court [2024]

The defendant was found outside his home address with a working firearm and ammunition. As part of the defence case, Joseph introduced evidence of gang affiliation, attempts on the defendant’s life, and drill music to show the pattern of exploitation which was corroborated by social service records. The defendant established a s.45 defence on the ammunition offence and received a short referral order for the possession of a firearm offence.

R v L – Liverpool Crown Court [2024]

Secured a suspended sentence for a single mother who had been couriering heroin and crack cocaine for over six months in order to meet her financial out-goings. She conceded that she had been paid well for her work and that there was no compulsion.

R v E – Ipswich Crown Court [2024]

The defendant was charged with perverting the course of justice. She was accused of misleading officers and providing a false witness statement as to the identity and whereabouts of her partner who was involved in a s.18 GBH. Joseph drafted representations, highlighting the police’s conduct, her vulnerabilities, and the wider impact of a conviction on the community due to her job. The Crown referred the matter back to the police for a caution, and offered no evidence.

R v Z - Medway Youth Court [2023]

Secured acquittal on modern slavery grounds for defendant charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The Crown relied on, among other things, drill evidence to rebut his defence of debt bondage and exploitation. Joseph successfully resisted a bad character application concerning Z’s alleged involvement in a gang-related revenge ride-out, where a shotgun had been fired at rival gang-members at several locations. Officers were cross-examined on the typology of county lines exploitation which was found to be consistent with Z’s account.