Luna Spada

Notable Crime cases

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R v JP [2025]- Lavender Hill Magistrates Court

Successfully persuaded the court not to impose the mandatory minimum disqualification following a robust exceptional hardship application. The client, a high-profile BBC football commentator, would have suffered a devastating impact on his work and family life if the disqualification was imposed.

Media coverage:
London Evening Standard
Daily Mail
MSN News

R v ST [2025] - Cambridge Crown Court

4 days trial of threatening with an offensive weapon in a private place. ST absconded halfway through the trial, and proceedings continued in his absence. ST was found not guilty in just over an hour.

R v AK [2025] - Wood Green Crown Court

DV allegations between two vulnerable elderly people. BC was admitted and AK gave evidence to dispute his previous conviction. AK was acquitted and a post-acquittal restraining order was successfully opposed.

R v HTB and CM [2025] - Worcester Crown Court

Operation Roman trial. 8 days trial, LS represented two of the four defendants. The case involved a large-scale protest organised by Animal Rebellion across 4 days in September 2022. All defendants relied on Article 9, 10 and 11 ECHR defences.

R v PP [2025] - Aylesbury Crown Court

s20 GBH. Client was acquitted after crucial identification evidence was challenged by the defence with a s78 application.

R v AD [2024] - Islington Crown Court

S18 GBH, ABH, robbery and witness intimidation. 7 days trial with legal arguments including disclosure issues and submission of NCA. Successful NCA on the witness intimidation count. AD was acquitted on all other counts in 20 minutes.

R v PD [2024] - Gloucester Crown Court

One count of GBH, two counts of intentional strangulation and one count of ABH. Stabbing and violence in a domestic setting. 7 days trial with legal arguments including disclosure issues and discharging a jury.

R v RRB [2024] - Woolwich Crown Court

One count of attempted robbery. RRB was defendant 1 of 3. RRB was fifteen at the time of the offence and seventeen at the time of trial. Legal arguments included bad character, hearsay, and lengthy discussions on directions. RRB was acquitted in 40 minutes.

R v PB [2024] - Woolwich Crown Court

One count of affray and one count of offensive weapon. PB was defendant 3 of 8. The trial lasted 6 weeks and included a number of legal arguments, such as the co-defendant’s bad character, hearsay, s78, and submissions of no case to answer.

R v CO [2024] - Old Bailey

Two counts of fraud. The defendant was a sixty-year-old woman of good character. The jury was hung, and CPS decided not to retry the defendant.

R v OK [2024] - Canterbury Crown Court

One count of assisting unlawful immigration to a member state (France). The defendant was the driver of an HGV. He was stopped at Dover and 11 people were found hidden in the trailer of the HGV together with a parcel containing about £3,000. The defendant was acquitted.

R v BH [2023] - Croydon Crown Court

Seven counts of robbery, client charged together with his brother. Lengthy application to dismiss on the basis that the client was never properly IDed. The judge dismissed four of the counts, and the prosecution offered no evidence on another two counts.

R v AS [2023] - Isleworth Crown Court

Two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and one count of conspiracy to supply class B drugs against five defendants. Successful no case to answer submission in relation to class B. The jury found all the defendants guilty, AS was the only one found guilty on a majority verdict.

R v RB [2023] – Woolwich Crown Court

One count of arson with intent to endanger life. Trial of fact. The jury found that the defendant did the act on a majority verdict, after over nine hours of deliberation.

R v BW [2023] – Kingston Crown Court

Eight counts indictment in relation to three armed robberies. Legal submissions included an application to dismiss, and applications to exclude ID evidence and CCTV pursuant to s78. After legal arguments, the prosecution offered no evidence on six counts. The jury acquitted the defendant in just over one hour.

R v OC [2023] - Woolwich Crown Court

Allegation of joint enterprise robbery. The defendant accepted physical elements of the robbery were made out, but he had acted without dishonesty and intention to permanently deprive. The jury acquitted the defendant in just over one hour.

R v TS [2023] - Wood Green Crown Court

Allegation of joint enterprise armed robbery and possession of a bladed article. Legal submissions included abuse of process argument. The defendant was acquitted on all counts.

R v KJ [2023] - Harrow Crown Court

Allegation of possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs. Three defendants were arrested in what an expert characterised as a trap house. The other two defendants pleaded guilty before trial. Legal submissions included bad character and submissions of no case to answer. The defendant was acquitted on all counts.

R v AJ [2023] - Southwark Crown Court

Allegation of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of criminal property. The defendant was allegedly seen dealing drugs by off-duty police officers and inspectors. The defendant was acquitted on all counts.

R v JL [2022] - Woolwich Crown Court

Allegation of benefit fraud. Legal submissions included several applications for further disclosure and abuse of process argument. The defendant was found not guilty on all counts.

R v DS [2022] - Croydon Crown Court

Represented a client charged with an offence of engaging, seeking, or offering to engage in a regulated activity when barred, contrary to s.7 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. Application to dismiss based on submissions that a position as a driving instructor did not amount to a regulated activity in law. The application to dismiss was successful.

Court of Appeal Cases

R. v Kuyateh (Alhaji Mohamed) [2023] EWCA Crim 1581 (16 August 2023)

Appeal on grounds that sentence was wrong in law and manifestly excessive. The application for leave to appeal was referred by the Registrar to the Full Court. The appeal was successful, the sentence was reduced and the client was released that same day.

R. v Harvey (Michael) [2023] EWCA Crim 406 (15 March 2023)

Appeal on grounds that sentence was manifestly excessive.