- Call 020 7936 6300 or Email
He undertakes work falling into three distinct categories:
Organised Crime
He has extensive experience defending allegations involving drug supply, firearms offences, money laundering and associated allegations including homicide and armed robbery.
Over the past decade, he has defended in many of the highest-profile drug cases arising from Operation Venetic and the EncroChat hack. He was instructed in the first case to be charged and has represented numerous individuals alleged to be at the apex of organised crime groups across the nation.
He has substantial experience in drug importation and supply cases, including those concerning the nationwide supply of Class A and Class B drugs. His practice also encompasses cases involving the importation and onward supply of prescription drugs, as well as cases in which the dark web is alleged to have been used as a marketplace for prescription and other drugs imported from less tightly regulated markets or manufactured overseas.
Fraud
He has extensive experience representing individuals, including professionals, charged with serious offences of cheating the public revenue, fraud and other offences involving allegations of substantial dishonesty.
His cases include Operation Amazon, described as the largest direct tax fraud ever prosecuted by HMRC, as well as numerous cases involving allegations of VAT fraud, mortgage fraud, advance fee fraud and spear-phishing fraud.
Sexual Offences – private cases only
He has substantial experience defending high-profile cases involving allegations concerning indecent images, extreme pornography and voyeurism.
His cases include R v Walsh, the first case in England and Wales to be live-tweeted.
An advocate described by Criminal Law and Justice Weekly as “masterful” and by the Guardian as “deft and subtle”.
Calm, measured, strong and persuasive; Matthew brings intellectual rigour and confidence to every case he takes on.
Instructed in many high-profile cases involving serious and organized crime- extensive experience in defending those accused of being involved in the supply of drugs and/or laundering the proceeds.
Regularly instructed in cases of homicide or incidents of serious violence.
Separate niche specialization in Obscenity offences and extensive experience dealing with sexual offences committed online.
R v Coggins and Others – Operation sub zero
The original Encrochat case resulting in a 3-week legal argument presided over by Mt Justice Dove. The ruling became the touchstone for all Venetic cases.
BBC Panorama documentary available on iplayer.
led By Chris Henley KC at his trial for offences arising out of Operation Venetci.
Channel 4 documentary available on All 4.
Multiple allegations and conspiracies to import and supply- substantial reduction of drugs said to have been trafficked negotiated as part of plea.
Head of an operation that organised the logistics for shipping 250 kgs of cocaine a month.
Supply of cocaine throughout South Wales on wholesale basis.
Operation Solidago- wholesale supply of cocaine and heroin across Cardiff and Newport.
Retail supply of cocaine from Liverpool to the East Midlands.
Cocaine and cannabis importation.
Cocaine importation (over 1000kgs)
Initially charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine- plea agreement enabled judge to pass suspended sentence on much reduced role.
Conspiracy to supply cocaine across the Northwest.
Drill rapper charged with drugs and firearms offences.
Supply of cocaine across Liverpool.
R v Jack Moore
County lines drugs supply allegation- acquitted.
R v Leslie Thomas
Conspiracy to supply amphetamine across Wales and the Midlands- acquitted.
R v Khawaja
Conspiracy to import heroin from Pakistan. NCA operation. Acquitted after disclosure arguments at trial were ruled upon by Judge.
R v Robert Musson
Succesful Newton hearing reducing case from Cat 1 plus allegation as put by the Crown at 30 kilos to 8. Sentence significantly reduced.
Successful appeal against sentence for supply of drugs into music festival.
Retail supply of cocaine and prescription drugs via dark web store.
Drugs and firearms case- Police investigation included probe in a car linked to OCG
Supply and Export of Class A and prescriptions drugs via post. Crown case was this was Category 1 plus case. Sentenced as Category 2 case following submissions about how to quantify drugs supplied as tablets with unknown purity.
Murder- 20 year old victim shot through his kitchen window in case of mistaken identity.
Murder – shooting over a £60 drug debt.
Instructed in many of the major frauds of the last decade and with a strong record of arriving at successful outcomes.
Largest tax fraud ever prosecuted. Successfully defended a city professional said by the Crown to be at the heart of the funding mechanism of the fraud.
R V WS
Acquittal in a money laundering case arising out of a fraud on the Candy brothers.
Operation Eggcups
Very large VAT fraud- duty diversion fraud with international money transfers throughout Europe and the Caribbean. Client acquitted after trial.
Operation Bamburgh
Mortgage Fraud on a huge scale. Client falsely inflated values of properties on behalf of the fraud to enable higher value mortgages to be obtained.
Operation Coponent
A novel and complex fraud on McDonalds. Cloning of email addresses and phone numbers enabled defendants to maintain that they were purchasing for a major multi-national company.
Operation Vex
A VAT fraud on an almost unprecedented scale.
Vantis Fraud
Accountants prosecuted for aggressive tax avoidance scheme- client acquitted.
R v Andrew Lagan
Olympic ticket fraud. Fake tickets website selling non existent tickets for London Olympics,
R v Mohammed Ahmed
Fraud by breach of trust and an attempt to obtain substantial property portfolio by deception.
Advance fee fraud perpetrated by man living double life.
R v A
A Tax avoidance scheme users prosecuted for false representations to HMRC.
R v John Powell
Businessman accused of assisting son with fraudulent trading and money laundering.
Barrister charged with extreme pornography offences – Acquitted.
Twink trial
A professor charged with IIOC – acquitted.
DA
Teacher at a Public school charged with extreme pornography. Acquitted of 3 of the 4 counts. Non- custodial sentence.
Represented many professionals including a COO of a financial institution, a pilot, a nuclear scientist, and a doctor.
Waste management fraud and conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Importation of 300kgs cocaine. Speedboat sent to meet larger vessel to collect 300kgs of cocaine.
Money laundering service for organised crime.
R v MG
Million pound fraud by cloning bank cards and using them for designer goods shopping sprees. Client acquitted.
Dentist accused of substantial fraud on insurance company. Acquitted of all but 2 Counts( £58,000) of substantial indictment. Non-custodial sentence. Police summary given to press post-conviction ignores result of trial
R v Daniel Grzech
Encrochat case- partial acquittal including a count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
R v Victoria Sallery
Importation of Class A drugs. Defendant linked by DNA on wrapper containing 200kgs of cocaine. Arguments to exclude the evidence successful. Acquitted.
R v Mitch Mellor
Drugs case. Acquittals on conspiracy to import and distribute ketamine. Pleas to other counts entered early.
R v Illiasse Boudlal
Allegations of kidnap, false imprisonment, firearms possession and robbery of an influencer to extract payment for fake Rolex watch. Acquitted on all counts.
2025
Chambers & Partners
Crime: “He is a brilliant advocate who is very much sought after.” “He is a safe pair of hands and is reliable and trustworthy on big cases.”
Ranked: Band 5
Legal 500
Crime: “Matthew is a truly excellent advocate. He has strong interpersonal skills and works hard. Juries like him and respond positively to the arguments he makes.”
Ranked: Tier 4
2024
Chambers & Partners
Crime: “He has great judgement and is a commanding presence in court.”
Ranked: Band 5
Legal 500
Crime
Ranked: Tier 4
2023
Chambers & Partners
Crime: “Able to take on enormous amounts of work and produce the goods. He can absorb massive amounts of information under pressure and is a big-time player.”
Ranked: Band 6
Legal 500
Crime: ‘Matthew is a great jury advocate and has a busy crime practice.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Fraud:Crime: Ranked Tier 4
2022
Legal 500
Fraud:Crime: “Matthew is extremely bright and shrewd. He has a phenomenal work ethic. Clients appreciate his direct, smart approach.”
Ranked: Tier 3
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