(2004)
Born:
1979
1979
MA (Hons) Law at Magdalene, Cambridge
BVC at Inns of Court School of Law, London
Call:
2004 Gray's Inn
James has a wide ranging criminal practice covering both defence and prosecution work. As well as jury advocacy, he also has experience of advising on and arguing technical points, such as hearsay, bad character, abuse of process, applications to quash indictments and confiscation proceedings.
Robbery and offences against the person:
James has secured acquittals after allegations ranging from ABH by branding (involving a child defendant and cross examination of a 6 year old complainant) through to Section 18 use of a machete. He has experience of defending violent multi-handed trials and has prosecuted to trial an allegation of an armed robbery of a drug dealer. He has been led in the defence of an allegation of neglect of a mentally infirm patient in a care home where all defendants were acquitted.
James has secured acquittals after allegations ranging from ABH by branding (involving a child defendant and cross examination of a 6 year old complainant) through to Section 18 use of a machete. He has experience of defending violent multi-handed trials and has prosecuted to trial an allegation of an armed robbery of a drug dealer. He has been led in the defence of an allegation of neglect of a mentally infirm patient in a care home where all defendants were acquitted.
Dishonesty:
James has a broad range of experience including thefts in breach of trust, burglary, Fraud Act offences, benefit fraud and Trading Standards Offences (representing individuals and companies). He was led in an international counterfeit clothing conspiracy operating on eBay and successfully defended
Drugs:
James has defended and prosecuted many drugs cases, often allegations of conspiracy. He has run trials on cases from street level supply and possession through to kilos of import quality cocaine. He has also represented foreign nationals with no English alleged to be involved in the cultivation of cannabis who may be subject to deportation orders.
Money laundering and confiscation:
This is an area that forms a large part of James's practice. He successfully applied to quash an indictment for want of evidence despite uncontested committal proceedings in a serious money laundering case. He has represented defendants facing multi-million pound confiscation orders, including those involving assets based overseas, jointly held assets (such as family homes held with spouses and ex-spouses), foreign bank accounts and tainted gifts. A prosecution application for a confiscation order was abandoned after James alleged dishonesty and incompetence on the part of the financial investigator. He has advised clients after orders have been made as to how to vary orders and appeal them.
Regulatory:
James has prosecuted and defended both individuals and companies alleged to have committed offences contrary to trading standards and environmental regulations, covering matters from imported counterfeit motor cycles through to the criminal liability of members of an unincorporated association (for a oil leak from a golf club that was associated with the pollution of a reservoir).
Appeals:
James has appeared in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division, including the successful appeal against conviction brought on the advice of the Criminal Cases Review Commission: R. v. Caley-Knowles and Jones [2006] EWCA Crim 1611
