Richard Christie KC

Cases

Asset Forfeiture & Confiscation

R v M (2023) – Encrochat case – allegedly involving £91m of cocaine.

R v AKM (2015-2020) – 1.2 million-page immigration and revenue fraud. Listed for trial twice but adjourned in 2016 and then 2017. 8-month trial listed in 2018. Creation of employment by legitimate immigration firms to advance claims for leave to remain in UK and subsequent tax reclaims from the HMRC. This was a vast all-embracing case involving a senior political figure in Bangladesh, a qualified lawyer there who was also training to become a member of the Bar. 2nd charge which resulted in a very complex LPP process. Ongoing confiscation.

R v R (2015-2018) – Ongoing. Human trafficking. First-ever prosecution of end user of trafficked labour. Brought against a bed manufacturer supplying John Lewis, Dunelm and Next. Acquitted at close of Prosecution case, resulting in Prosecution appeal. Against Christopher Tehrani QC. £14m confiscation order sought, 5-7 day hearing.

R v G (2011-2013) – Leading counsel. Conspiracy to cheat. Seven-handed £38m MTIC fraud. First carbon credit MTIC fraud. First presentation of the evidence in electronic only form. 4 month trial. Against Michael Parroy QC and James Waddington QC.

R v Conroy and others (2008-12) – Leading counsel. Ten-handed £18m excise and VAT fraud. Interviewed on ITV’s “Fiddles Cheats and Scams”. 3 week confiscation hearing.

R v D (2012) – Leading Counsel. 11 counts of conspiracy to rob CIT vans over a 5 year period. 6 of 11 acquitted. Large scale ‘fit-up’ alleged against the Flying Squad who had previously fitted up two of the defendants. 5 month trial. Against Brian O’Neill QC. Confiscation involving complex issues arising on divorce.

R v Donnan and others (2006-2008) – Prosecution of £35m money laundering operation stemming from major MTIC fraud – 8 week trial followed by 5 day confiscation proceedings

R v Long (2007) – Leading Counsel in fraud/arson trial (8-week trial). Target criminal. Substantial disclosure issues involving previous 9-month prosecution. Confiscation ongoing. Against Bill Clegg QC (trial) and Tim Owen QC (confiscation)

R v Piggott and others (2005-2010) – £44 million MTIC fraud involving use of off-shore companies in Hong Kong, Spain, Panama, Portugal, Ireland and France 15-week trial. Confiscation joined with ancillary relief proceedings in the High Court (Leading counsel 2006-2010). Complicated issues relating to divorce and ownership of property held in the names of others unrelated to the defendant.

R v Stapleton, May and others (2002) – One of the first major Missing Trader Intra Community (MTIC) VAT ‘carousel’ frauds involving ten Defendants and the loss of over £12 million to the revenue plus confiscation. A case now synonymous with all confiscation proceedings.

Criminal Defence

Murder

R v W (2023)– Gang murder using firearm and knives. 16 year old defendant. Highly complex factual matrix in which offences occurred in 2018 but not tried until 2023. Two trials. Acquitted co-defendant in Trial 1 giving evidence for crown in trial 2 even though branded a liar and murderer by Crown. Complex cell-site, identification and CCTV evidence. Multiple alternative suspects.

R v P (2023) – Murder – joint attack on victim’s following street altercation. Victim cocaine addict who suffered stroke in course of the incident. Highly complex issues of causation. 19 year old defendant.

R v K (2022) 10 week murder of burglar with Samurai Sword and army knife.

R v N (2021-2023) – 14 week murder trial arising out of public disturbance in Jaywick. Acquitted of murder and various alleged assaults. Convicted of manslaughter but overturned on Appeal.

R v O (2021-2022) – 16 year old defendant charged with group stabbing. Acquitted of Attempted murder.

R v E (2021) series of moped enabled armed Rolex robberies leading to murder of victim when he resisted. D1 prosecuted in 2018. D2 in 2021. Complex issues re alteration of cell-site over this period, complicated CCTV and bad character evidence based on contents of phone.

R v P (2018-2019) – Murder following previous incident leading to on-going PTSD on part of D. Complex defences of self-defence, loss of control and diminished responsibility. Against Amjad Malik QC.

Forum library, Southend, murder suspect ‘suffers from PTSD after acid attack’ | Echo (echo-news.co.uk)

Fabian Kacica murder: Southend man found guilty – BBC News

R v G (2018) – Manslaughter in the course of armed robbery with firearms. Acquitted of robbery and firearm offences. D subject to a previous life sentence. Jury unable to agree on manslaughter charge..

R v M (2017) – Murder within the travelling community. Alleged revenge attack by running over the victim with a transit van following attack with slash-hooks and machetes by the victim and his family. Acquitted of murder. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-38959521

R v LS (2015) – Murder – body in a suitcase disposed of in the Birmingham canal.

Birmingham canal murder: Man guilty of body-in-suitcase killing – BBC News

R v I (2015) – Leading Counsel with Matthew Bagnall. Instructed to defend in 6 handed murder trial at Chelmsford Crown Court. The trial was due to last 8 weeks but Mr I was acquitted at the close of the Prosecution case.

R v N B (2015) – Acquittal on charges of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm following 4 month trial. 3 applications to discharge the jury, two because of alleged bias. Naweed Bashardost was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to commit GBH. The seven handed case was heard in Birmingham Crown Court and gave rise to numerous problems as a result of reports of jury bias against the defendants. The case concerned an alleged gang attack by Afghans on a rival Pakistani gang who were all said to be armed with Samurai swords, baseball bats and at least one shotgun. Naweed Bashardost was one of only 3 defendants who were acquitted completely of all charges.

Man died in ‘extreme’ violent clash in Sparkbrook – BBC News

R v M (2013) – Leading Counsel. Attempted murder of ballet dancer Jack Widdowson (featured on BBC and numerous National Newspapers as a real-life Billy Elliot). Acquitted.

R v B (2012) – Leading Counsel. Murder. Football related. Diminished responsibility defence.

R v D (2012) – Leading Counsel for main defendant in allegation of four-handed gross-negligence manslaughter – alleged excited delirium arising from lawful restraint by 4 doormen leading to spontaneous death – acquitted. 6 week trial

R v H (2011) – Leading Counsel. Conspiracy to murder based on tainted SOCPA evidence. Estimated to last 3 months but following 5 day abuse of process argument, key evidence excluded and prosecution offered no evidence

R v Rees – The Daniel Morgan Murder (2008-2011) – Probably one of the most complicated and unusual murder trials ever. Featured in three part, C4 program – “Death in the Car Park”. Historic axe murder involving alleged police corruption, 750,000 pages of material, 5 month abuse of process application and 5 previous enquiries. Listed for 6-8 months. After the defendants were acquitted, Mr. Justice Maddison, the trial Judge said:

“In all the years that I have been a judge, and there have been many of them, I have never come across a case in which there have been so many issues or such complex issues to be resolved before a trial could even get underway. And I anticipate that the combined experience of counsel, and it is very considerable combined experience, has never come across a case of this kind.”

“My firm view is that the legal representatives for all the defendants, faced with a mammoth task, have responded magnificently to it. And the quality of the written and oral submissions that I have received has been of the highest quality. The industry and the tenacity which has been shown by the defence teams is to be commended and the defendants will leave court knowing, if they did not already and I think they must have known before, that they have been very well served.”

“Mr. Christie, if I may say so, it is obvious from the detail and quality of your submissions that you have been investing a huge amount of effort into this.”

The case is said to have involved the longest pre-trial legal arguments in the history of English Criminal Law

The case has been linked to the phone hacking scandal, has featured on Panorama and been widely reported in all the National Newspapers.

Against Nicholas Hilliard QC (now Hilliard J, former Recorder of London) and Jonathan Rees QC

R v Hale (2009) – Leading Counsel. Murder. Missing victim. Note “By fire, by sea, by landsite, by acid” found in Defendant’s possession. Acquitted. Front page Evening Standard and Sky News. Featured on Sky Crime’s Real Manhunter programme as the only case DCI Colin Sutton failed to obtain a conviction.

R v Bodden (2007) – Leading Counsel in conspiracy to murder trial in the Cayman Islands (3 week trial).

R v Carter (2006) – Leading Counsel in murder trial. Complicated forensic evidence in which he successfully argued that there had been no killing at all (4 week trial).

R v Duffy (2006) – Murder. Diminished responsibility reduced to manslaughter – Batters mother to death with hammer.

Sexual Offences
R v T (2013) – Leading Counsel. Rough justice appeal. Historic sexual offences. Fresh evidence

R v S (2008) – Leading counsel. Rough justice appeal against conviction in case involving serious historic sexual offences. Conviction quashed. Re-trial in 2009. Acquitted

R v A (2007) – Leading Counsel in rough justice-style appeal. Multiple rape, kidnap and false imprisonment resulting from Islamic marriage. Issues relating to legal professional privilege of the victim, bad and good character and fresh evidence emanating from legal documents seized from the victim.

Drugs
R v M (2020-2023) – £91m worth of cocaine. One of the first Encrochat cases. 3 years of legal arguments

R v B (2010-2011) – Leading counsel. £1 billion+ cocaine importation and firearms charges. Acquitted of all charges bar £10k worth of money laundering

R v C and B-J (2005-8) – Rough Justice-style appeal for one of the Southend airport conspirators (250kg of cocaine) – Previous counsel – Martin Heslop QC; Simon Bourne-Arton QC

Other
R v Taft (2017) –Rough-justice appeal against convictions for conspiracy to issue threats to kill and to cause explosions (pipe bombing in the course of business dispute) arising from deficiencies in disclosure at the original trial

In the course of the Court’s judgment at paragraph 36 Holroyde LJ observed:

“We preface our remarks by paying tribute to the care and clarity with which both counsel have addressed us. We are extremely grateful for their written and oral submissions”

https://crimeline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/taft.pdf

R v R (2015-2018) – Ongoing. Human trafficking. First-ever prosecution of end user of trafficked labour. Brought against a bed manufacturer supplying John Lewis, Dunelm and Next. Acquitted at close of Prosecution case, resulting in Prosecution appeal. Against Christopher Tehrani QC.

R v D (2012) – Leading Counsel. 11 counts of conspiracy to rob CIT vans over a 5 year period. 6 of 11 acquitted. Large scale ‘fit-up’ alleged against the Flying Squad who had previously fitted up two of the defendants. 5 month trial. Against Brian O’Neill QC.

Criminal Prosecution

Murder

R v Louro and Aisthorpe (2019) – historic murder of vulnerable elderly man and cover-up staged to make death look like suicide meaning that it took 9 years and a fresh investigation to uncover the truth. Perjured evidence at inquest. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-48643776

R v White and Shepherd (2018/2019)
Convictions secured against two drug dealers who murdered their friend and rival having lured him to dense woodland, beaten him over the head with baseball bats and cut his throat. A 7-week trial at Cambridge Crown Court after jury being in retirement for 6 full days. Both defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment and were required to serve minimum terms of 29 and 28.5 years respectively. The case involved detailed scientific, telephone, CCTV evidence and eye witness testimony following the creation of false alibis by both defendants. Against Alastair Malcolm QC and Richard Barraclough QC. Case featured on Channel 4’s 24 hours in Police Custody.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/sam-mechelewski-murder-trial-sentencing-15743567

R v Bird (2017)– Murder – attack with hammer, leading to delayed rupture of the spleen. Complex issues relating to causation and pre-existing ill-health. Successful prosecution. Against Nigel Lickley QC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-41179602

R v Rexha (2017) – Murder of partner, partial decapitation, diminished responsibility. Successful prosecution.

R v Sakhil and Solomon (2016-2017) – Attempted Murder – Gang related, stabbing of female gang member -multiple wounds– successful prosecution. Successful prosecution where victim refused to provide statement or to give evidence.

R v Sylvester, Lewis and Houlder (2016-2017) – Murder – stabbing following fallout between drugs dealers. Murder commissioned by lead drug dealer. Successful prosecution. Extradition of one defendant from Venezuela. Against Annette Henry QC and Sally-Ann Hales QC

R v Bergin, Simms and Shreeve (2016) – Attempted murder, aggravated burglary and s.18 of multi-millionaire businessman – shot with sawn-off shotgun at point blank range. Complex issues relating to voice recognition. Successful prosecution

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-38252168

R v Tambengwa (2008) – Leading counsel. 5 week murder trial combined with serious sexual offences on a child witness. Successful prosecution. Against Richard Ferguson QC.

Other

R v Nevers (2007) – Leading counsel in series of attacks on pregnant women or women with small children (9 in total). Similar fact/bad character (2.5 month trial). Successful prosecution. Life sentence resulted. Against Stephen Solley QC and then Henry Grunwald QC.

Fraud and Financial Crime

R v SD and others – Leading counsel for Crown in 5 handed conspiracy to cheat HMRC. Ongoing

R v MR (2022-2023) First defendant in alleged timeshare related fraud – 4 month trial – ongoing.

R v J (2020-2023) – £80m VAT fraud – ongoing

R v R (2019-2021) – Member of the Bar charged with alleged serious fraud on public funds arising from his practice. 4 trials, Acquitted on each.

R v AKM (2015-2020) – 1.2 million page immigration and revenue fraud. Listed for trial twice but adjourned in 2016 and then 2017. 8 month trial listed in 2018. Creation of employment by legitimate immigration firms to advance claims for leave to remain in UK and subsequent tax reclaims from the HMRC. This was a vast all-embracing case representing a senior political figure in Bangladesh, a qualified lawyer there who was also training to become a member of the Bar. 2nd charge which resulted in a very complex LPP process. Ongoing confiscation.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/four-sentenced-their-part-uks-largest-ever-visa-fraud

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/23/fraudsters-ran-fake-visa-scamand-stole-13m-hmrc-sentenced-31/

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/mammoth-fraud-trial_uk_5bf81ed2e4b03b230fa12fb7?guccounter=1&guce_referrer_us=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20vc2VhcmNoP3E9a2FyaW0rZnJhdWQrc291dGh3YXJrJmZvcm09RURHU1BIJm1r

R v H (2016-2018) – Conspiracy to cheat HMRC as part of tax-avoidance film scheme – professional, high net worth defendant. Ongoing

R v B (2013) – £24m. 6-handed MTIC fraud. 5 ½ month trial. Only one of 6 defendants to be acquitted

R v N (2012) – £6m crash for cash conspiracy to defraud. Over 250 staged accidents/exaggerated claims. Numerous satellite cases that were prosecuted as separate cases against prosecution witnesses. 5 week trial. Against David Aaronberg QC

R v G (2011 to 2013) – Conspiracy to cheat. Seven-handed £38m MTIC fraud. First carbon credit MTIC fraud. First presentation of the evidence in electronic only form. 4 month trial

R v Conroy and others (2008-12) – Leading counsel for Crown. Ten-handed £18m excise and VAT fraud. Interviewed on ITV’s “Fiddles Cheats and Scams”

R v Abu and others (2007/8) – Leading Counsel for Crown in Immigration fraud (3.5 month trial)

R v Donnan and others (2006-2008) – Prosecution of £35m money laundering operation stemming from major MTIC fraud – 8 week trial followed by 5 day confiscation proceedings.

R v Long (2007) – Leading Counsel in fraud/arson trial (8 week trial). Target criminal. Substantial disclosure issues involving previous 9 month prosecution.

R v Strain (2005/6) – Leading junior in hydro-carbons (fuel laundering) fraud involving extensive money laundering amongst the Northern Irish criminal fraternity (4 month trial).

R v Piggott and others (2005-2010) – £44 million MTIC fraud involving use of off-shore companies in Hong Kong, Spain, Panama, Portugal, Ireland and France-15 week trial. Confiscation joined with ancillary relief proceedings in the High Court (Leading counsel 2006-2010).

R v Chapman (2004) – £16.75m VAT fraud: one of the first MTIC frauds involving use of the “Wallbank Protocol”.

R v X (2003) – £40 million VAT fraud involving the evasion of duty on 180 million cigarettes using multiple corporate bodies. Extensive PII and legal submissions owing to Defendant’s status as informant.

Civil Practice

In silk, Richard Christie has been involved in many quasi-criminal proceedings including judicial review proceedings on behalf of the CCRC. He was engaged as independent counsel to the IPCC in the shooting of barrister Mark Saunders. He has also drawn extensively on his experience as a Deputy Taxing Master, dealing with many high-profile high value costs cases on behalf of HMRC and other public bodies as well as Defence solicitors..

He has regularly dealt with civil actions against the Police and appeared in the landmark House of Lords case of Martin v Watson (1994) Q.B. 425 C.A. and (1995) A.C. 74. In recent years, as acts of policing have been carried out more and more by public companies, this has meant an increase in work in this area.

Hussain v General Pharmaceutical Council – (2016-2018) Granted leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal against decision to erase pharmacist from GPC register which had been upheld by High Court.

R v Evans (2015-16) – Representing SFO in costs claim brought by five defendants including Deputy High Court Judge, prosecuted for offence of conspiracy to defraud re open cast mining in Wales. [2015] EWHC 1525 (QB);

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2015/1525.html

Watson v CCRC (2014) – Highly complex judicial review of historic murder case. Instructed on behalf of the CCRC to defend their refusal to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. Over 20 years ago Karl Watson was prosecuted for murder by Nigel Sweeney and David Waters (as they both then were). The case went to the Court of Appeal in 1996 and then was subject to one of the longest and most extensive reviews by the CCRC. When the CCRC finally decided not to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal Mr. Watson sought judicial review of that decision on numerous grounds. After a lengthy hearing that application was refused

VOSA v Buzzlines (2013) – Leading Counsel for VOSA. Judicial review of costs order made by Margate Magistrates’ Court in huge tachograph-related prosecution

Delroy Lewis v Ministry of Justice (2011) – Leading Counsel. Judicial Review based on overlong detention pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 for long term prisoner convicted of serious drugs and firearms offences but also convicted of a minor specified offence leading to detention for a further 2 years and 8 months longer than his actual sentence

Davis v CCRC (2009-2010) Leading counsel instructed on behalf of CCRC for refusing to refer this serious sexual case to the Court of Appeal
Imerman v Tchenguiz (2009) – Leading counsel in breach of confidence case brought by multi-millionaires against one another. Involves alleged computer misuse. Now the leading case on illegally obtained documentation from an opposing party.

Kenneth Noye v CCRC (2008) – Leading counsel instructed on behalf of CCRC for refusing to refer this notorious murder case to the Court of Appeal.

IPCC v Saunders (2008) – Independent counsel instructed by IPCC to review material in the notorious case of the shooting of a barrister.

Anciux v CCRC (2006) – Instructed on behalf of CCRC to resist judicial review proceedings brought against the CCRC for refusing to refer this murder case to the Court of Appeal.

Boston v CCRC (2004-6) – Instructed on behalf of CCRC to resist judicial review proceedings brought against CCRC for refusing to refer conspiracy to pervert the course of justice case by solicitor and stockbroker to the court of appeal. Complicated costs issues also involved.
X v Her Majesty’s Commissioners for Customs and Excise (2004-2005) – Malicious prosecution case against Customs relating to £40 million fraud where Claimant acting for Customs throughout (Leading Counsel on both sides instructed). chair of the CBA Remuneration Committee