[Birmingham CC]:
W charged with arson with intent to endanger life. It was alleged that W set property occupied by a debtor on fire using petrol following an altercation about non-payment of a debt. The four people in the property at the time included one who ran away when petrol was thrown over him. The occupants all survived.
[Birmingham CC]:
K appealed his conviction for a motoring offence to the Crown Court. K arranged for property occupied by a witness to the offence to be set on fire. The witness sustained more than 40% burns as a result.
[Nottingham CC]:
This high-profile case was widely reported in the national press. E was one of 13 defendants charged with the theft of the Portland Tiara, said to have a value of over £3.5m. The spectacular diamond encrusted tiara and other valuable items were stolen from a Nottingham stately home in a heist reminiscent of a Hollywood movie. The proceedings also involved allegations that several defendants were involved in the robbery of Ashley Cole, a famous footballer. The jury unanimously acquitted our client following robust challenges to prosecution evidence and the use of evidence obtained by us on his behalf.
[Birmingham CC]:
A was charged with murder following an execution-style killing. It was alleged that A left a ‘bloody fingerprint’ when he exited the vehicle. We instructed the world renown authority on ‘blood printing’ (who gave evidence in the OJ Simpson trial) to carry out a destructive test. This showed that the fingerprint was not a ‘bloody fingerprint’ and the prosecution evidence was wrong. As a result, the prosecution offered no evidence, and our client was acquitted.
[Wolverhampton CC]:
W was charged with murder following the killing of a member of a notorious Birmingham gang. The killing led to the revenge shooting at a New Year’s Eve party which resulted in two young women losing their lives. The case led the introduction of harsher sentences for those convicted of killings involving the use of guns.
[Birmingham Crown Court]:
This is the single most cited case in transfer of Legal Aid applications.
A News International chauffeur alleged he was maliciously prosecuted to prevent him reporting on illegal “bungs” provided by News International to police officers. These allegations later became part of Operation Elvedon. The case was widely reported as it was proceeding at the same time as the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.
Election fraud carried out by Labour councillors, resulting in the first election court being held for 100 years. The case was covered by all national newspapers and TV channels.
A supergrass investigation into national drug trafficking ring – the case collapsed after six months of legal arguments.
Investigation involving the use of an undercover officer deployed for four years
Deployment of two undercover officers, in which they lived on a council estate in order to infiltrate an organised criminal gang