Tom practices solely in criminal law. He has a wide-ranging practice, dealing with all aspects of criminal law on behalf of both Prosecution and Defence, and routinely appears in the Crown Courts throughout the North-Eastern Circuit; in addition, he makes occasional forays across the Pennines to appear in Courts on the Northern Circuit.
Tom has also appeared before the Court of Appeal on many occasions, and as such is experienced in drafting the relevant applications for leave to appeal against sentence and conviction arising from Crown Court proceedings, again on behalf of both Prosecution and Defence.
Tom has often been instructed in cases requiring two counsel, either as junior counsel, or as leading counsel, and is therefore used to working on specific cases (often complex or serious) as part of a small, dynamic team. He is a Level 4 prosecutor.
For the past 6 years, Tom has been Secretary to Zenith’s Crime Team.
Tom routinely deals with all areas of criminal law, including:
- offences of violence at all levels up to and including murder
- supply and importation of controlled drugs
- serious sexual offences
- fraud and money laundering offences
- fatal road-traffic offences
- Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings
Areas of Expertise
- Financial complexity
- Defendants suffering from serious mental health difficulties
- Undercover and/or surveillance evidence
- Use of mobile telephone evidence, both call linking evidence and cell-site evidence
Reported Cases
- Regina v Rashid Farid & others [2009] EWCA Crim 1731. Leading prosecution counsel in case involving 12 defendants accused of mortgage fraud and associated money laundering; convicted after a trial at Bradford Crown Court from February to April 2009; appeals against sentences imposed.
- Attorney General's Reference Nos 45, 46, 47, 48 & 49 of 2007 (Callaghan & others) [2007] EWCA Crim 3383. Prosecution counsel in case involving conspiracy to commit "ram-raid" burglaries of shops and other commercial premises in Leeds City Centre; appeal against unduly lenient sentences passed by Crown Court.
Notable Cases
• R v Ronald Castree (Bradford Crown Court, October 2007): junior prosecuting counsel in case concerning the murder of 11 year-old Lesley Molseed in 1975 (of which Stefan Kiszko was wrongly convicted in 1976).
• R v Abobakir Jabari (Sheffield Crown Court, November 2008): junior defence counsel in case involving the murder of Lidia Motylska, a Polish national, in alleyway in Lincoln Green, Leeds, in October 2007.
• R v Jason Horsley (Preston Crown Court, November 2009): defence counsel representing local fish merchant charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
• R v Mark Spencer & others (Leeds Crown Court, September 2010): defence counsel representing one of a number of defendants charged with mortgage fraud.
• R v Sarfraz Hussain & Nasir Khan (Bradford Crown Court, September 2010): junior prosecution counsel in case involving the manslaughter of a severely autistic 12 year-old boy by two older youths.
• R v Greg Dolan (Bradford Crown Court, December 2010): defence counsel representing a solicitor charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
• R v Krasniqi, Khalid and Ogumbiyi (Leeds Crown Court, January 2011): prosecution counsel in case involving attempted murder of convicted war crimes criminal in HMP Wakefield.
• R v Pauline Bennett (Leeds Crown Court, June 2011): defence counsel representing female defendant in her 60's, charged with child cruelty (neglect) arising from the long-term historic abuse of their daughter by her former husband; also charged with offences of indecent assault upon a friend of her son's, with whom she began a sexual relationship prior to his 16th birthday, and whom she went on to marry once he was 20.
• R v Green, Lambert, Pearson, Wheatley, Colley and Beck (Bradford Crown Court, July 2011): leading prosecution counsel in conspiracy to steal high-value items of plant equipment and machinery worth £2million.
• R v Til Bahadur Rana (Bradford Crown Court, September 2011): prosecution counsel in case involving the murder of an 18 year old Gujarati girl by her 34-year old Nepalese boyfriend; defence of loss of control (previously diminished responsibility).
• R v Lauren Booth (Bradford Crown Court, February 2012): prosecution counsel in case alleging child cruelty (neglect) where defendant's three-year old son died after drinking solution of potassium hydroxide which was in the family home as part of a hydroponic cannabis cultivation system.
• R v Carl Mason & Emily Akers (York Crown Court, March 2012): prosecution counsel in case involving escort and her boyfriend stealing fees from her clients by ejecting them forcibly from the premises once they had paid her; also blackmailed successful businessman who had left behind his Blackberry mobile phone containing all his personal and business contacts.
Seminars
‘Recent developments in the criminal law’ (Feb 2009) - Wakefield Law Society.
- 'frequently appears in Crown Courts on the circuit and maintains a busy practice.' Legal 500, 2011
- 'has a very busy criminal practice' Legal 500, 2011 (also in 2010 and 2009 editions)
- 'recommended where forensic accounting is involved.' Legal 500, 2007 (also in 2006 edition)
