John Boumphrey

Crime

Practice Summary

John has a broad ranging criminal practice which apart from the usual diet of serious violence, theft and sexual assault, includes cases of the utmost gravity and the highly complex.

John’s has broad and useful experience outside the bar including in banking and government (local and Parliamentary)  He has acted in significant cases involving Serious Fraud, Export of Chemical Weapons, Environment Damage to areas of Specific Scientific Interest, Asbestos, Animal Cruelty and Shipping. He has represented a person described by the press as the "largest bootlegger in the world"

John’s expertise in Copyright and Trademark Law and understanding of European Law took him to the House of Lords in the leading case of R –v- Johnstone.

John is Vice Chair for the Standards Committee at Craven District Council. He also sits on the West Yorkshire Criminal Justice Board Equality and Diversity Committee, and is Statutory Independent Person for a local authority under the Localism Act. He has chaired a remuneration committee for a local authority. John is Chair of Discipline and Grievance for British Fencing and is responsible for maintaining a panel of adjudicators for disciplinary hearings. This experience gives him a good understanding of disciplinary proceedings of various sports authorities. He recently advised in the preparation for the Tour de France which was held in Yorkshire in 2014.

John represents police officers, lawyers and politicians charged with criminal offences and serving police officers facing disciplinary proceedings. For 4 Years, John was Counsel for the Metropolitan Police and has acted for the Police Federation. John was designated Counsel for UNIFED, a short-lived rival to the Police Federation. John also has extensive experience of actions against the police.

John also accepts instructions for Inquests. He was Counsel for the estate of the crane driver in the Canada Square crane disaster. John also acted for the parents of Laura Garner in a case which led to changes in the way urgent patients are assessed following admissions to hospital.

Areas of Expertise

• Criminal cases involving civil claims

• Export of materials in manufacture of chemical weapons

• Intellectual property crime

• Importation of licensed medical goods

• Serious fraud

• Sports Law

• Trading Standards

Reported Cases

R. v David Lindley (2016) [2016] EWCA Crim 1980

Yvonne James v RSPCA (2011)  [2011] EWHC 1642 (Admin) . (2011) 175 JP 485 : [2012] 5 Costs LO 547. Notices to be given by veterinary surgeons before investigating animals or taking them into police care and orders in relation to the expense of  keeping defendants animals.

R v Johnstone (Robert Alexander) 2003 UKHL 28 (2003) 1 WLR 1736 

Notable Cases

• R v Uddin - Defence counsel in multi handed fraud case involving gang posing as undercover police officers targeting elderly victims to provide bank account details to commit fraud.
• R v Khan - Defence counsel in multi handed fraud case involving gang posing as bank officials in order to target elderly victims into handing over their life savings.
• R v O - Represented Defendant charged with copyright infringement of music material. Defendant acquitted after trial.
• R v Lindley - Defence counsel in S18 matter with case referred to Attorney General due to leniency of sentence.
• R v Avocet - Export of material capable of being used in the manufacture of chemical weapons to a non-convention country. Involved questions relating to the exercise of the discretion to prosecute against individuals instead of a company.
• R v Reilly - Importation of Viagra without medicines licences.
• R v Mortimer - 4 week trial involving multiple counts of indecency with various family members.
• R v Bailey and others - 4 week trial involving Section 18 and Violent Disorder.
• R (BPI) -v- Coppen & Others - Leader on 6 week conspiracy to defraud.
• R (Oxford Trading Standards) -v- Jenkins & Others - A £10 million Copyright and Trade Mark infringement led by Clare Montgomery QC.

Seminars

• Prosecution of Hate Crime

• Confiscation

Personal Information

John enjoys spending time with his family. He has fenced Epee to high level. He is a former National Junior Champion and won Bronze at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in 1990. He enjoys Skiing and Mountaineering and has trivial interests in quantum physics and poetry.