Ben joins 9BR from the Crown Prosecution Service where he served as a highly-regarded Grade 3, RASSO-trained Crown Advocate.
He has 8 years of experience as a qualified Solicitor, Solicitor Advocate and then Barrister, presenting in the Court of Appeal, Crown Court, Magistrates’ Court and Regulatory Tribunals.
He has a reputation for excellence, taking on cases at very short notice with calm tenacity under pressure, intellectual acumen and a likeable advocacy style. He is also known for his persuasive negotiation techniques, and his warmth of character with clients and colleagues.
Background and experience
As a CPS Crown Advocate, Ben prosecuted a series of Crown Court Grade 3 trials including violent and organised crime, child and adult sex offences, witness intimidation, fraud, domestic abuse matters, cross-border offences, and weapons offences, gaining plaudits from Judges, officers, defence and CPS colleagues alike. He has appeared as both sole and junior advocate in the Court of Appeal, including in the leading ‘small boats’ sentencing case of R v Ginar 2023.
Prior to this, he was a Senior Crown Prosecutor with the International Justice and Organised Crime Division, prosecuting cases involving international firearms and drugs importation, human trafficking and money laundering. He also has extensive experience as Magistrates’ Court advocate, being promoted quickly from Crown Prosecutor to Senior Crown Prosecutor.
Before joining the CPS, Ben was a Case Presenter for the Nursing and Midwifery Council, prosecuting highly complex regulatory cases such as abuse of patients, contribution to death cases and dishonesty offences. He has experience of providing written legal guidance on matters of international law to Government Ministers from his time as an Advisory Lawyer with the Government Legal Department.
As a Co-Editor of the New Journal of European Criminal Law with an MA in International Law, Ben takes a keen interest in international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights and extradition.
Notable Cases
R v V 2024
Prosecution counsel in a s328 POCA money laundering trial involving over £300,000 in fraudulent cheques. Result: conviction.
Financial CrimeR v SI, 2024
Child Cruelty and ABH – Prosecution – the defendant was a mental health nurse and professional carer accused of repeated incidents of child cruelty including assault, against his step-son who had vulnerabilities. After a 7 day trial involving ABE and s28 evidence, the defendant was convicted.
R v H, 2024
Defence counsel on two racially aggravated public order offences at Woolwich Crown Court.
Result: acquittal on both counts
R v Y, 2024
S4A stalking, robbery x2 and threatening to disclose private sexual photos – Crown Court trial, prosecuting. Instructed on PM of Day 1. After all previous counsel had agreed no plea deal possible, negotiated acceptable pleas and a lengthy restraining order, to the delight of the victim.
R v T [2024] EWCA Crim 62
Sole counsel for the Respondent in this media interest appeal against sentence. The appeal was allowed.
R v C and M, 2023
Robbery – Two-handed. Victim had no memory due to intoxication and being attacked from behind. ID case involving a chain of police ID evidence using CCTV stills and triangulating stills with post-robbery financial transactions. Successfully adduced a defendant's bad character.
Result: conviction
R v M, 2022
A highly sensitive media interest sentencing case involving a former Family Liaison police officer seducing the sister of the deceased person whose case he had been assigned to.
CrimeR v Ginar [2023] EWCA Crim 1121
Junior counsel for the Respondent in this leading ‘small boats’ sentencing case, also drafting the Respondent’s Notice. The appeal was dismissed.
Immigration, Nationality and AsylumR v S, 2024
Sexual assault x2 and Threatening with an Offensive Weapon – Prosecution – S was accused of sexually assaulting two different lone women at bus stops in early hours. In one of the incidents, S put a broken glass bottle to the victim’s face to ensure compliance. S was 17 at the time of the offences, and required both an interpreter and an intermediary.
Result: conviction on all counts
R v S, 2024
Defence counsel – S was accused of sexually assaulting three teenage girls on a packed train. Ben demonstrated collusion between the prosecution witnesses, acquired key defence evidence, and exposed contamination of the prosecution’s ID procedure.
Result: Acquittal
R v H, 2024
Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child – Crown Court re-trial, prosecuting (not original trial counsel). Accepted as a late return against highly experienced defence counsel. The case involved two sets of ABE and section 28 cross-examination, as well as live evidence from Crown witnesses and the defendant.
Result: conviction
R v D, 2024
A sensitive media interest Crown Court sentencing case involving a convicted child sex offender grooming and attempting to molest a neighbourhood friend’s child. Prosecuting. Total sentence 4 years 1 month.
R v H, 2023
Sexual assault x2 – Crown Court trial, prosecuting. Instructed on Day 1, having completed another trial that morning. No CCTV, forensic or eyewitness evidence. Successfully resisted a half-time submission, a bad character application against the complainant, and part of an application to adduce her full sexual history.
R v C, 2022
Sexual Assault and Possession of False ID – Crown Court trial, prosecuting. Involved groping of victim in Eurotunnel queue and possession of false Belgian ID. No CCTV, forensics, or eyewitnesses. Involved victim’s evidence via videolink from the Netherlands using an International Letter of Request which I advised on, and expert evidence re the ID.
Result: conviction
Rape and Sexual OffencesR v R, 2024
Prosecution counsel - a drunken attempted street robbery hinging on identification evidence. Result: conviction.
R v McC, 2024
Prosecution counsel - a 'honeytrap' robbery and ABH trial in which the victim was lured to a location, only to be violently assaulted and robbed. The case hinged primarily on recognition identification evidence. Result: conviction.
R v G, 2024
Malicious communications, ABH x2, perverting the course of justice, and theft – Crown Court trial, prosecuting. Negotiated acceptable pleas and a lengthy restraining order after succeeding in getting the victim, who had previously disengaged, to court. The victim was delighted and felt she could now move on with her life.
R v B, 2024
A highly complex media interest Crown Court sentencing across three separate matters involving firearms and other weapons offences, ABHs, racially aggravated offences, robbery and public order offences. Prosecuting. Total sentence of 7 years 6 months.
R v S, 2024
GBH, controlling and coercive behaviour and a further 7 separate assaults. Crown Court trial, prosecuting. Succeeded, despite the victim having disengaged, in securing acceptable pleas and a contested 15 year restraining order.
R v B, 2024
Controlling and coercive behaviour x2, stalking s4A x2, criminal damage x2, intentional strangulation and x7 batteries – Crown Court trial, prosecuting. Late return. Succeeded in negotiating acceptable pleas after former counsel’s indication of no prospect of this.
R v D, 2023
ABH – Crown Court trial involving the assault of a young boy in front of his mother by a mentally challenged defendant. Prosecuting. Succeeded in agreeing the evidence of the victim and introducing the defendant’s bad character at late notice.
Result: conviction
ViolenceAchievements
- Criminal Bar Association
- Inner Temple
- Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship
- Justice Defenders
- Advocate (Bar Council Pro Bono Charity)
- Admitted as a solicitor in 2016
- Co-Editor of the New Journal of European Criminal Law
- (former) Co-Chair of the CPS Prosecution Christian Fellowship
- Leaked Out – Julian Assange’s Great Escape - CrimeLine - 9BR Extradition Hub - July 2024
How, after 14 years of efforts by the US, the UK and Sweden, did Julian Assange manage to walk away with just a single charge, a sentence of time served, and no more extradition proceedings? Why did the US find itself settling for this option?
- European Court of Human Rights Case Law Update - New Journal of European Criminal Law – Current, quarterly since 2016
- Justice: Why Bother? - SAGE Publishing - November 2020
- Eight key moments in International Criminal Court history - Global Justice - July 2016
- Yea Rights! - The Legal Impact of Repealing the Human Rights Act - European Criminal Bar Association - March 2016
- A Farewell to Private Arms?: The UN, the Law and the Private Military Companies - September 2012
- CPS Chief Crown Prosecutor (South East) Commendation Award 2022
- CPS Director of Public Prosecutions Commendation Award 2021
- Winner of the Kher Solicitors Award for Best Answer in an Advanced Criminal Law Exam 2015
- Winner of the BPP Innovation Award 2014
- 2014 - Legal Practice Course - BPP Law School - Pass with Distinction
- 2013 - Graduate Diploma in Law - BPP Law School - Pass with Commendation
- 2011 - MA International Law - United Nations University for Peace - Grade: 9.5/10
- 2010 - BA(Joint Honours) Politics and Modern History - University of Manchester - First Class
- Poetry
- Boxing
- MMA
- Music
- Faith