Ruth Becker

Ruth led Emma Heath of chambers, representing the second of five defendants facing an indictment alleging conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position. The prosecution alleged that the defendant assisted two employees of the Royal Borough of Greenwich counsel to commit fraud to the value of in excess of £3 million pounds. The defendant was acquitted after trial following cross examination of expert witnesses and analysis of the financial evidence.

Ruth led Emma Heath of chambers, representing the first defendant on an indictment alleging conspiracy to produce counterfeit currency. It is alleged that the value of the counterfeit currency was in excess of £15 million. The defendant was acquitted after a trial involving the cross examination of cell site and telephone experts and the investigating officers.

News report here

Ruth led Tessa Shroff of chambers in this case alleging conspiracy to defraud. The case related to the alleged fraudulent sale of diamonds.

News report here

Operation Portugal was an investigation into a European Distribution Fraud. The fraud was valued at over £2.5million. The case involved large amounts of telephone data and evidence spanning a number of jurisdictions. Ruth represented the only defendant to be acquitted after trial.

Represented the only defendant to be acquitted after a 6 weeks trial of her alleged role in a ‘boiler room fraud’. The value of the fraud was circa £1 million.

News report here

Three-month conspiracy to defraud trial involving the sale of horses that had been missold and / or drugged to mask behavioural and health issues.

Ruth was leading counsel in a tax fraud the value of which was in excess of £6 million.

Defendant acquitted of conspiracy to rob cash in transit vans. The case involved cell site and surveillance evidence.

Defendant acquitted of conspiracy to burgle the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge. Over £15 millions worth of ancient Chinese artefacts were stolen during the burglary.

News story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-35941797

Defendant faced an indictment relating to the sale of Class A, B and C drugs nationally and internationally over the dark web for a period spanning in excess of 6 years. Guilty pleas to some counts were entered on a basis of plea. The prosecution did not accept the basis and calculated a quantity of Class A drugs sold as in excess of 8 kilos per year. Following a Newton hearing and written and oral submissions made by Ruth the Judge accepted that the prosecution could not prove the quantity of Class A drugs to the requisite standard and sentenced on the basis of a category 2 offence within the sentencing guidelines which reflects an overall starting point of 1 kilo of Class drugs.

Defendant was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The allegation related to a multi kilo Class A drug supply operation and involved the use by police of covert surveillance techniques over a significant period of time. There was a large amount of telephone evidence that had to be carefully analysed and scrutinised and a large volume of covert recordings to listen to and analyse in order to successfully defend the case.

The defendant faced an indictment arising out of the interception of the Encrochat messaging platform. It was alleged that he was involved in a conspiracy to import and supply 3 tonnes of cannabis. He pleaded guilty on a basis. The prosecution submitted that he played a leading role in the conspiracy but following written and oral submissions based upon detailed analysis of the messages the Judge accepted the submission made by Ruth and he was sentenced on the basis of a significant rather than leading role.

Youth defendant charged with attempted murder. Mental health issues and possible mental health defences.

The defendant faced an indictment alleging murder. He was tried at Snaresbrook CC in 2021 and convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with an 18 year minimum term. Ruth was led by King’s Counsel in the first trial. Ruth drafted grounds of appeal against conviction and the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction for murder in August 2022 and ordered a re trial. Ruth represented the defendant as junior counsel alone at the re trial in 2023. The defendant was acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter and received a determinate sentence.

The indictment alleged causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm and cruelty to a person under 16. It was alleged that the defendant and his partner caused or allowed serious injury to her 8-week old baby.

The case involved a great deal of expert evidence. During the course of the proceedings the defendant suffered significant medical issues. The case against him was stayed following a successful abuse of process argument that he could not receive a fair trial and not guilty verdicts entered.

Murder, attempted section 18 and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, led by Elizabeth Marsh KC. Defendant acquitted after trial of murder, manslaughter and attempted section 18 wounding.

News report here

Murder – victim was shot and killed in Well Street, East London in 2017. Ruth was led by Elizabeth Marsh KC in the 8-week trial. The defendant was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.

News report here

Section 18 – stabbing in the street in broad daylight. The defendant had pleaded guilty to section 20 GBH and was found not guilty by the jury of the section 18 GBH offence.

Led by Elizabeth Marsh KC. Defendant faced an indictment alleging murder, attempted murder and section 18 GBH and was acquitted on all counts.

‘Baby shaking’ case. Defendant found not guilty of section 18 GBH and convicted of the lesser section 20 offence after trial.

Attempted murder. Defendant attacked another male outside a night club with an axe.

The young defendant was charged on an indictment alleging three counts of rape, coercive controlling behaviour and two counts of ABH. The allegations arose from a relationship that he had been in with the complainant for over 2 years. The case involved the sensitive cross examination of the complainant and cross examination of multiple complaint witnesses. After arguments to receive disclosure of the defendant’s telephone download Ruth spent a great deal of time analysing the contact between the parties and produced evidence bundles for the jury from the material. The defendant was acquitted on all counts.

The defendant and the complainant were married. Their son made allegations of a sexual nature against his mother. She in turn made historic allegations of rape against the defendant. The case involved a large amount of material from social services and the Family Court. The defendant was acquitted on all counts.

The defendant faced an eight count indictment alleging the rape of his step daughter when she was aged between 9 and 13 years old. The complainant was under 16 at the time of trial and was cross examined by Ruth over live link from another jurisdiction. The case involved analysis of telephone evidence and documentary exhibits, including the complainant’s diary. The defendant was acquitted of all counts.

Defendant charged with historic sexual offences dating back in excess of 40 years. 2 complainants who were children at the time of the alleged offences.

News report here

Defendant faced a ten count indictment. There were four complainants all of whom were family members of the defendant. The most serious allegations on the indictment were of buggery and the indictment period spanned 1986- 2014. The case involved cross examination of a number of witnesses, some of whom were young people and one of whom was vulnerable due to mental health issues.

Following a trial and a re trial the defendant was acquitted of all counts.

Historic sexual offences with four complainants.

Defendant acquitted of two counts of rape. It was alleged that he and two others raped a girl that he had met at the Notting Hill Carnival. One of the issues in the case was whether or not she was too intoxicated to consent.

Defendant acquitted of all counts on a ten count indictment alleging serious sexual assault by penetration (using various objects), rape and section 18 GBH spanning a 10 year period.

Defendant acquitted on all counts of alleged sexual abuse including rape of his young niece. The complainant was young and very vulnerable and required particularly sensitive cross examination.