James Hudson successfully appeals against sentence in Drug Importation
James Hudson recently appeared for the successful Appellant in R v Ali [2025] EWCA Crim 473. The Appellant was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for the...
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James specialises in criminal law. He enjoys a busy practice prosecuting and defending across the full spectrum of offences, including cases which are often beyond his year of call.
Since joining Chambers in 2023, James has achieved some outstanding results, including two successful appearances in the Court of Appeal where he was praised for “acting in the best traditions of the Bar” and for his “succinct and to-the-point” advocacy.
James’ recent/ongoing instructions include:
- Drugs conspiracies and importations
- Firearms offences
- Rape and serious sexual offences
- Serious violence including s.18 GBH/wounding with intent
- Blackmail and false imprisonment
- High-value conspiracies to burgle
- Fraud
A lot of James’ current work concerns sexual offences in the Crown and Youth Courts. He is on the CPS RASSO Panel and has equal experience in defending in such cases, including those which involve pre-recorded cross-examination.
The success in James’ work is commensurate with his thorough preparation and ability to quickly grasp the real issues in any case, including those which are factually or legally complex. James is a strategic thinker with a tactical eye for detail which he uses to secure the very best outcome for his clients. He uses a down-to-earth approach to build a rapport with even the most demanding clients.
Crown Court & appeals
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
R v Ali [2025] EWCA Crim 473: Successful appeal against sentence; Importation of 80kg of cannabis; Court agreed that the appellant’s role was ‘lesser’ rather than ‘significant.’ Sentence of 41 months’ imprisonment quashed and 27 months substituted. Read the Judgment here.
R v Gray [2024] EWCA Crim 296: Successful renewed application for leave to appeal against sentence; Importation of 16.5kg+ of cannabis from Jamaica into Manchester; Court agreed that undue weight was given to the quantity of drug and old previous convictions; Sentence of 33 months’ imprisonment quashed and substituted with a 22-month suspended sentence. Read the Judgment here.
R v Newton [2022] EWCA Crim 1441: Seconded to the Attorney-General’s Office during pupillage where James advised in this child cruelty case which related to bone fractures caused to a 10-week-old baby. A suspended sentence order was held to be unduly lenient and was substituted with a sentence of three years’ imprisonment. The case was reported by BBC News.
Crown Court
Drugs
R v Williams & Others (‘Operation Agra’) [2025]: Defence; Representing the first defendant in a drugs conspiracy involving the use of cryptocurrency on the dark web. Complicated by co-defendants alleging violence by W against them.
R v McCook & Others (‘Operation Vanity’) [2025]: Defence; seven-handed conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
R v Hamadmad [2025]: Defence; Possession with intent to supply class A drugs including identical offending whilst on bail; Suspended sentence secured follow guilty pleas on a ‘lesser role’ basis.
R v Habibullah & Ors (‘Operation Riverside’) [2024]: Prosecution Junior; Large-scale drugs conspiracy involving 10 defendants; Reported in the Manchester Evening News.
R v Joines [2024]: Defence; Importation of 25kg of Class A drugs (Methamphetamine) worth £2 million; Reported in the Manchester Evening News.
R v Hornby [2024]: Defence; Possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs; Suspended sentence secured following late guilty plea on a basis that limited the class A offending to one day of social supply.
R v Popov & Others [2024]: Defence; Production of cannabis; No evidence offered by the Prosecution after cross-examination of the Officer in the Case who accepted that, despite being the owner of the property in which cannabis was being grown, there was no evidence that Popov was involved in the operation.
Sexual Offences
R v CW [2025]: Defence; Rape of a 15-year-old girl in care; Acquitted after a five-day trial.
R v GB [2025]: Defence; Serious offending against step-children including the rape of a three-year-old boy, all filmed.
R v JD [2025]: Prosecution; Arranging the rape of a child under 13; Sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
R v JC [2025]: Prosecution; Offending against three child family members including an assault by penetration of two-year-old daughter.
R v JM [2025]: Prosecution; Indecent assault of a male aged between four and six in the 1980s.
R v AT [2025]: Prosecution; Rape; Defendant and complainant with mental health issues.
R v DE [2025]: Defence; Sexual assault involving a vulnerable complainant.
R v BH [2025]: Defence; Indecent images involving complex expert evidence.
R v LC [2024]: Defence; Sexual activity without consent involving penetration; Acquitted within 25 minutes of deliberation following a three-day trial.
Firearms
R v Jones [2025]: Prosecution; possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence; Discharge of a shotgun towards the occupant of a house.
R v Alfredo [2024]: Defence; Possession of three firearms (a 9mm pistol and two shotguns); Defendant with autism who reached adulthood between the dates of offence and conviction. Persuaded the court to keep to the mandatory minimum term of three years’ imprisonment; Reported in the Manchester Evening News.
Violence
R v Cross & Rigby [2025]: Prosecution; s.18 wounding with intent; Targeted attack with machetes causing large wounds to the head and arm.
R v Pickering [2025]: Prosecution; s.18 GBH with intent. Use of a brick as a weapon causing a fractured skull and a brain haemorrhage.
R v Gillibrand [2024]: Defence; s.18 wounding with intent of a police officer; Defendant suffering from paranoid schizophrenia; Plea to s.20 accepted after being eventually deemed fit; Hospital order imposed.
R v Matthews [2024]: Defence; Robbery of an elderly neighbour; Pleas to s.47 ABH and theft on a limited basis accepted; Short custodial sentence imposed following a Goodyear indication which avoided an inevitably lengthy term of imprisonment for a client with significant previous convictions for like offending.
R v Esiaka [2024]: Defence; s.20 wounding involving the use of a glass as a weapon to the face; Suspended sentence imposed.
R v Keating [2024]: Defence; False imprisonment and assault; Suspended sentence imposed following pleas on a reckless basis.
R v Cregan (‘Operation Swanmore’) [2024]: Defence; Violent disorder and s.47 ABH arising from large-scale violence in the Manchester Riots.
R v Khan [2024]: Defence; Stalking involving fear of violence and disclosing private sexual images; Defendant with autism and learning difficulties; Suspended sentence imposed.
R v Johnson [2024]: Defence; Controlling/coercive behaviour and child cruelty case involving pre-recorded cross-examination; Acquitted of two child cruelty counts after a seven-day trial.
R v Jones [2023]: Defence; s.20 wounding of a family member where injuries were caused to the head; Suspended sentence imposed despite numerous aggravating features including the presence of a child, being under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and previous convictions for violence.
Dishonesty
R v Chadderton & Dymond [2025]: Defence; 35-count Indictment containing many dwelling burglaries and thefts of high-value cars. Total estimated loss of £190,000; Defendant aged between 17 – 18 at the time of offending.
R v Barnard [2025]: Defence; Fraud by abuse of position of around £63,000 spanning a year; Suspended sentence imposed.
R v Riches [2025]: Defence; £21,000 money laundering arising from the fraudulent sale of a flock of sheep; Autistic defendant exploited.
R v Budd & Smith [2024]: Prosecution; Conspiracy to blackmail involving an elderly family member; Budd sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
R v Miah & Noor [2024]: Prosecution; Conspiracy to burgle 13 dwellings; Gold jewellery and other property stolen worth over £100,000. Sentences over nine years’ imprisonment imposed upon each defendant.
Appointments
- CPS General Crime: Grade 2
- CPS Specialist Panel – Rape and Serious Sexual Offences: Grade 2
Education
- LLM, BPP University: Distinction
- Bar Training Course, BPP University: Very Competent
- LLB Law, University of Lancaster: 2.1
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
- The Northern Circuit
- The Criminal Bar Association
