Clerking team

Mark Robinson

Senior Clerk Chester

Greg Brooker

Lead Criminal Clerk

Avril Vaughan

Criminal Clerk

Rhian Jennings

Junior Criminal Clerk

With over 20 years’ advocacy experience, Oliver is a criminal law specialist who has particular expertise in prosecuting and defending cases involving allegations of sexual abuse, serious violence and large scale drugs supply.

As well as accepting instructions from solicitors, in suitable cases, Oliver is accredited to assist members of the public via the public access scheme.

Crown Court & appeals

Sexual Offences and cases involving pre-recorded evidence

With the increasing use of pre-recorded evidence, sometimes months before the trial takes place, Oliver understands the importance of scrupulous case preparation.  He regards an early conference with his client as essential so that he can identify the issues, take detailed instructions and advise on any lines of enquiry long before any questioning of witnesses. With the limitations now placed on advocates when cross examining witnesses, especially children, Oliver is proficient at knowing how to frame questions to elicit the desired answer whilst keeping within the rules. He is on the specialist Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Panel and receives regular training and updates on prosecuting and defending sensitive cases involving sexual allegations. He also contributes to the training of police officers in this area.

In cases involving allegations of possession and distribution of indecent material, Oliver is adept at identifying any flaws in the technical evidence. He uses a panel of experts to assist him and maintains a good working relationship with the police digital forensic unit so that he is often able to achieve a positive outcome for his client.

 

Drugs supply

Rarely is a suspect caught “red handed” in these cases. Typically the police rely on the inference to be drawn from a combination of surveillance, ANPR, cell site location data and phone extraction evidence. Having prosecuted a number of high profile county lines drugs cases, Oliver is accomplished at presenting this highly technical evidence in a way that can be followed by a jury. Equally, when defending a suspect accused of drugs supply, he is able to spot any holes in the prosecution case.

 

Modern Slavery

Oliver has successfully argued this defence for several clients, including the first such case in North Wales. He is familiar with the referral mechanism and procedure for how cases are assessed by the National Crime Agency and has assisted solicitors and barristers locally on the process.

 

Violence

Oliver defended his first murder in 2008, when he persuaded the prosecution to accept a plea to causing ABH. Since then, he has prosecuted and defended cases ranging from murder and wounding with intent through to common assault. His detailed knowledge of statutory defences and case law in this area enables him to quickly identify the issue and advise his clients. He also has an appreciation and understanding of more complex issues such as causation and mechanism of injury. He has achieved a successful result for his clients in a number of cases by exposing inconsistencies between the witnesses’ explanation for the injury and the medical/scientific evidence.

Cases

R v Brandon Bentley [Chester Crown Court – February 2024]: Prosecuted Brandon Bentley, 26, from Northwich, who was found guilty of luring a female neighbour into his car where he made sexual advances before following her into her flat and subjecting her to a prolonged ordeal in which he attempted to rape her. Bentley received 8 years’ imprisonment. The case was reported in the Northwich Guardian.

R v Michael Wright [Mold Crown Court – August 2022]: Successfully persuaded the judge that a 27-year-old father from Connah’s Quay charged with attempted robbery had since ‘rebuilt’ his life and was ‘exceptionally’ spared jail. The case was covered on Leader Live.

R v Thomas Dawson [Chester Crown Court – July 2022]: Successfully prosecuted a 32-year-old man from Altrincham for abducting and engaging in sexual activity with a vulnerable 14-year-old child after grooming her on snapchat. He received a prison sentence of 10 years with an extended licence period.

R v A Youth [Mold Crown Court – April 2022]: Oliver persuaded the judge to impose a detention and training order rather than custody for a 14-year-old persistent young offender who stabbed another teenager with a knife. The case was covered on Leader Live.

R v Livingstone [Chester Crown Court – March 2022]: Secured the acquittal of a 49-year-old homeless man from Crewe accused of rape and assault.

R v Owen Whalley [Chester Crown Court – January 2022]: Represented a 25-year-old male who admitted sexually abusing another boy as a youth. The case involved complex sentencing issues and sensitivity.

Operation Blue Lancelot [Mold Crown Court – November 2021]: Secured a not guilty verdict for a female accused of being part of an organised crime group distributing cocaine and heroin throughout Wrexham.

R v Perry [Mold Crown Court – October 2021]: Defended a former teacher at a school in Deeside who was cleared of allegations of rape and indecent assault going back to the 1980s and 90s.

R v Robert Misson [Chester Crown Court – October 2021]: Defended a man who was found not guilty of causing GBH to another man by infecting him with the HIV virus.

R v Daniel Antrobus [Chester Crown Court – August 2021]: Defended a man who was accused of controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate/family relationship. He was acquitted by the jury.

R v Rothwell [Mold Crown Court – October 2020]: Defended a man from Wrexham accused of raping his adult daughter where the Crown were eventually persuaded to accept a plea to incest/familial sexual activity.

R v Lavelle [Mold Crown Court – October 2020]: Prosecuted a female for robbing a pregnant woman of her handbag and contents in Rhyl town centre.

R v Chong [Chester Crown Court – August 2020]: Prosecuted a 39 year old man from Merseyside who has been jailed for supplying class A drugs into Ellesmere Port. The case was covered by the Cheshire Constabulary.

R v Richard O’Neill [Mold Crown Court – August 2020]: Prosecuted a 41 year old male from Wrexham who bit off another man’s finger in an unprovoked attack. The case was reported in The Leader.

R v O’Shaughnessy and Gregory [Liverpool Crown Court – July 2020]: Prosecuted two males from Widnes who attempted to carjack a pensioner. The case was covered in The Liverpool Echo both during the trial and after sentencing.

R v Gibbons [Mold Crown Court – May 2020]: Defended a male who had previously pleaded guilty to offences of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images. Persuaded the judge to suspend the 18 month prison sentence and give Gibbons a chance to be rehabilitated in the community.

R v Stephen Atkins [Mold Crown Court – March 2020]: Defended a male from Flint who stole cash from a local shop at gunpoint.  The case was covered in The Leader.

R v Omar Awan & Mark Taggart [Liverpool Crown Court – February 2020]: Successfully prosecuted two youths following a knife fight outside a Kensington school.

R v Jordan Roberts [Mold Crown Court – February 2020]: Represented 21 year old Wrexham man sentenced for burglary, dangerous driving and assault. The case was covered in The Daily Post.

R v Luke Davies [Mold Crown Court – November 2019]: Male under influence of cocaine who led police on a 40-minute pursuit, narrowly avoided hitting a pedestrian and was only stopped when police deployed a stinger and rammed his car, spared jail. The case received coverage in the Daily Post.

R v Naveed Ahmed [Chester Crown Court – October 2019]: Prosecuted courier of £1.7 million worth of crack cocaine who received 8 years’ custody.

R v Barry Mappley [Caernarfon Crown Court – October 2019]: Photographer who used covert camera to spy on naked model spared jail. The story was covered by The Daily Post.

R v Mark Hesketh [Chester Crown Court – September 2019]: Persuaded the sentencing judge to suspend the prison sentence of a man who imported stun guns disguised as torches into the UK.

R v Michael Doyle [Liverpool Crown Court – August 2019]: Prosecuted a 34-year-old man from Widnes who sexually abused his six-year-old daughter.

R v Quyet Hoang & Khaoi Nguy [Caernarfon Crown Court – July 2019]: Prosecuted a Vietnamese illegal immigrant who tended to a cannabis crop worth £1.1 million.

R v Lee Naughton [Liverpool Crown Court – May 2019]: Secured a not guilty verdict for a man accused of severing another man’s hand with a machete.

R v Phillip Davies [Mold Crown Court – May 2019]: Defended a man accused of making explosives in his bedsit in Wrexham.

R v Jade Howarth [Caernarfon Crown Court – March 2019]: Successfully argued modern slavery defence for youth accused of being part of a conspiracy to bring crack cocaine and heroin into North Wales.

R v Sihung Hung Hoang [Chester Crown Court – March 2019]: Prosecuted a chef who poured boiling hot oil over a co-worker.

R v Tylo Jamieson, Danielle Wilson & Reece Williams [Chester Crown Court – February 2019]: Prosecuted a conspiracy to supply class a drugs over the border from Manchester to Cheshire.

 

Older Notable Cases  

R v Craig Richardson [Mold Crown Court – August 2018]: Defended a Wrexham cocaine dealer who received a suspended prison sentence.

R v OB [Chester Crown Court – August 2018]: Prosecuted a man accused of stabbing his two-year-old son in the neck who was convicted and received 12 years in prison. The case was reported in the Liverpool Echo.

R v Ryan Skeels [Mold Crown Court – February 2018]: Defended a man who was found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Llangollen woodland.

R v Perry Jones [Mold Crown Court – October 2017]: Defended a man charged with conspiracy to murder where prosecution accepted a plea to assisting an offender.

R v Touhidi [Warrington Crown Court – December 2016]: Defended a man who was found not guilty of raping a female in the toilet of a Macclesfield take-away.

R v a youth [Mold Youth Court – August 2016]: Defended a youth from Wrexham cleared of double rape.

R v John Williams [Liverpool Crown Court – June 2016]: Not guilty verdict for a man accused of raping and assaulting his ex-wife.

Transport

Oliver is building a reliable reputation for his work in this area. He has advised and represented several local hauliers upon road traffic (construction and use) regulations and has appeared on behalf of VOSA when breaches of regulations are brought before the Magistrates’ Courts. He has produced a number of publications in this area to assist local businesses.

Health & safety

Oliver has appeared on behalf of the HSE in prosecutions brought against employers for breaching health & safety regulations and also for employers who are on the receiving end of alleged breaches.

Professional discipline

Oliver spent six years working within Kent Police. This experience gave him an insight into the reality of policing. Oliver believes this knowledge, coupled with his twenty years experience as an advocate, puts him in a very strong position to defend police officers and police employees accused of misconduct.

Licensing

Oliver advises and represents clients as varied as taxi drivers, doormen and pub landlords in respect of all licensing matters.

Courts martial & service law

Oliver has experience of defending a range of criminal offences before the Military Courts Martial, including being absent without leave, assault, theft and perverting the course of justice. He has gained valuable insight into the practises of the RMP and how that differs from the civilian police and has sat with a judge in a trial in the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. His particular interest is the integrity and continuity of evidence obtained by the RMP and he has secured a number of acquittals as a result of deficiencies in this area. Oliver is able to build a good rapport with his clients and is preferred by solicitors because of his relaxed and friendly approach.

Memberships

  • Criminal Bar Association