Jack has a general Crime practice appearing at all stages of criminal proceedings across the Magistrates’, Youth and Crown Courts both defending and prosecuting. He has represented defendants at trial accused of serious violence, robbery, and drug supply as well as represented respondents in civil recovery and confiscation proceedings.
Recent cases have seen Jack achieve a stay on the basis of manipulation of the Court’s process, make a successful half time submission in an appeal against conviction on the basis of PACE breaches and take a case to the Court of Appeal. He prosecutes on behalf of the CPS as a Grade 1 panel advocate in General Crime.
Before coming to the Bar, Jack spent 10 years working in Brussels and Westminster. He advised members of the British and European parliaments on a range of issues from housing policy to consumer rights and from communications strategy to electoral law. After deciding to retrain as a barrister Jack spent a year and a half working as a paralegal in the Criminal team at Kingsley Napley. In this role he worked on a number of high-profile cases across general and business crime, extradition, and public inquiry work.
Notable Cases Include
R v Thomas. Mr. Thomas was charged alongside three co-defendants with Being Concerned in Class A. He contested the charge on a Modern Slavery basis. Given his credible instructions of targeting on the basis of vulnerability, we entered a detailed DS supported with psychological evidence. He was acquitted after the Crown offered no evidence during the trial. All three Co-Defendants entered guilty pleas.
R v Omogbehin. Mr. Omogbehin was an Autistic young adult facing 9 counts including four aggravated robberies. On the first day of trial I made submissions to exclude large parts of the Crown’s case under s.78, this was successful and the Crown ONE on 6 counts.
R v Mugenyi – Mr. Mugenyi was charged with twenty-two counts of knife point Robbery alongside 9 co-defendants, following a police operation that produced considerable and compelling CCTV evidence. Mr. Mugenyi entered pleas to fourteen counts and HHJ ruled that he would be sentenced at the conclusion of his co-defendant’s trial, crucially after his 18th birthday. I made written arguments in favour of remittal to the Youth Court to enable Mr. Mugenyi to receive a YRO ISS, this was granted. His co-defendant received a 4-year prison sentence.
R v Patel Ms. Patel was charged with Breach of a Planning Enforcement Notice. I was instructed as a return the day before trial. I made successful submissions that the Enforcement Notice was a nullity and the Crown ONE.
R v Thorbourne I was instructed in four matters for a former footballer. The sentence hearing was covered in the national press.
Upcoming Trials
R v F – Assault by penetration, running consent.
R v A – Being Concerned Class A, running Modern Slavery
R v V – Burglary (criminal damage of a church) x 5, contested on the basis that he was not a trespasser was seeking sanctuary.
R v Y – Obtaining Leave to Remain by Deception
R v M – Kidnap
R v Cook [2023] EWCA Crim 452 – The current guideline case on sentencing Intentional Strangulation contra s.75A Serious Crime Act.
R v Mann – Ms. Mann appealed her conviction for Failure to Provide a Sample. Ms. Mann was a vulnerable adult who had not had the benefit of an AA at the police station. I made a s.78 application to exclude the MGDDB form for breaches of PACE and a half time submission of no case to answer. These both succeeded and the conviction was quashed.
R v Fox – Mr. Fox was charged with Child Cruelty on an amended indictment. He had initially pleaded not guilty to assaulting his daughter on the basis of Reasonable Chastisement. I submitted that to prosecute an amended offence that circumvents a defence entered previously is a manipulation of the courts process. The Crown accepted their position was untenable and ONE.
Paralegal
Criminal, Extradition, Public Law, and Regulatory departments.
Across an eight-year period I held numerous roles in London and Brussels across communications, strategy, constituency work and policy.
I headed up electoral strategy in various London Boroughs, worked in trades union liaison, operated as a spokesperson for the European Parliamentary Party and drafted (small) parts of the 2017 manifesto.
Primarily, I worked in communications and strategy roles, including on the 2010 Ed Miliband leadership campaign, 2014 London elections, 2016 (second) Jeremy Corbyn Leadership campaign and 2017 General Election. These roles required an ability to communicate complex ideas to the public persuasively and given only a short window of attention.
I spent significant time as a spokesperson and trade union liaison for the Brussels party in London, working on various pieces of legislation across transport, consumer rights and digital services. I negotiated in European Commission trialogues and facilitated compromises on bills that are now law.
I headed up the initial stages of the 2017 housing manifesto and contributed to environmental and industrial strategy policies.
Qualifications
Manager of the National Campaign Office
Responsible for the national advocacy training programme.
BPTC (Very Competent) and General Diploma in Law(Commendation)
Undertaken on a F/T basis while working for the European Parliament. BPTC Elective Modules in Advanced Criminal Law and Employment Law.
MSc Public Policy
Undertaken on a P/T basis while working for the Labour Party.
BA Philosophy and Politics (2:1)
