Criminal Defence & Appeals
- Dealing with Criminal Matters from Murder to Motoring Offences
- Specialists in Serious Crime and Miscarriage of Justice work
- Available and on Call 24 Hours a Day / 365 Days a Year- Emergency Number – 07710 367 398
- FREE legal advice for police interviews
- Work Claimed Under Legal Aid Where Available
Gordon Peters LLB
Partner, Solicitor admitted 1990 ~ Articled to one of our predecessor firms, Barnett & Co in 1988. Head of the criminal department and became a Partner in 2005. Gordon is the Firm’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer (“MLRO”). Gordon qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and was accredited as a Court and Police Station Duty Solicitor a couple of years later. He attends Magistrates’ Courts and police stations on a daily basis.
His methodical approach to preparation and calm approach to advocacy guarantee a high quality service. Gordon has a formidable record of victories in Magistrates’ Court trials. He deals with general crime from private motoring matters to murder.
A client with numerous convictions for serious offences recently praised Gordon’s, “Beautiful performance” and “Great job” in court. Other clients have described Gordon as “An unsung hero”.
Maslen Merchant F CILex
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives qualified in 1997 ~ Heads our Crown Court and Appeals Team with over 30 years of specialist experience in these areas. He is a member of the Criminal Appeal Lawyers’ Association. Thorough and hardworking with a no nonsense, uncompromising approach.
Maslen has been described as “One of the best appeal lawyers in England”, “Brilliant”, “Impressive” and “A leader in his field”. After one successful appeal against conviction, the client described him as “Beyond compare”. A barrister recently said, “In 21 years at the Bar, I have never had Instructing Solicitors who have prepared cases in such depth and to such a high quality.”
He is also an accredited Police Station Representative and the Firm’s Data Protection Manager.
Our Experienced, Qualified Lawyers Can Advise and Assist You Regarding the Following Criminal Matters
Free Legal Advice as of right to all for:
The Investigation
- Interviews after arrest
- Identification Procedures
- Voluntary police Interviews
Free Legal Advice (subject to means testing) for non-police investigations and interviews including DWP, Benefits
Fraud Investigations, Job Centre Interviews, Health and Safety Executive Investigations and Trading Standards
Investigations.
We are available 24 hours a day to attend clients in custody at police stations, or attending for interview by appointment and to give telephone advice to people in custody at police stations. We aim to ensure that the interview forms a sound basis for the defence of the case from the start. We specialise in helping clients who are particularly vulnerable, such as young people and people with mental health problems and learning difficulties.
The Prosecution / Court Proceedings
- Representation at Magistrates’, Youth and Crown Courts
- Trials / Guilty Pleas / Sentence / Mitigation
We can represent you in connection with all criminal cases including offences of violence, dishonesty, drugs, sexual offences, fraud and motoring matters.
Our solicitors represent clients in the Magistrates’ Courts in and around the West Midlands on a daily basis. With an uncompromising approach to defence of clients we always aim to achieve the best outcome, whether it be a not guilty verdict or a fair sentence.
In the Crown Court, we maintain a high caseload of serious crime, regularly dealing with homicide (we have dealt with prosecutions involving multiple homicide and serial murder), firearms offences, robbery, violence, drug offences, gang related crime and sexual offences as well as offences across the whole range of the criminal law.
We adopt a positive, proactive approach to our clients’ defence and give no nonsense, straightforward advice you will understand.
After Court
- Appeals Against Conviction
- Criminal Cases Review Commission Applications
- Criminal Offences Inside Prison – mutiny, violence, prohibited articles, drugs
- Breaches of Orders
- ASBOs / SOPOs
We are one of the Country’s Leading Miscarriage of Justice Firms and Members of The Criminal Appeal Lawyers’ Association.
The end of the court case does not mean the end of our expertise and the help that we can offer our clients.
The firm is a member of the Criminal Appeal Lawyers’ Association and has regular conduct of matters in the Court of Appeal, representing clients who are already convicted of a wide range of offences including murder, robbery and serious sexual offences, who instruct us after they are wrongly convicted. We work with barristers who are recognised as some of the country’s leading miscarriage of justice experts.
We regularly receive recommendations and referrals from a number of campaigning organisations as well as journalists, other firms of solicitors, doctors, expert witnesses, counsel and many existing clients.
We regularly submit applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission each year, highlighting a vast range of issues including police corruption, non-disclosure, fresh evidence, new expert opinion and incompetent defence work by the trial lawyers. We have obtained over twenty referrals to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Notable Cases
- R v J.M. and R.C. House of Lords: convictions for gang related wounding with intent and other offences quashed.
- R v A.B. Court of Appeal: appeal against conviction for armed robbery
- R v A.L. Court of Appeal: convictions for gang related offences including attempted murder, quashed. Following this case one officer was reported as saying that the police “were taught a lesson in disclosure by the defence solicitors”.
- R v A.R. Court of Appeal: convictions for manslaughter and assault with intent to rob quashed. A leading case on ‘reward’, reported in the Times Law Reports.
- R v “C” Crown Court: alleged attempt by a “notorious gangster” to pervert the course of justice by bribing a witness to give evidence in the court of appeal. He was found not guilty.
- R v C.C. Crown Court: client charged with two separate attempted murders and firearms offences. Five witnesses named him as the gunman. He was found not guilty of all charges.
- R v “D” Court of Appeal: gangland murder. Conviction quashed following the discovery of evidence of widespread police corruption and the mishandling of an informant.
- R v D.F. Court of Appeal Following Reference by CCRC: a successful appeal against convictions for involvement in large scale drugs offences based on fresh evidence of police corruption.
- R v D.L.H. Court of Appeal: conviction for armed robbery quashed. We uncovered fresh evidence which proved that a police officer had deliberately changed an exhibit reference in order to convict the client, for which she faced disciplinary action after the successful appeal. The case attracted national publicity.
- R v G.E.H. Court of Appeal: conviction for conspiracy to rob £6.5 million cash in transit quashed.
- R v G.J.H. and J.L.D. Court of Appeal: Convictions for of a gang related murder quashed as a result of fresh evidence which significantly undermined the main prosecution witness’s credibility. JLD’s case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the CCRC.
- R v H.D. Court of Appeal following reference by CCRC: an appeal against a statutory minimum term imposed for possession of a firearm.
- R v J.D. Crown Court: the client faced charges including manslaughter, with five co-defendants. The main issue in the case was cause of death. The client was found not guilty of all charges.
- R v J.M. Crown Court: conspiracies to cause explosions and to steal over £330,000 from cash machines. The client was acquitted within an hour, the only one of twelve defendants who was found not guilty of all charges.
- R v L.M. Crown Court: client acquitted of gang related murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
- R v M.C. Court of Appeal: appeal involving allegedly gang related murder and attempted murders, argument centred on the purported identification of the client by a police officer from video footage. A leading case on the identification of suspects by the police.
- R v M.H. Crown Court: client named by the alleged victim as responsible. Acquitted of kidnap and attempted murder of rival gang member.
- R v “R” Crown Court: 14 year old client with ADHD acquitted of murder and manslaughter. The case attracted national publicity.
- R v S.L. Court of Appeal following reference by CCRC: convictions for sexual offences, including rape, referred to the court of appeal after we submitted nineteen pieces of fresh evidence.
