David Whittaker QC and Harry Bentley appear in final Operation Leopard trial

David Whittaker QC and Harry Bentley defended a man who was subsequently acquitted of conspiracy to murder in what is likely to be the last Operation Leopard trial. Operation Leopard was a Greater Manchester Police investigation into what was described as “Salford gang warfare”. Operation Leopard included the investigation into the murder of Mr. Paul Massey who was standing for Mayor of Salford at the time of his death. Other incidents that were part of the “war” included a grenade attack on a family’s home and the shooting of the wife and child of someone said to be associated with one of the “gang leaders”. The allegation against the defendant in this trial was the victim had been tracked using a GPS tracker attached to his car before being attacked with a machete in the street. The jury unanimously acquitted the defendant of involvement in both the conspiracy to murder and a conspiracy to cause GBH in the alternative.

Counsel were instructed by Evan Wright, Hojol Uddin and Sadie Thomson of JMW Solicitors, Manchester.