2 Hare Court | London Barristers Chambers - One of the UK's leading sets

Harry is ranked as a leading junior in Crime for both Chambers UK and Legal 500. He has been involved in many high profile, complex and serious prosecutions as both leading and junior counsel.

His experience includes defending individuals charged with gross negligence manslaughter and defending both individuals and corporates in criminal regulatory proceedings including health and safety and environment prosecutions though to advising on gambling and trading standards.

He has experience in multi-handed complex frauds, including investment, VAT or carousel, pension, construction and immigration fraud as well as offences of cheating the public revenue through unlawful tobacco or missing trader schemes.

His non-financial criminal experience ranges from murder and terrorism through to large scale drug supply.

Expertise

Business Crime & Financial Services

Harry has extensive experience in financial crime and asset recovery.

Notable Cases:

R v R

£21m conspiracy to cheat the public revenue through the VAT & Construction Industry Scheme.

R v H

£1m conspiracy to cheat the public revenue through the sale of counterfeit tobacco.

R v S

£750,000 conspiracy to defraud investors in a diamond investment scheme.

R v H

£1.7m conspiracy to defraud investors in a fraudulent carbon credit scheme.

R v P

Multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud investors in a land banking scheme.

R v N

Multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud HMRC through the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).

R v W

£23m conspiracy to defraud investors in a bio-fuel investment scheme involving Jatropha plantations in Cambodia.

R v M

Multi-million pound MTIC fraud.

R v C

£1m conspiracy to defraud investors in a fraudulent en primeur wine investment scheme.

Criminal Defence

Harry has appeared in many high-profile serious crime cases.

Notable Cases:

R v H

Multi-handed revenge murder of a drug dealer in Leicester.

R v DR

An Operation Venetic prosecution of an Organised Crime Group operating in Sussex & Kent to supply hundreds of kilograms of cocaine.

R v KR

An Operation Venetic prosecution of an Organised Crime Group operating in the Ipswich area with a nationwide operation distributing cocaine and cannabis.

R v J

Student charged with possession of neo-Nazi terrorist manuals.

R v M

Former soldier charged with having explosive substances, encouraging terrorism, disseminating terrorist publications and possession of terrorist documents.

R v E

Charges of encouraging terrorism contrary to section1 Terrorism Act 2006.

R v WB

Conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit GBH. The case had its roots in gang crime and was one of a number of tit-for-tat murders and violent assaults in Salford, Manchester.

R v T

The defendant was accused of murdering his disabled mother and dismembering the body.

R v I

The defendant was one of six individuals involved, in the mass manufacture and production of anabolic steroids, in specialist laboratories within the UK.

R v R 

One of the largest slavery prosecutions in the UK. The case involved allegations starting 25 years ago made by multiple vulnerable complainants.

R v B

Murder and dismemberment of a police officer.

R v F

Conspiracy to steal ancient Chinese jade and Rhinoceros horn artefacts from museum across the UK.

R v TJ

Conspiracy to control prostitution arising out of one of the most popular internet-based escort agencies in the North of England.

Environmental

Harry has represented companies and individuals across a wide range of criminal regulatory cases.

Notable Cases:

EA v P

Individual charged with illegal depositing of waste on a massive scale

EA v W

Individual charged with operating a regulated facility without authorization and depositing controlled waste without a permit

COLC v A

Airline charged with breaching EC Regulations on live transport of animals

Health & Safety

Harry has represented companies and individuals across a wide range of criminal regulatory cases.

Notable Cases:

HSE v X

Leading counsel in a gross negligence manslaughter prosecution

HSE x X

Work at height fatality prosecution by the Health & Safety Executive

Consumer & Trading Standards

Harry has represented companies and individuals across a wide range of criminal regulatory cases.

Notable Cases:

GMP v X

Advising a UK marketing company in relation to the Gambling Act 2005

TBC v X

Advising a UK vaping company in relation to training standards

"Harry Bentley is a fantastic barrister with a sharp eye for detail, and he is incredibly personable."

Chambers UK 2026

"He is an extremely good advocate and has got some exceptional results."

Chambers UK 2026

"He is diligent and really hard-working. He gives 100% to his cases and he is very earnest about them."

Chambers UK 2026

"Bentley's clients are assured of quality representation in court. He is an excellent advocate."

Chambers UK 2026

"Harry is very practical, he gets to the heart of a case quickly and is great on his feet."

Chambers UK 2025

"Harry is always overprepared and considers all cases from every angle so he is never surprised by prosecution applications."

Legal 500 UK 2025

"Harry meticulously prepares every legal argument and presents it with vigour and clarity. Harry is a formidable advocate respected by the judiciary."

Legal 500 UK 2025

"He's undaunted by even the most serious and complicated cases, and has always been great with clients."

Chambers UK 2024

"Harry is extremely hardworking and diligent and prepares meticulously."

Chambers UK 2024

"Harry is an extremely committed and exceptionally hard working counsel. He is an effective advocate, great in front of a jury, and a great cross-examiner."

Legal 500 UK 2024

Accreditations

  • Association of Commonwealth Lawyers
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Fraud Lawyers Association

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