Ben Rich

Criminal Defence

Ben is regularly instructed to in cases including s18 GBH with intent, robbery, blackmail, sexual assault, perverting the course of justice, violence, dishonesty, drugs and traffic violations. He represents people facing confiscation proceedings and restrictive orders (including Sexual Offences Prevention Orders and Football Banning Orders).

He undertakes judicial review of the decisions of Magistrates’ Courts. He successfully represented a defendant whose case had been adjourned at the request of the prosecution (see below) and one who had been refused an adjournment to get expert evidence in a drink driving case [R (Hughes) v Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court [2013] EWHC 3993 (Admin)].

Cases

Isle of Wight Council v Platt 2017

Conducted the resumed prosecution, as ordered by the Supreme Court, of a father who had been acquitted of a school attendance offence after he took his daughter to Disneyland in term time. He was convicted.

R (Jenkins) v Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court [2015] EWHC 3961 (Admin)

A rare interlocutory Judicial Review which quashed the decision of the magistrates to grant the prosecution an adjournment, and directed the acquittal of the defendant on a charge of drink driving.

R v Tristian Narine [2012] EWCA Crim 1991

The Court of Appeal reduced a 4 year disqualification for dangerous driving to 2 years.

R v Zeki Kose

Secured the acquittal of a man accused of historic sexual assault on his step-daughter.

R v Tahir Ibrahim

The Crown abandoned this case of perverting the course of justice and assault at the end of nearly four hours of cross-examination of the complainant.