Ben Rich

Criminal Defence

Ben is regularly instructed in cases including rape, s18 GBH with intent, robbery, blackmail, sexual assault, perverting the course of justice, violence, dishonesty, drugs and traffic violations. He has been junior counsel in two murders at the old Bailey. 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)].

Notable Cases:

R v DCL [2020]

Defendant was accused of significant role in a ‘county lines’ drug operation running Class A drugs into Northampton. After challenges were mounted to the accuracy of the prosecution telephone evidence, the case was resolved with a plea to PWITS A for six wraps of heroin. The defendant received a suspended sentence.

R v SO [2019]

Represented a man in a six-handed shotgun murder in East London. As junior counsel conducted the successful legal arguments against admitting gang-related evidence, and cross-examined the telephone expert.

R v TE [2018]

Junior counsel representing a 16-year-old involved in a group stabbing. Three co-defendants were convicted of murder;  the Defendant was acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter. Conducted the bad character argument in court.

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.