Brian O’Neill KC

Public Prosecution

Brian is a very experienced prosecutor who is regularly instructed to prosecute in cases of complexity, sensitivity and seriousness. Apart from his work for the Specialist Fraud Division (see Business Crime and Financial Services), Brian is regularly instructed by specialist units within the CPS, including the Organised Crime Division, CPS London’s Homicide Team and CPS London’s Special Casework Division.

His significant experience includes the complex multi-handed prosecutions of organised gangs of criminals and “career criminals”. Such cases require careful attention to case strategy, an ability to analyse and present a range of complex evidential material, and the sure handling of often highly sensitive unused material.

He has extensive experience of prosecuting murders at the Old Bailey including multi handed gang related cases.

Outside of this jurisdiction he has advised the DPP of The Isle of Man in respect of a high profile murder case on the island and the Government of the Cayman Islands in relation to allegations of bribery and corruption in the course of a major inter-governmental investigation.

Cases

R v Reeve and others

Seven men were convicted of homicide, four of murder and three of manslaughter, following a lengthy trial at the Old Bailey.  In February 2023 Kai McGinley was shot to death in a residential road in Erith, south-east London.  It was a planned and targeted execution which was undoubtedly drugs related.  Kai’s car was rammed off the road by a vehicle containing four of the defendants.  The three occupants of the other car got out and opened fire from close range.  At trial, five of the seven defendants denied presence or participation: the other two admitted presence but denied knowing what was going to happen.  After more than 100 hours of jury deliberation, at the end of a trial which lasted 89 days, all were convicted.

Gilead

The defendant was convicted of the targeted assassination of a rival in the drugs industry to whom he was in debt.  Passing sentence, the trial judge described the case “one of the most challenging, single defendant, single homicide cases…ever undertaken.”

Mohammed and Joseph

The defendants were convicted of murder, attempted murder and perverting the course of justice for their parts in a night of drive by shootings in east London where one man was murdered and another very seriously injured.

Watson and others

Following a six months’ trial two defendants were convicted of murder and two of manslaughter following the shooting of Christopher George in Edmonton in July 2020.  The prosecution case rested upon a complex combination of CCTV, telephone contact and cell site evidence to prove the presence of all four defendants at the scene of the murder.

Morgan and Param

Following a five weeks’ trial, two defendants were convicted of the murder of drill artist Bis, real name Crosslon Davis, a member of the prominent music collective Harlem Spartans whose tracks have had millions of YouTube hits.

Worrie and others

Following a trial of 57 days’ duration the defendants, of whom there were six, were all convicted of the murder of a member of a rival gang in east London. They and two others (who remain unidentified) took part in a ride-out into enemy territory where they spotted, chased and stabbed their victim to death.

Gomez Remolina

The defendant was convicted of the murder of two young men more than 10 years previously. He and his brother were international career criminals who had come to London with their girlfriends to commit high end burglaries. Following a dispute with a local criminal they executed him and a friend of his before fleeing the country. The defendant’s brother was quickly caught and returned here to stand his trial but committed suicide in prison shortly beforehand. The defendant remained at large for a number of years before being located in Mexico from where he was extradited to stand trial.

M and others

Five defendants were convicted of murder, manslaughter and assisting an offender for their parts in the gang related assassination of a rival drugs dealer in a London street during the evening rush hour. The gunman who was aged just 15 at the time of the shooting was indicted alongside his father and grandmother who had given him a false alibi and spirited him out of London, as well as two others who had supplied the lethal weapon and driven him to and from the scene of the shooting.

Huckle

Huckle, widely described in the media as ‘Britain’s worst ever paedophile’, was convicted of 71 counts of child abuse committed against 23 young children over a period of 8 – 9 years when he was living in Malaysia. The case gave rise to numerous issues including extra territorial jurisdiction, the use of ‘the dark web’ and the presentation to a jury of graphic images recorded by H of him raping his victims. Click here to read about the case in the national press. Huckle was subsequently murdered in prison.

Meanza

Meanza, who had been the subject of a Mental Health Act order for many years, was convicted of the murder of a care worker at the ‘halfway house’ to which he had been recently released.

Tamale and others

Three defendants, including two twin brothers, were convicted of the murder (2) and manslaughter (1) of a young man who tried to prevent them from robbing a group of other youths at an 18th birthday party.

Gibbon

Gibbon was convicted of the murder of his next door neighbour. Following a protracted dispute which had resulted in court proceedings being brought against him, Gibbon ambushed his neighbour on her way to work and stabbed her to death.

Safdar & Subhani

The defendants were accused of endangering the safety of a PIA aircraft by making threats to kill members of the crew and blow up the plane on its approach to Manchester airport. RAF fighter jets were scrambled and the plane was diverted to Stansted airport, the incident being treated as terror related.

Johnson & Others

The defendants, of whom there were 30, were members of organised criminal networks which carried out more than 30 robberies of ‘high end’ jewellers’ stores throughout the country and overseas stealing £millions worth of watches and other items. This was one of the largest prosecutions ever brought by the Flying Squad. Brian was subsequently named ‘Times’ Lawyer of the Week’ in recognition of his leadership of the prosecution team.