Leon Kazakos KC

Criminal Defence

Ranked as a leader in Crime by both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for a number of years Leon is a highly experienced and committed defence advocate. He has a wide ranging and diverse defence practice with its roots in defending in cases involving serious and organised crime. His current practice has a heavy bias on defending those accused of serious financial misconduct.  He is however regularly instructed to appear in cases of homicide and serious violence, rape and other serious sexual offending where specialist witness handling of vulnerable complainants is called for, drug and human trafficking, computer hacking and cases brought under the Modern Slavery Act.

In addition Leon continues to represent police officers accused of a variety of criminal offences, from perverting the course of justice to driving offences to violent crime to attempted poisoning. These are invariably cases where the allegations – regardless of gravity – have very serious consequences for the reputation and careers of those on trial. Leon’s cross-discipline experience in both criminal and regulatory fields allows him to provide specialist advice to police officers under investigation.

Recent Instructions:

R v UC (2023)

Forensic scientist accused of misconduct in public office. Press coverage: BBC | The Times

R v H (2023)

Murder – Shooting.

R v J (2022)

Appeal to High Court in Kenya to overturn conviction for human trafficking.  Press coverage here.

R v B (2022)

£12m sterling counterfeiting conspiracy.

R v A (2022) 

Murder ‘Joint enterprise’ stabbing.

R v F (2022)

Prosecution following a fatal accident involving death of off duty police officer.

R v B (2022)

Stalking, revenge pornography and voyeurism prosecution.

R v C (2022)

Child cruelty.

R v R (2021) 

Murder.

R v M (2021)

Prosecution of bank worker for alleged sexual offences following a vigilante group ‘sting’ operation.

R v S (2021)

Child cruelty.

R v H (2020)

Murder – stabbing.

R v U (2020)

Murder ‘Joint enterprise’ stabbing.

R v X (2020)

Police officers accused of perverting the course of justice.

R v D (2019)

The successful defence of an individual accused of modern slavery offences.

NCA v S (2019) 

Leading junior for the defence in the largest prosecution brought for importation and production of anabolic steroids (BBC report here).

R v K (2019)

Representing a man accused of being a ‘high society drug dealer’. The case received widespread publicity following conviction (The Times report here).

R v A (2018)

The defendant was a footballer who had been extradited to face an allegation of rape that was, by the time of trial, years old. The case required careful and considered cross examination of a number of witnesses – both complainant and those to whom she complained at the time – and legal argument as to capacity to consent. The defendant was unanimously acquitted by the jury.

R v W (2018)

The successful defence of a businessman who had been accused of a serious sexual assault by a woman with whom he was in a casual sexual relationship.

R v C (2018)

Representing the lead defendant in a very large scale conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

R v Rooney (2017 – 2019)

The largest slavery prosecution brought to date against 11 members of the same extended family. The case was widely reported by the media once reporting restrictions were lifted (see one of the BBC reports here). Leon’s client was one of only two who did not receive prison sentences for his role in the overall criminality. Leon is presently instructed to defend in a series of other cases involving allegations of slavery.

R v Various (2010- 2020)

Representing a series of building firms and sole traders accused of being ‘rogue traders’, in prosecutions brought across England and Wales by a variety of local authorities. These cases require the expert cross examination of surveyors and other construction experts as to the need for the construction work, its quality and market price.

R v F (2018)

Murder: the killing of a French tourist on a London street by a man heavily under the influence of cocaine.

R v M (2018)

Representing a coach driver accused of causing death by careless driving following a collision in Central London.