Criminal Defence
Martin is currently ranked a Band 1 leading silk by Chambers UK 2024 Crime as he is
“a very effective advocate, who’s measured and deals well with opponents.”
In the last ten years his appearances as KC have seen him defend in the well publicised trials of:
- Pesareanu (the Victoria Beckham Kidnap plot);
- Hendy-Freegard (the “bogus MI5 agent kidnapper” and subject of a Channel 4 documentary);
- Clinton McKenzie (the boxer charged with allowing his premises to be used for drug dealing);
- Mihaylov the precedent setting trial on UK/USA disclosure protocols held at the Central Criminal Court;
- Byron Coles (an alleged member of the South London PCC Gang as featured in the BBC series “Murder Blue”);
- The super-grass cases of Khan (Yusef) and Finn (Weir); Terrence Rodgers (the Lincolnshire father who killed his daughter shortly after her wedding);
- Khan & Oths (the racially motivated murder committed during the Aston Riots in Birmingham);
- Kevin Brown at Woolwich in the most expensive security trial to date;
- Terry Smith the crime author and TV pundit charged with conspiracy to rob Cash-in Transit security vehicles.
- Anthony Still (accused of blackmail of a high profile victim over a 9 year period)
- Bhaskaran & Oths
- Orlebar-Forbes & Oths (Jamal Jones murder)
- Janik & Oths (alleged murder, kidnap and prevention of burial by Lithuanian gang)
- Ahmed Shah (alleged mastermind of 500kilo heroin importations
More recently he appeared for news journalists in the high profile trials prosecuted under Operation Elveden (misconduct in a public office) concerned with payments to public officials. Martin was able to secure acquittals in two separate cases.
Terrorism
Martin has experience of cases brought under the terrorism legislation, particularly in an international context.
He was involved in the 21/7 London bombings case, and is currently representing the Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Abu Bakr, who is accused (in a third set of cases brought in Trinidad) of terrorism and sedition with Al Qaeda links to the JFK Pipeline Bomb Plot.
He has recently advised the Attorney General and State of Jersey Police on the question of whether a Senator’s article 8 rights had been breached.