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Education

University of Bristol (LLB Hons)
Inns of Court School of Law

Practice

"Hugely impressive” (Legal 500 2010)

Leading and junior counsel in a wide range of cases involving organised crime, homicide, serious sexual offences, drug trafficking and money laundering. Experience in environmental regulatory offences. Particular expertise in defending in cases arising from political activism.

Extensive appellate experience in the Court of Appeal and in the Administrative Court, with emphasis on crime-related judicial review. 

Aisling Byrnes is associated with the following areas of expertise:

Crime
General Fraud
Regulatory and Disciplinary
Human Rights

Cases

Crime

Homicide

  • R-v- Jones and others - Four month trial of nine defendants accused of stabbing a 17 year old in East London.
  • R-v- D - Defendant charged with causing the death of his ten month old son by dangerous driving when the family car was involved in a collision with a taxi.
  • R -v- D Robinson – Murder by stabbing; extensive cell site evidence was deployed to identify the killer.
  • R -v- A Robinson – Punishment beating; evidence of six facial mapping experts (article on facial mapping evidence published at [2005] 6 Archbold News 4).
  • R -v- Lehal – ‘Honour’ killing.
  • R -v- Rowe – High-profile manslaughter following fight over chocolate bar wrapper; 16-year old defendant.

Serious violence

  • R v Tomas Paplauskas- Multi-handed kinapping in heart of the Lithuanian community in Norwich. Defendant acquitted following serious disclosure failures uncovered by the defence.
  • R -v-Hasan - Trafficking and exploitation of prostitutes from Romania to UK
  • R -v- X – Conspiracy to steal £3m Cartier jewellery; accomplice turned ‘supergrass’ giving evidence under a SOCPA contract; leading junior counsel
  • R -v- Sajadi – Kidnap and torture of two victims; four-month trial as leading junior counsel for the first of seven defendants; hearsay application to adduce evidence of one of the victims who committed suicide prior to trial.
  • R -v- Delamere – Kidnap and assault; defence involved the assertion that the victim was party to the enterprise.
  • R -v- Appleby – Armed robbery of a cash-in-transit vehicle during which defendant suffered serious head injuries.
  • R -v- Newhouse – Gunpoint robbery of betting shop; involving extensive argument as to admissibility of search evidence.
  • R -v- A – Large-scale conspiracy to rob small businesses at gun point. Twenty five substantive armed robberies; issue of whether bad character supports identification evidence.
  • R -v- Zomparelli – Robbery of Bureau de Change; defence of ‘plant’ by Flying Squad. Conviction quashed as tainted by Rigg Approach corruption.

Drugs

  • R v Mark Morris - Multi-handed conspiracy to rob drug traffickers of £5 million worth of drugs using firearms. Cut throat defence.
  • R v Stuart Rankin - Large-scale conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Defendant charged with his parents against background of illegal trade in pharmaceuticals.
  • R v Paul Flisher - Defendant accused of highly organised drug trafficking between Essex and Devon. Case involved detailed financial evidence. 
  • R -v- J - Conspiracy to import and supply cocaine. Leading junior counsel at trial involving evidence of over £10m worth of drugs.
  • R -v- Smith & Ors (Operation Hobart) – Importation of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis; cited in the House of Commons in 2005 as one of the largest ever UK drugs operations.
  • R -v- Rekhoum & Ors – Conspiracy to import multi-million pounds worth of cocaine via FedEx; leading junior counsel
  • R -v- Patel – Conspiracy to supply cocaine; leading junior counsel.
  • R -v- Chan – Money laundering proceeds of drugs importation.
  • R -v- B – Money laundering proceeds of drugs trafficking linked to London City Bond series of cases; disclosure arguments led to discontinuance of case.

Sexual Offences

  • R v Eric Brodnock - Successful defence of successful London businessman accused of raping his cleaner at the family home.
  • R -v- W – Historical sexual abuse of niece by a man with severe learning difficulties.
  • R -v- X – City solicitor charged with downloading indecent pictures of children.
  • R -v- O – Church of England vicar charged with possessing indecent images of children.

Protest

  • R -v- Nicholson and others - Conspiracy to blackmail suppliers of the Huntingdon Life Science Laboratory by animal rights activists accused of membership of the ALF.
  • R -v- Gillett and Others - Public nuisance allegation arising from evironmental protest on M1 Indictment quashed following legal argument as to the nature of the charge.
  • R -v- Campbell - 17 year old schoolgirl prosecuted following her attendance at anti- bush demo in Parliament Square.
  • R -v- W - Nuisance and aggravated trespass allegation as a result of climate change protest on roof of petrol station in South London.
  • R -v- B (ongoing) - Alleged Violent disorder involving defendants said to be members of anti-fascist organisation Antifa.

Public and Administrative/Human Rights Law

  • R (Hughes) -v- Woolwich Crown Court – Judicial review of court’s decision to extend custody time limits where late prosecution disclosure delayed trial.
  • R (SL) -v- Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis LTL 29/7/2008 – Judicial review re relevance of partner’s criminal convictions to suitability for teaching post.
  • R (J) -v-Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis – Judicial review of decision to issue two cautions to claimant of good character.
  • RE: MF - Judicial review of West Midlands police information storage protocol.

Environmental

  • R -v- UGH Ltd - Company implicated in multi million pound waste regulatory offences.

Associated Work

  • Former lecturer in evidence on the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law
  • Frequently lectures on all aspects of evidence and criminal litigation, both in-house and externally
  • Gray’s Inn advocacy trainer
  • Pupil supervisor
  • Contributor to Criminal Bar Association working party reports on sentencing, public access and advocacy standards.
  • Sits as judge in Metropolitan Police Trials.

Professional Memberships

  • Northern Ireland Bar
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Bar Council Access to the Bar Committee Member
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
  • Bar Pro Bono Unit
  • Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)

 

Directories

Ranked as a leading junior in crime by Chambers and Partners 2012 and Legal 500(2010)

"comes particularly recommended by sources for her skilled handling of regulatory work, robberies and murders. “good on paperwork and very thorough, she always gets the confidence of the client very early one.”
"Hugely impressive” 

Contact

T. 020 7067 1500

E. abyrnes@25bedfordrow.com