Back to Members

Practice

Instructed in serious criminal cases including terrorism, homicide, fraud, drugs, armed robbery, extradition, and in cases involving human rights issues.

Jo Sidhu is associated with the following areas of expertise:

Crime
Fraud & Financial Litigation
Human Rights Law
Restraint, Confiscation & Asset Recovery

Jo Sidhu is available for direct access cases.

Directories

Recommended as a leading silk in crime in Chambers and Partners UK 2013

“admired for his performance and conduct at court”
“very proactive and diligent”
“steps up to the plate”

Chambers & Partners Profile

Recommended as a new silk The Legal 500 2012

"brilliant" (2008)
“superlative: he punches way above his weight” (2009).

Legal 500 Profile

Cases

Terrorism

  • R v Usman Saddique & ors – ‘Airline Liquid Bomb’ plot to explode seven airplanes over the Atlantic in August 2006. (Acquitted) VHCC
  • R v Abdul Jalil & ors - 'Dirty bomb' manufacture alleged to be used for mass terrorist killing. (Pleaded guilty) VHCC
  • R v Mouloud Bouhrama & ors - Chemical weapons [Ricin] manufacture alleged to be preparation for mass terrorist killing. (Acquitted) VHCC

Crime

Homicide

  • R v Pirughan Kunaratnam & ors (ongoing) - battering to death of victim with a cricket bat in alleged gang related fight in Lewisham.
  • R v Hassan Tonbul & ors – defendant allegedly involved in an ongoing feud between Turkish gangs in North London which resulted in an execution.
  • R v VO & ors – 17 year old accused of gang related murder of 16 year old
  • R v Daniel Rogers – Defendant with Tourette’s Syndrome accused of murdering a taxi driver
  • R v Robert Jones – Defendant with Asperger’s Syndrome and Schizophrenia stabbed mother in the head
  • R v Sabra Sultana & ors - "Thumb that fell from the sky" murder
  • R v Michael Jachimowicz – killing of father and burying of body in the garden
  • R v Pritpal Panesar & ors - honour killing of co-defendants mother's lover
  • R v GF – Broadmoor patient accused of double murder, attempted murder and rapes.
  • R v Sean Edwards - gangland stabbing
  • R v Mahmuda Khatun – stabbing to death of husband after abusive arranged marriage.
  • R v Marcel Anderson – punch in fight resulting in death of 60 year old victim
  • R v Gabriel Alecu & ors - gangland beating to death of victim in back of ambulance.
  • R v Imran Khan – stabbing to death in street gang dispute.
  • R v Manoj Mistry & ors – kidnapping, strangulation and burning to death of love rival.
  • R v Myriam Conte – stabbing to death of student by housemate.
  • R v Terry Steadman & ors – beating to death of elderly man in random street assault.
  • R v Ranjit Sohal – beating to death of wife with hammer after domestic argument.
  • R v Kalvinder Dosanjh - soliciting to murder of own daughter as an 'honour killing'.
  • R v Paul Jones & ors - hit man contract killing (shooting) of a business rival.
  • R v Christopher Wilkins – attempted murder (stabbing) in a street fight.
  • R v Asburn Morrison- attempted murder (stabbing) at a blues party.
  • R v Jermaine Pearcy & ors - double attempted murder (shooting) at a nightclub.
  • R v Timothy Merchant - double attempted murder (shooting) & conspiracy to pervert justice.
  • R v Colin Crawley & ors - attempted murder (shooting) of former business partner.
  • R v Francis Pope & ors - double attempted murder (shooting) at nightclub.
  • R v Pauline Drinkwater - manslaughter/aiding & abetting suicide of husband in suicide pact.

Drugs

  • R v Hai Ban Tran & 23 Ors -  - Conspiracy to produce cannabis. VHCC (largest ever) (ongoing)
  • R v Troy Alleyne & ors - Conspiracy to supply crack cocaine valued at over £50 million: dubbed the "bling bling gang".
  • R v R.W. - Importation of 3 tonnes of cannabis valued at over £10 million.
  • R v Henry Mumford & ors - Conspiracy to produce largest ever quantity of amphetamine sulphate valued at £6 million.
  • R v Jason Smith - Conspiracy to supply heroin valued at over £1 million.
  • R v Desmond Black & ors - Conspiracy to supply heroin and firearms (Operation Trident).

Robbery / Handling

  • R v Soloman Beyene – Conspiracy to rob Graff jewellers. £40 million worth of jewels stolen.
  • R v Lynnden Willoughby & or - Conspiracy to steal computer equipment valued at over £25 million.
  • R v Jagdev Shergill & ors - Conspiracy to handle computer goods valued at over £7 million.
  • R v Abdul Awada - Conspiracy to handle mobile phones valued at over £1 million.
  • R v Michael Walker & ors - Armed robbery by gang who murdered victim in course of one robbery.
  • R v David Samuel & ors - Conspiracy to rob in a string of Securicor van hold ups.

Fraud and Financial Regulation

  • R v Yuganthini Thayaparan – Money laundering conspiracy of more than £100 million. VHCC
  • R v SM & ors – Conspiracy to cheat HMRC by claiming rebates and VAT on Bollywood movies that were never made.
  • R v Joyti De-Laurey & ors - Goldman Sachs secretary who used forgery and deception to obtain over £4 million from bosses.
  • R v Malcolm Gell & ors - Excise/VAT diversion fraud valued at over £100 million.
  • R v Malcolm Gell & ors - Excise/VAT diversion fraud valued at over £30 million.
  • R v N C & ors – Solicitor alleged to be party to defrauding land registry.
  • R v Sukhdip Sander & ors – Conspiracy to commit ‘long firm’ fraud of £1.2 million.
  • R v Alpesh Patel & ors - Bank fraud conspiracy valued at over £15 million.
  • R v Choudry Maroof & ors - Credit card fraud conspiracy valued at over £2 million.
  • R v Zarina Mahmood & ors - Bank fraud conspiracy valued at over £1.25 million.
  • R v Dilbagh Singh - Dept. of Health fraud conspiracy valued at over £1.25 million.
  • R v Anthony Ijomanta & ors - Advance fee fraud conspiracy between Nigeria and UK.
  • R v Muhamed Iqbal - Second largest ever conspiracy to produce forged passports (x 450) valued at over £1.5 million.
  • R v Zarina Patel & ors – Largest ever illegal immigration conspiracy (bogus marriages) involving 28 defendants.

Reported Cases

  • Mahmuda Khatun [2010] EWCA Crim 138 (murder conviction - whether issues of intent & provocation were properly withdrawn.
  • Abdul Jalil [2008] EWCA Crim 2910 (appeal against sentence in Trans-Atlantic airline liquid bomb plot).
  • Michael Walker & ors [2008] EWCA Crim 554 (judge failed to apply correct criteria for imposing imprisonment for public protection – sentence appeal allowed).
  • Shamim Choudhary [2007] EWCA Crim 2474 (sentence appeal allowed).
  • Govt. of Romania v Valentin Ceausescu [2006] EWHC 2615 (Admin) (Extradition appeal for Romanian police captain convicted of corruption offences.)
  • R v Robert Powell [2004] EWCA Crim 1621 - (Section 34 misdirection. Conviction quashed).
  • R v Michael Lawrence [2002] EWCA Crim 326 - (Sentence)
  • R v Mehmet Goren [2001] EWCA Crim 307 - (Sentence appeal allowed)
  • R v Mohamed Abdi [1999] Case No. 9902501Y5 - (Sentence appeal allowed)
  • Attorney-General’s Reference No.14 of 1998 (Lee McGregor) [1991] 1. Cr.App.R.(S.) 205 CA. (whether life imprisonment should be substituted for a determinate sentence of 11 years in a violent rape)
  • R v Harvey and Osbourne (1997) 4 Archbold News 7, CA - (prosecution witnesses’ refusal to give evidence out of fear resulting in imprisonment for contempt).
  • R v Schot and Barclay [1997] 2 Cr.App.R. 383, CA; 161 J.P. 143, CA. - (juror's refusal to return verdict resulting in imprisonment for contempt. Conviction quashed).

Articles & Publications

Publications

  • Cases that Changed our Lives - author of chapter on Legal Insanity. Foreword by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls. Butterworths (2010).
  • Twenty Eight Days - What's the Verdict CLJW (2010), Vol 174, p103
  • The Criminal Case of Usman Saddique The Guardian.11/02/10
  • The Special Relationship CBQ March 2007. Issue 1, p6

Associated Work

  • Vice-chair Equality & Diversity Committee of the Bar Council (member since 2003).
  • Co-Chair of the Society of Asian Lawyers (since 2013).
  • Qualified to undertake direct public access work.
  • Senior advocacy trainer with Lincoln’s Inn.
  • Pupil supervisor.
  • Bar Council delegate and speaker at American Bar Association conference (2006).
  • Regularly appear as a Judge in mock trials for Metropolitan police training. 

Professional Memberships

  • Member of Criminal Bar Association’s Equality and Diversity Committee (since 2004).
  • Member of working group on diversity issues chaired by the Attorney-General (2008).
  • Member of Bar’s South Eastern Circuit (2008).
  • Member of North London Bar Mess (2008).
  • Member of Wadham College Law Society (since 2000).


Pre-Law Experience and Voluntary Work

  • Chair of School Governing Body (since 1997).
  • Elected Councillor in London Borough of Ealing (1994-1998).
  • Member of Middlesex Area Probation Committee (1995-1998).
  • Tutor in Economics (P/T) (1989-91).
  • Senior Programme Researcher at the BBC (F/T) (1989).
  • Policy and Research Officer with London Borough of Ealing (F/T) (1988).
  • Caseworker with Southall Monitoring Project (P/T) (1986-1989).
  • Jury foreman in two trials (1984).

Languages

  • Punjabi
  • Hindi (working knowledge)

Education

BA (Hons) PPE - University of Oxford
MSc International Political Economy - L.S.E.
CPE - The College of Law
BVC - Inns of Court School of Law

Contact

T. 020 7067 1500

E. jo.sidhu@sky.com

Barmark
Legal 500
Barmark