25 Bedford Row Barristers Chambers | Sebastian Gardiner

Practice

Sebastian Gardiner has extensive experience in all areas of criminal defence work as a led junior and more recently as a leading junior. His practice includes, murder and other serious violence offences, large scale drug supply and importations, prison related matters as well as serious fraud.

He is chairman of the Society of Labour Lawyer’s Crime group and has advised the opposition on areas of policy affecting the Criminal Justice System. Mr Gardiner is responsible for organising a number of Chambers events, in particular the annual symposium and is a keen supporter of RELEASE and calls for a rethink to drugs policy and legislation.

Sebastian Gardiner is associated with the following areas of expertise:

Crime
Fraud & Financial Litigation

Directories

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

Cases

Drugs and customs offences

R v Hill & Others- Case concerned the importation of liquid cocaine worth millions of pounds which had been impregnated into door mats and brought to the UK from Ghana in Africa.
R v Steven Franks & Others - Seven week trial concerning alleged conspiracy to supply large quantity of chemicals and cutting agents to drugs dealers across the UK . The defendant was said to be a regional supplier of chemicals used to extract cocaine from clothing, plastics and other items. He was charged with 4 counts under section 46 of the Serious Crime Act [2006].
R v Ridgeley and others - Alleged conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis, which culminated in the siezure of nearly one tonne of cannabis imported from Spain and Holland and the finding of more than £1.5m in cash. Crown's case was that defendants ran a drugs supplying network across UK for number of years generating millions in profits.
R V Seville: Leading counsel for first defendant involving conspiracy to supply cannabis. Case involved allegation of the importation of tonnes of cannabis from Holland and reported as being the largest of its kind in England.
R v Hunter - Leading counsel in wide ranging conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine and to launder it's proceeds.
R v Kevin Hill & Others: Ongoing allegation concerning a multi-handed conspiracy to import liquid cocaine which had been impregnated into rubber door mats.
R v Gill: Represented the first defendant in a large scale conspiracy to supply cocaine in the Hertfordshire area. Crown’s case was that the defendants supplied over 100 kilos of cocaine over a period of 15 months generating millions of pounds of profits.
R V Dabrowa – Leading counsel in Conspiracy to cheat in which vast amounts of counterfeit brands of tobacco and alcohol were manufactured in factories in the UK, thereby cheating revenue of millions of pounds.
R v Ravandi - Importation of tonnes of opium from Iran hidden in adapted commercial vehicles.
R v Last: Multi million pound cigarette and alcohol importation involving corrupt customs officers.

Homicide and associated offences

R v Cato and others – A ‘gangland execution’ where deceased had fallen out with other gang members. Murder organised by first defendant from cell at HMP Belmarsh.
R v Ellerbeck – Defendant, a successful banker with HSBC, accused of murdering his wife having bugged her phone, home and car.
R v Barzey & Others – Twelve handed trial for murder and attempted murder.
R v Davies - Manslaughter involving punishment ritual, deceased eventually drowned.
R v Hughes and others - Nine handed conspiracy to murder trial lasting five months where allegation was that there had been gang ‘hits’ in London and Bristol on the same night, resulting in two deaths and life threatening injuries to three others.
R v Ferreria – Rape and murder of woman by defendant from Guinea Bissau who court found to be an adult despite his claim to be a youth.
R v Grace - Defendant unfit to plead in case alleging murder and beheading of the defendant's mother.
R v Turner - Murder involving “sadistic” killing by alcoholic suffering from memory loss.
R v Oakford and others - Attempted murder in London’s gangland.
R v McHugh - Perverting the course of justice when the defendant concealed the murder of his ex-wife nearly 40 years previously.
R v Vu & others – Leading counsel in allegation of kidnap, false imprisonment, assault, blackmail cultivation of cannabis.
R v Mansende: Firearms attack on a Turkish social club as part of an ongoing gang feud. a number of rounds were fired from a high calibre weapon into the social club as well as at a car with passengers in parked outside.

Prisons and associated work

R v Mason - Prison mutiny where inmates seized control of two wings in HMP Blakenhurst.
R v Dabo - Riot and destruction of Harmondsworth Immigration Centre.
R v Kastrioti and others - Riot and £5 million destruction of Yarlswood Immigration Centre.

Fraud and Financial Regulation

R v Creasey: Ex-police officer and private detective accused of money laundering on behalf of large organised criminal network based in south London.
R v Higgs and others - Represented first defendant in multi-million pound counterfeit currency conspiracy.
R v Blore and others - Largest homeworker fraud prosecuted in the UK.

Reported Cases

R -v-Joseph [2006] EWCA 1290. Concerned Section 34 direction for youth following advice of his solicitor to remain silent
R -v- Mason & Cummins [2005] 1 Crim.App(R) 11. Concerned a prisoners right to peaceful protest
R -v- H [2002] 1.Crim. App(R) 247 Considered the compatibility of defence of lawful correction with ECHR

Associated Work

Chairman of the Society of Labour Lawyers Crime group.
Lectured on various aspects of Misuse of Drugs Act [1971] for RELEASE and other organisations.
In house lectures on Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act [1996], and Criminal Justice Act [2003].
Editor of chambers bi-monthly bulletin.