Arlette Piercy

Barrister

Exclusively criminal defence work with particular emphasis on serious violence such as murder, robbery, armed robbery and other firearms offences. Additional focus on drugs-related offences, gang crime, fraud and public order matters.

Recommended as a leader in Crime in The Legal 500

Has been instructed in a number of high-profile cases including terrorism and cases arising from tabloid newspaper investigations. Also conducts appellate work.

Background

A number of years working in the House of Commons as a researcher and campaigns officer for the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, before coming to the Bar in 1992. Also worked in the United States on a number of historic human-rights cases arising out of the FBI counter-intelligence programme against domestic political organisations including the Black Panther Party and American Indian Movement.

Education

1988 LLB (Hons) Leeds (First Class)
Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley 1988/9

Associated Work

Originator and speaker at Gang Crime Symposium by 25 Bedford Row
Originator of symposium on the Investigatory Powers Bill at 25 Bedford Row
Has worked in the USA on miscarriage of justice cases involving former members of the Black Panther Party including the co-founder Huey Newton and former L.A Panther leader Geronimo Pratt.

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Board Member of 'Rights International’ a small public-interest pressure group which litigates individual human rights cases in international forums

Terrorism

R v Kanyare - Allegation of conspiracy to obtain radioactive 'red mercury' for terrorist purposes. The main prosecution witness was the News of the World 'Fake Sheikh' journalist Maz Mahmood. All defendants were acquitted. The journalistic practices of the News of the World came under heavy scrutiny in this very lengthy case.

Crime

R v Tulisa Contostavlos and Gareth Varey - Represented the second defendant Varey (PA to popstar and X Factor judge Tulisa) on allegations arising from an incident with celebrity blogger Vas J Morgan at the "V" Festival. Varey acquitted.
R v Ridha - Recent further experience in media led investigations involving Maz Mahmood aka the "Fake Sheikh", this time with The Sunday Times. The case against Dr Ridha for unlawfully providing medication to procure abortion collapsed in the wake of the Tulisa drugs trial abuse of process scandal.
R v Thompson (AKA Giggs) & Others - Case involved allegation of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Prominent UK Rapper Giggs was acquitted of these gang-related allegations which focused heavily on his previous convictions as a young teenager in Peckham, his rap lyrics and videos which the prosecution suggested were illustrative of active current gang membership.
R v Regan & Others - Acted for the first defendant in the 'Chohan Family’ murders in which three generations (5 members) of the same family were killed, said the prosecution so that the defendants could take over Anil Chohan’s bonded warehouse at Heathrow Airport in order to facilitate the importation of drugs. One of the Old Bailey's longest murder trials.
R v Blake Fielder-Civil & Others - Represented the then husband of singer Amy Winehouse on charges of perverting the course of justice and GBH.
R v Alimi - Convictions for offences relating to the shooting at police officers in Hackney East London overturned at the Court of Appeal resulting in reported case on bad character applications in gang cases. Prosecution then offered no evidence shortly before the re-trial of Alimi.
R v Dr Dagistar - In this highly unusual blackmail allegation the defendant (a GP) was tried in relation to blackmail of a female GP colleague with whom he had been engaged in an extra marital affair. After his acquittal the accused as re-instated by the GMC.
R v Dyer & Others - This multi handed Old Bailey murder trial arose from a fatal stabbing at a party in Dagenham the defendant was alleged to have been a prime mover (and of having administered the fatal stab wound). Defendant acquitted of murder.
R v Ngaman & Others - In this case the defendant Ben Ngaman was acquitted of the murder of a teenager in Kennington. The allegation was of a 'gang' hit by rival South London street gangs. The case focussed heavily upon disputed cell-site evidence.
R v Skeete & Others - In this multi handed old bailey trial on charges of conspiracy to supply prohibited firearms the defendant was acquitted. The Crown had alleged him to be the prime mover in this operation sourcing firearms for street gangs in Hackney.
R v Pusey, Carson & Others - this case under the Modern Slavery Act 2016 was one of the first major prosecutions under the legislation for trafficking within the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The multiple complainants were all young British women from the West London area. The defendant Carson was acquitted.
R v McCalla - This case involved a conspiracy to supply cocaine and related to the activities of the former reggae star 'Smiley Culture' who stabbed himself and died in the course of a police raid at his home address. An IPPC enquiry followed. The case centred on the investigation of the activities of David Emmanuel (aka Smiley Culture). McCalla was a long-standing associate of Emmanuel's and was arrested and convicted after a high profile police operation at the home address of the reggae star at his gated mansion in Surrey. This case went to the court of appeal on sentence and is now reported in relation to the applicability and remit of the definitive guidelines in relation to drugs.
R v Marshall, Appiah & Ahmed - represented Magnus Appiah who was the only defendant acquitted in this case of conspiracy to supply cocaine where the defence advanced to an allegation of conspiracy to supply several tonnes of benzocaine was ‘conspiracy to supply amphetamine’.
R v Pepe Brown & Others - represented the first defendant in this Hackney gang murder which featured in Graeme McLagan’s book 'Guns and Gangs: Inside Black Gun Crime.
R v Gardner - the so-called ‘acid murder’ case in which the defendant was acquitted of allegedly murdering his doctor girlfriend by tricking her into drinking sulphuric acid.
R v Woodruff & Hickson - this Armed Robbery case was stayed on grounds of abuse of process after numerous officers from the Flying Squad, Rigg Approach were suspended or prosecuted for corruption. Features in the book ‘Bent Coppers’ by Graeme McLagan.
R v Simon - It was suggested the motive for this east end nightclub murder was linked to events surrounding the shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham (which precipitated the summer 2011 riots). The accused Ms Simon was alleged to have perverted the course of justice in attempting to frustrate police efforts to arrest her ex- partner; he was subsequently acquitted of murder.
R v Jessica Reynolds - In this case a young woman was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The allegations centred upon the effect of then legal highs, including meow meow.
R v Dobir Miah - In this Old Bailey ‘honour killing’ members of the accused’s extended family were charged with the murder of the boyfriend of a teenaged female family member. Miah was acquitted of perverting the course of justice it having been alleged against him he had provided a false alibi for his uncle for the murder.
R v Ahmed & Others - This multi handed conspiracy to rob case involved a South London teen gang who carried out 100 robberies over a short period. Case focussed heavily on MSM messaging and social networking evidence. Defendant acquitted.
R v Jonathan Haynes - Represented the first defendant in an armed robbery of 2 million pounds cash from a Mayfair bank. The sums were being taken out in cash for the use of the Dubai Royal Family in the course of their family holiday in London.
R v Aslam - In this multi handed 6 week case allegations of rape and serial sexual abuse were made against three members of the same family by a total of 6 female complainants (also all within the extended family). These allegations spanned two generations and comprised a 35 Count indictment many of which were specimens.
R v Ejiogu - Father of a toddler accused of "home alone" neglect of child found wandering in the road. Defendant acquitted.
R v Blackstock - Defendant acquitted after a trial for violent disorder arising out of a gang-related turf war between two rival south west London gangs.
R v Shaun Grant & Others - This three month trial related to the armed robbery of a sports shop in west London and the kidnap of two staff members from there. Demands for ransom were made from the alleged drug dealing brother of one of the kidnap victims who were held prisoner for over a week before armed police located and freed them. The case against Grant was facial mapping.
R v Charlie Green - In this case Charlie Green was alleged to have been a party to a revenge shooting of a drug dealer who had facilitated the gunpoint robbery of drugs from the defendant and others. The prosecution case ultimately failed and the defendant was acquitted when the Crown application to read some of the core evidence in the case was successfully resisted by the defence.
R v Phillips & Others - In this case a teenaged girl was kidnapped and subjected to serious physical and sexual assault by a group of teenagers and young adults, both male & female.
R v Meechan & Others - In this two month trial the defendants were accused of conspiracy to rob and kidnap. The crown case was they had been using sophisticated tracking equipment to follow a prominent south London drug dealer with a view to robbing him of his substantial cache of class ‘A’ drugs.
R v Cox & Others - Represented the first defendant in this case of serial violence, including petrol-bomb attacks, between rival gangs in the Brixton area. The juvenile defendant was acquitted, case centred on rap lyrics written by the accused said to form confession evidence on his part.
R v Dookie - This 15-year-old defendant was charged with attempted murder and firearms offences following a point-blank shooting of a member of a rival gang at a festival in South London.
R v Ismail & Others - A nine-month long trial involving an international conspiracy to import heroin with a street value in excess of £40 million. This case involved very extensive results of covert probe material from various locations including a Turkish Café and the home address of two of the accused.
R v Jones–Larty & Others – This complex Old Bailey case alleging conspiracy to supply class a drugs involved high level multi-kilo supply of cocaine together with pressing facilities and the production of crack cocaine.
R v Greta Permargieta & Others - This case, known as the ‘Dutch Ambulance Case’ involved the importation of a total of £1.2 billion worth of cocaine via a fake ambulance into the UK via multiple trips.
R v Morris - In this case the accused was acquitted of allegations of GBH with intent. The crown case was he had used his van as a weapon in the wake of an alleged road rage incident in Stratford, East London.
R v Ruffalo - In this case the accused was charged with a drug related GBH with intent after two friends fell out over a drug debt. The accused had serious previous convictions for similar offences which went before the jury but was acquitted by the jury on the basis he was acting in self-defence.
R v Stannard - This defendant, a man in his 50’s was acquitted of allegations of section 20 wounding and assault on his neighbours who were aged 83 and 85 respectively.
R v Morgan - This defendant was acquitted of Section 18 GBH with intent after having bitten part of his sister’s abusive boyfriend’s ear off in the course of a street brawl.
R v Forrester & Others - Acted for the alleged financier in this case of conspiracy to import 6 tonnes of cannabis concealed in furniture. Defendant acquitted.
R v Thame & Others – this conspiracy to supply cocaine with a street value of £6million, involved lengthy surveillance evidence by officers from New Scotland Yard.
R v Hurley & Others - This six-week multi handed case involved very serious public disorder in West London at which defendants were charged variously with manslaughter, violent disorder and assault.
R v Marriner & Others – Represented a number of the 97 defendant’s charged with violent disorder and other public order allegations arising out of the serious public disorder in the wake of Chelsea F.C vs. Cardiff F.C February in 2010.
R v Sheridan, Swallow & Others – Represented the first defendant on an allegation of conspiracy to cause violent disorder as between West Ham United and Millwall F.C.
R v Cummings & Others – Acted for a number of Brighton fans in connection to violent disorder between fans of Brighton and Tottenham F.C.

Reported Cases

R v Hamilton - Armed Robbery from which the appeal against sentence became part of an early guideline case on Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection.
R v Blake Fielder-Civil & Others - Reported in respect of Goodyear indications for sentencing.
R v Woodruff and Hickson - Reported regarding abuse of process and police corruption.
R v Mcalla – Reported on the subject of the drugs sentencing guidelines and interface with conspiracy allegations.
R v Pepe Brown - Reported in relation to fresh evidence issues on appeal.
R v Alimi – Reported in relation to bad character applications in gang cases and the admissibility of rap lyrics.

R v Woolley & Others - A £36million VAT ‘carousel’ fraud, defendant “Riviera Ray” featured in a Panorama special on VAT fraud.
R v Osdashko & Others - The first major prosecution emanating from the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, involving global internet software piracy and a hacking group with worldwide links and members.
R v Darius Vaughan - Prosecution for a wide variety of internet piracy offences involving bit coin mining and numerous hacking offences involving various bot–nets.
R v Martin & Others - Classic ‘boiler room’ type fraud involving the London Carbon Credit Company. In this multi-million pound fraud all 8 defendants were convicted save for Ms Martin, whose case was halted after legal submissions at half time.
R v Cornwall & Others – Multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud involving identity theft; corrupt banking officials in the UK and abroad; money-laundering through a UK factoring house and Middle-East gemstone transactions.
R v Khalique - Organised benefit fraud conducted by five members of the same family at numerous different addresses in the London Borough of Lambeth, featured in the Daily Mail.
R v Badzak – In this case it was alleged against the defendant she had committed fraud and forgery in the context of her work for controversial UK Independence Party East London MEP Gerard Batten.
R v Sabrina Russell – This multi-handed international drug dealing and money-laundering case known as Operation Bella Vista 2 involved the movement of large sums of the proceeds of drug-dealing to the Caribbean. Defendant acquitted.
R v Barry Green & Others – This multi handed conspiracy case involved a sophisticated ‘confidence fraud’ where cowboy builders defrauded homeowners of substantial sums in relation to home repairs and also posed as council officials requiring further repairs to meet building regulations. Defendant acquitted.