Jeffrey Israel

Barrister

Jeffrey Israel is a leading barrister, listed in the Legal 500 directory and Chambers & Partners, specialising in all aspects of criminal law. Jeffrey was shortlisted by the Legal 500 for Crime & Extradition Junior of the year.

Jeffrey has been instructed as both a leading junior and a junior alone in a wide range of serious criminal matters. He is known for his robust handling of cases and his fearless approach in Court and is highly sought after by private clients, often on Bar Direct Access, especially for appeals. His attention to detail and commitment to overseeing every aspect of each case has earned him the reputation of supporting and reassuring his clients, with a unique understanding and connection, developing a strong trust and rapport He has many repeat clients and is often recommended to others.

Appeals

Jeffrey acted on a Bar Direct Access basis in the successful and high-profile appeal of Alexander Blackman – known as ‘Marine A’, who was convicted of murdering a dying Taliban insurgent whilst on active service in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Six separate grounds of appeal were identified, three of which were accepted by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) as sufficient to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal. Following a three-day hearing the murder conviction was quashed and ‘Marine A’ was released. This landmark case received wide international media attention.

As a result of this success Jeffrey is regularly instructed to conduct appeals in cases where he did not represent defendants at their original trials.

More recently the Court of Appeal quashed Jeffrey’s client’s conviction for murder after he successfully identified four grounds missed by the original legal team.

Crime

Jeffrey is highly sought after to represent those who are accused and facing trial. Successful instructions include representing a prominent businessman alleged to have attacked his business partner, a city trader accused of violently assaulting a doorman, a business owner accused of laundering over £6m, and many cases of rape and sexual assault. Convictions in any of those cases would have had a devastating impact on the accused’s personal and professional life.

Jeffrey has also represented a number of well-known individuals including a former manager of Tottenham Hotspur FC for speeding, Tony Blair’s personal private secretary accused of rape, and the vice-chairman of Tottenham Hotspur for an alleged assault in Harrod’s Food Hall.

Jeffrey also accepts instructions on Legal Aid in serious cases often as leading-junior in large-scale multi-handed, long trials.

Fraud and Financial Investigations

Jeffrey has acted in a number of complex long-running fraud and money laundering cases, many with international elements and confiscation and enforcement proceedings.

Jeffrey is able to accept instructions directly from the public in appropriate cases. For further information on his availability please contact our Clerks.

Jeffrey's Privacy Policy can be downloaded here.

Appeals

R v B Jeffrey acted in the historic case of Marine A (Colour Sergeant Alexander Blackman of the Royal Marines) who was convicted of murdering a wounded Taliban fighter on a battlefield in Afghanistan. Blackman was the first British serviceman to have been convicted of murder since WWII and was sentenced to life imprisonment. An appeal against conviction brought by his original legal team had failed completely.
Acting on Bar Direct Access together with Jonathan Goldberg KC and Senghin Kong, Jeffrey drafted a report of 100 pages that was submitted to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
Once an appeal has been tried and failed, this body represents the only possible route to challenge a miscarriage of justice. However, the CCRC refers less than 3% annually of all the cases they receive back to the Court of Appeal for a new hearing, and therefore it is a formidable mountain to climb. Six grounds of appeal were identified, three of which were referred to the Court of Appeal.
Following three days of argument the Court of Appeal quashed the murder conviction and Alexander Blackman was released. Judgment.
R v W Jeffrey successfully acted on a murder appeal in a case where he had not appeared at the original trial. His client had been convicted of murder by beating to death an 87-year-old man during the course of a domestic burglary and of conspiracy to rob. Original trial counsel (a KC) had advised that there were no grounds of appeal. Jeffrey reconsidered all of the papers and transcripts and identified 4 separate grounds of appeal on conviction and 1 on sentence. Leave was granted on all 5 grounds and, following argument, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.
The Judgment is currently embargoed due to the retrial.
Jeffrey is currently instructed to advise on the prospects of appealing in three separate murder cases.

General Crime: Current Cases

R v B Blenheim Palace Burglary. Jeffrey is currently instructed as a leading junior for the first defendant who is accused of stealing a solid gold toilet worth £5m.
R v W Attempted Murder. Jeffrey is currently instructed to defend a man accused of organising a targeted shooting of a gang rival.
R v S Attempted Murder x2. Jeffrey Is currently instructed to defend one of three men accused of shooting two gang rivals.

General Crime: Recent Cases

R v G Poisoning. Led by a KC. Jeffrey’s client was accused of deliberately poisoning her infant daughter by twice injecting potentially lethal levels of insulin to gain attention from her baby’s father. This caused the child catastrophic permanent brain damage. There were 16 medical experts and the case involved complex psychiatric and causation issues.
R v H Attempted Murder. Jeffrey acted for a man accused of a revenge shooting against his co-defendant, who were accused of attempting to murder each other. The co-defendant was represented by a KC and there were obvious cut-throat elements to the case that required careful handling.
R v C 3 x Death by Dangerous Driving. Jeffrey’s client was accused of causing the death of 3 others following a car chase after a drug deal that had gone wrong. Issues included causation and identification.
R v H 5 x Rape. Acting as a leading junior, Jeffrey’s client was accused of serial rape, false imprisonment, and serious violence against homeless women who he would lure into his home by offering them drugs and shelter. The defendant denied the offences claiming that the women all consented and had joined together in fabricating these allegations.
R v B Class A drugs conspiracy. Acted as a leading junior in a case involving nine defendants accused of a 3-year conspiracy to supply drugs across London via couriers disguised as Deliveroo drivers and laundering over £5m.
R v M Murder. Led by a KC. Jeffrey was instructed on behalf of the defendant who killed his best friend with a machete in a drink and drug induced psychotic rage. Complex issues regarding psychiatric evidence concerning diminished responsibility and voluntary intoxication in the context of alcohol dependency syndrome.
R v C Gang rape x3 and robberies. Jeffrey acted for the first of three defendants who were accused of robbing two girls at knifepoint before proceeding to tie them up and blindfold them and then repeatedly rape them. Issues included the cross-admissibility of the allegations to support each other, DNA, identification, and telephone evidence.
R v C Kidnap, False Imprisonment, Blackmail. Jeffrey was instructed as a leading junior to defend the main defendant in a 13-handed trial. The defendants were alleged to have kidnapped rival drug dealers before torturing them and demanding a ransom.

Current Cases

R v S Tax Evasion. Jeffrey is instructed to defend an accountant who is accused of evaded £3m in unpaid tax.
R v R Fraud. Jeffrey is acting for a company director accused of perpetrating a £5m COVID loan fraud against the Government.

Recent Cases

R v A Fraud, Money Laundering. Jeffrey was instructed as a leading junior to defend in a £25m diversion fraud. The trial lasted five months and the defendants were accused of an international ‘phishing’ fraud and then diverting the monies on to China and Nigeria.
R v G Money Laundering. Led by a KC. Complex multinational money laundering arising out of the sale of £15m worth of counterfeit medication that the defendant was accused of laundering through dozens of different companies set up to launder the funds via multiple international banks.
R v K Fraud, Money Laundering. Acted as a leading junior in an £11m fraud where the defendants were accused of establishing a company for the sole purpose of defrauding their victims by persuading them to invest in non-existent companies before siphoning the money to India.

In addition to these more recent cases, previously Jeffrey has defended in:

An £8m conspiracy to supply heroin;
A large-scale nationwide cocaine conspiracy involving 11 defendants;
A conspiracy to transfer loaded machine-guns by defendants in prison;
A multi-handed murder allegation arising out of a 'drug war' in a case that involved the US authorities;
A multi-million pound SFO case involving the creation of false identities and bank accounts that are then used to defraud HMRC;
The shooting at a uniformed police officer in the course of an armed robbery;
Human-trafficking for the purpose of forced prostitution;
A gang-related firearms case where over 100 guns, grenades, and live ammunition were being supplied across the country;
The murder of a lorry driver in a drunken attack;
The attempted murder of two police officers;
A gangland execution;
A large-scale importation of cocaine from South America.