Nick Murphy

Barrister

Nick accepts instructions in all of chambers practice areas. He regularly acts for clients charged with serious and complex criminal offences.

Nick is a highly-regarded junior practising in all areas of criminal defence. He has experience in matters far exceeding his year of call and is well liked by professional and lay clients alike. He is particularly adept at dealing with legally and factually difficult cases, and in cases involving the analysis of complex documentation.

He has particular expertise in allegations of white collar crime, fraud, corruption, and bribery. Nick has experience in all areas of financial offending, including applications for confiscation, compensation and the disqualification of directors.

Appointments

2013 – 2016 Independent Monitoring Board, HMP Brixton

Qualifications

2015 BPTC – City, University of London
2014 LLB (Hons) Law – City, University of London
2012 MA (Hons) English Literature – University of St Andrews

Awards

2016 Kalisher Trust Essay Prize
2014 Lord Denning Scholar, Lincoln’s Inn
2013 Hardwicke Entrance Award, Lincoln’s Inn
2013 Lord Bowen Scholar, Lincoln’s Inn

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Young Fraud Lawyer’s Association
Howard League for Penal Reform

R v KH – Led junior. Attempted murder and multiple violent disorders across Leicester city centre. Successfully defeated an application for an Attorney General’s Reference. (Leicester Crown Court)
R v DW – Successful submission of no case to answer. The defendant was said to have been involved in the supply of Class A drugs. (Harrow Crown Court)
R v OT – Secured an acquittal for a defendant charged with possessing heroin with intent to supply. (Peterborough Crown Court)
R v JP – Represented a defendant at trial charged with ABH against his former partner. Despite the admission of bad character evidence, the defendant was acquitted. (Preston Crown Court)
R v GG – Defendant accused of breaching his restraining order by contacting his former partner via Facebook. Secured acquittal at trial. (Ipswich Crown Court)
R v GM – Acquittal after 10 minutes for a defendant charged with threats to kill and common assault in a domestic context. (Inner London Crown Court)
R v JW – Defendant acquitted at trial of possession of an offensive weapon. (Isleworth Crown Court)
R v JT – Secured the acquittal of a defendant charged with racially aggravated assault offences. (Blackfriars Crown Court)
R v BH – Represented a client accused of stalking causing serious harassment, alarm or distress. (Wood Green Crown Court)
R v JC – Represented a client accused of systematic fraudulent trading against vulnerable victims across the South West in breach of an existing suspended sentence. Successfully persuaded the judge not to activate that sentence or issue a warrant for the client’s arrest. (Exeter Crown Court)
R v FR – Secured a suspended sentence for a client charged with grievous bodily harm. The complainant’s jaw was fractured in a number of places and the offence was aggravated by a ‘total lack of remorse’. (Cambridge Crown Court)
R v PB – Successfully persuaded the court to impose a suspended for a client accused of a number of high value commercial burglaries and an assault on a police officer. (Wood Green Crown Court)
R v NP – Represented an accountant employed by a Big Four firm accused of an assault. The defendant was acquitted following a submission of no case to answer. (Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court)
R v R – Successfully applied to stay proceedings as an abuse of process having argued that the police failed in their duty to seize crucial CCTV evidence. (Stevenage Magistrates’ Court)

R v AD – Led junior. Represented an independent financial advisor accused of claiming inflated commission by repeatedly moving his clients’ pension investments between funds. The case required detailed consideration of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. (Leeds Crown Court)
R v RH – Led junior. Represented a solicitor who was accused of laundering the proceeds of the HBOS fraud estimated to have cost the bank £245m. Acquitted. (Southwark Crown Court)
R v AB – Represented a defendant in a diamond fraud with an overall value of around £500,000. (Basildon Crown Court)
Unaoil – Assisted with case preparation while on secondment to a specialist White Collar firm. (Southwark Crown Court)
R v IK – Assisted in the preparation of a defence in a £12m fraud perpetrated against the NHS (Leicester Crown Court)
R v JB – Assisted in the preparation of a diamond fraud with a value of £200,000. (Central Criminal Court)
R v CDS – Assisted in the preparation of a large-scale conspiracy involving charges of fraud, computer misuse, and blackmail. (Oxford Crown Court)