Nick Murphy

Barrister

Nick’s practice covers both the magistrates’ and the Crown court, representing clients in all areas of criminal defence.

Nick is a sought after junior barrister with ability well beyond his year of call. A major scholarship winner and winner of the highly regarded Kalisher Trust Essay Prize, Nick has built a reputation for being a safe pair of hands when faced with difficult points of law and as a very competent advocate. Nick practices in all areas of criminal defence both the magistrates and crown court. He also has experience working on paper heavy financial crime cases as a pupil.

Articles and Publications

LexisNexis PSL Practice Notes:
Pre Trial / Plea and Trial Preparation Hearings
The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016
Research Assistant – How to Write Law Essays and Exams, Professor Stacie Strong, Oxford University Press (2014)

Appointments
2015 Vice Chair, Independent Monitoring Board, HMP Brixton 2013 Independent Monitoring Board, HMP Brixton

Qualifications
2015 BPTC, City University London
2014 LLB (Hons) Law, City University 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
Howard League for Penal Reform Lincoln’s Inn

R v KH – Led junior. Attempted murder and multiple violent disorders across Leicester city centre. (Leicester 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 – Instructed for trial where the defendant is accused of having several false credit cards in his possession. (St Albans Crown 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 K – Represented an 80 year old lady of good character, accused of racially aggravated public order offences against a neighbour. Acquitted. (Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court)
R v RK & RR – Represented two brothers at trial for assault. Successfully secured community orders for both defendants, despite numerous aggravating features, which should have merited immediate custody. (Luton Magistrates’ Court)
R v RW – Successfully opposed a warrant for further detention in a murder investigation. (Southampton Magistrates’ Court)
R v BS – Youth robbery, acquitted after trial. (Bromley Youth Court)
R v FB – Secured the only acquittal in a 7 handed youth court assault, criminal damage, and arson trial. Successfully applied to exclude hearsay evidence on the basis that it was unreliable under s. 78 PACE. (Croydon Youth Court)
R v I – Successfully persuaded prosecution to discontinue proceedings as being out of time following the service of a skeleton argument. (Stratford Magistrates’ Court)

R v RH – Led by George Carter-Stephenson QC. 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 – Instructed to represent a defendant in a diamond fraud with an overall value of around £500,000. (Basildon 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)