- London 020 7067 1500
- Email clerks@25bedfordrow.com
Nicholas Whitehorn
Nicholas is an experienced and fearless criminal advocate who is regularly instructed in the most serious criminal offences including murder, fraud and offences linked to organised crime, such as large scale drug supply.
He has acted as junior alone for defendants charged with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, and industrial-level importations of class A drugs.
He has been described as a natural advocate and a superb junior by those who instruct him. He is as comfortable making submissions before the Court of Appeal as he is before juries where his speeches have been described as compelling and his cross examination ‘first class’.
He is fiercely passionate about defending in criminal cases but has an open and approachable manner and is easily relatable to his clients.
Nicholas also has extensive experience in criminal appeals. He has provided secondary advice on appeal against conviction and sentence for numerous appellants, often going on to achieve a successful result for clients given negative advice from their originally instructed counsel.
He has been instructed as counsel alone to advise and act in appeals including in cases of murder.
He also has experience of disciplinary law in football and sits as a panel member for the County FA.
Nicholas is instructed for the coming year in the following cases:
Central Criminal Court
- R v S & Otrs: 5 handed murder.
- R v Z: Junior alone for first defendant charged with a drugs importation involving what is described by the NCA as the ‘largest ever inland seizure’ of cocaine in the UK.
Loughborough ‘Super Court’
- R v P & Otrs: Led by Keir Monteith KC in drugs and firearms conspiracy involving allegations of dealing in over 1 tonne of cocaine and possessing an Uzi sub-machine gun.
Isleworth Crown Court
- R v P: Junior alone acting for defendant with alleged multi-national links, accused of importations of cocaine of over 500kg into Belgium and South Africa,
Southwark Crown Court
- ‘Operation Barbados’: Large scale VAT fraud.
Appeals
- R v K & K: Instructed on a private basis for one of 2 defendants in an appeal against conviction for murder
Testimonials
- "Nicholas is phenomenal. He has the unique capacity to change a case through his cross-examination out-of-the-box thinking. He is a natural jury advocate who is able to simplify the most complex of issues in a straightforward, persuasive and engaging way." Legal 500 2025, Crime
- "Nicholas provides great client interaction, listens, speaks his mind and is always on client's side." Legal 500 2023
- "Nicholas is quite frankly my ‘go-to’ barrister. Intelligent and articulate, yet able to communicate with the most difficult of clients he provides robust advice and advocacy in the most challenging of cases." Legal 500 2022
- "Nicholas is a charming and natural advocate who is always very pleasant to deal with. He has very good client care skills. A superb junior and first-class cross-examiner." Legal 500 2021
Articles
- "Drill music in the dock: a look at the use of drill music in criminal trials and a practical guide for defence practitioners", LinkedIn with Rebecca McKnight, 2021
- "The Law on abortion - time for a rethink?", New Law Journal with Lettie Egan, 2020
- Nicholas featured and was interviewed in the i Newspaper's 4 part series on the jury system which won the 2019 Bar Council Legal Reporting Award.
Additional Qualifications and Training
- Vulnerable Witness Training
- Direct Public Access qualified (Bar Council)
- Equality, Diversity and Fair Recruitment training (Bar Council)
- Qualified Pupil Supervisor (Bar Council)
- Football Association Disciplinary Panel member at County level
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn
- Criminal Bar Association
- British Association for Sport and Law (BASL)