Tom Price QC

Barrister

Criminal defence at all levels up to and including murder, serious sexual offences, serious fraud and serious drug offences. In addition, Tom Price is experienced in inquests, and police disciplinary proceedings, having been involved amongst others in cases involving death in custody and discipline proceedings in relation to Stoke Newington Police Station.

Leaves no stone unturned in the defence of his clients.Legal 500

Following the success of his lectures on the jury system in St Petersburg and Moscow in 2012, Tom Price QC has been invited back to St Petersburg to lecture on ' Raising professional skills of lawyers in business crime cases'.The lectures will be to Russian lawyers specialising in business crime and in association with the University of St Petersburg.They are the precursor to a training course and bi-lateral programme which is to be organised with the assistance of Tom Price and Rob Brown of Corker Binning.

Associated Work

Tom is an advocacy trainer at Inner Temple, training barristers in all areas of court practice procedure and presentation. He is also the Head of Pupillage and an integral part in the intense internal training programme we provide.
Recently Tom has provided external lectures in relation to disclosure, hidden assets, tactical approaches when defending and abuse of process

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Advocacy trainer for Inner Temple
South Eastern Circuit
Proceeds of Crime Lawyers Association (POCLA)
Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers (ARDL)
Fraud Lawyers Association (FLA)
Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA)

Tom Price QC has been involved is serious fraud work for many years. He was involved in the series of cases Operation Stockade and Fajita (linked to R v Early and others [2003]1 Cr.App.R.19,CA) and others which ultimately led to the setting up of the Butterfield report.
Operation Bulkhead - Alleged marketed tax avoidance scheme exploiting the tax relief available in respect f losses incurred in the development and pre production of films. Allegedly £263 million set aside for the development and pre production of films. The Crown claim that the scheme was marketed to high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors.
Operation Carp - Alleged variation of an MTIC fraud. The allegation is that the defendants were involved in the internet trade in carbon credits which involved the reclaim of VAT amounting to the loss of some £11,000,000 to HMRC. The case is multi jurisdictional.
R v AA & Others (Operation Finetune) - Instructed to represent the main defendant in one of the first cases of Film VAT fraud prosecuted.
R v M & Others - Money laundering fraud arising from the dishonest running of a number of bureau de changes in London. Losses said to be in the sum of £65,000,000. The central allegation was that a number of bureau were set up to launder the proceeds of MTIC fraud and that it was a continuation of a previous fraud that had resulted in a number of convictions previously. In addition there are allegations of the laundering of some £28,000,000 of money through the Libyan Embassy.
R v Straker & Others - 4 directors of various companies were charged with conspiracy to defraud arising from a ‘Land banking' scheme. Operating from premises in the City of London the defendants were alleged to have purchased plots of land which were then split up with the smaller parcels being sold off. The Crown case was that the defendants misrepresented the true value of the land and made representations that planning permission may be granted leading to a steep increase in value
R v H (Operation Euripus) - Highly significant MTIC fraud with the largest ever losses to HM Revenue & Customs, currently estimated at £250 million with money being siphoned off to various countries.
R v PB (Operation Tangelo) - Multi-handed prosecution, under the Fraud Act 2006, in relation to the criminality of the financial institution UMBS Online Limited and the individuals behind or connected to it.
R v JP (Operation Vaulter) - MTIC fraud, one of 19 defendants, facing counts of cheating the public revenue over a 3 year period of VAT of approximately £20 million.
R v Drewery & Others (Operation Gnawed) - This was a £47,000,000 VAT/Carousel fraud. Listed for three months the case was stayed for abuse of process due to various species of non disclosure by HMRC. Linked to the case of R v Olivier CA [2007] EWCA Crim.3483. Leading junior (2007).
R v Shamba & Others - Leading junior for the first defendant in 13-handed VHCC credit card and benefit fraud.
R v Wragg & Others (Operation Emmersed) - Alleged £55,000,000 VAT (MTIC) fraud with an actual loss of £20,000,000. The trials ran over some fifteen months, there being two trial trials of four months and nine months. The case received widespread national media attention particularly for the size of the confiscation awarded against the main defendant. Led junior (2005 -2006).
R v Lesser & Others - SFO prosecuted trial alleging a “churning” insurance fraud involving approximately £3.5 million. In addition there were allegations of money laundering involving Germany, Monaco and Spain. (2008) 6 week trial. Led junior.
R v Sudaharan & Others - Allegation of identity theft and the creation and use of over one hundred bank accounts together with false loans the fruits of which were filtered through a series of false companies and sent out India. (2009) Ten week trial. Leading junior.
R v Sourou & Others - An alleged case of mortgage fraud and associated money laundering. The case related to the bulk purchase of developments in the Thamesmead area of London, the fraud alleged to be in the region of £15,000,000. The trials lasted ten weeks. Junior alone. (2009). National coverage.
R v Hutton & Others - An investment fraud in which a company set up in the City of London invited investors from all over Europe to deposit money with them with the promise of high returns. The fraud eventually netted some £12,500.00 involving investors from, in particular Greece, Italy and Germany. Led junior (2009) National coverage.
Operation Stockade - A £120,000,000 operation by Customs into diversion fraud from Fort Patrick. The convictions were overturned by The Court of Appeal due to issues of disclosure and have led to a review of Customs procedure by Mr Justice Butterfield. (Leading junior)
Operation Fajita - A multi million pound investigation by Customs into the activities of London City Bond which ultimately led to the Butterfield Enquiry, in particular Operation Fajita parts 1 and 2, which involved the evasion of £35 million of excise tax on alcohol. Not guilty verdicts entered after lengthy abuse of process arguments. (Leading junior)
Operation Kismet - £7,000,000 importation of cannabis from The Czech Republic. (Leading junior)
R v Hassan - Multi-handed credit card fraud, the proceeds of which the Crown contended were used to fund Algerian terrorism.
R v Sadiq - One million pound plus pension fraud carried out by magistrate creating seventeen separate identities.
R v Mills & Others - Property fraud based on the South Coast involving three hundred plus properties.

Proceeds of Crime Act

R v Perez & Others - £40,000,000 money laundering operation using Bureau de change around London on behalf of Columbian drug cartels.

Notable Criminal Cases

R v Arthur and others - Conspiracy to commit armed robberies involving organised crime and use of “bugging techniques” by police.
R v Snowdon - Rape of woman abducted at the side of motorway. Unusual in that it was the first time cross- examination of a witness had taken place in relation to statements made to identify attacker whilst under hypnosis.
R v Eric Damoa - Serious aggravated burglaries and firearm offences. The case had national coverage as the victim in one case threw herself out of the third floor window of a house.
R v Fenton & Others - The defendant was one of a gang involved in the robbery of security of vans over a period of time. The case involved surveillance and cell site evidence. (2007). Led junior.
R v W - Indictment containing allegations of rape by a daughter against her father spread over five years.
R v Adi Kenyi - Six handed conspiracy to false imprison/rob using firearms and planed abduction.
R v Zhang and Others - Six handed snakehead kidnapping linked to people snuggling
R v Browning-Jones - Five handed historic sex ring in which a group of men systematically abusing young children.
R v Morrison - The defendant was charged with the murder of his mother. The case involved complex psychiatric and medical issues resulting in a manslaughter conviction. (2006) 6 week trial. Leading junior.
R v Damoa & Others - The defendant was charged with various offences arising from a series of aggravated burglaries involving firearms linked to a rival drug gang. The case received national press as a result of a victim in one of the cases throwing herself out of the top floor of the window of a house to escape the attackers. The case involved extensive use of cell site evidence.(2007). Leading junior.
R v Pryce & Others - Allegations of drug supply, firearms, blackmail and kidnapping. Having kidnapped the victim his family were blackmailed and the victim taken to an open grave for a staged execution. Described by the judge as one of the worst cases he had seen in forty years on the bench or at the bar. Three week trial (2008). Junior alone.
R v Dallen & Others - Allegation of child abduction involving organised agencies. The case was complicated by abuse of process arguments and cross jurisdictional issues involving the United States, Venezuela and the UK. The case received international attention due to the defendant's position as a supporter of President Clinton and his role as the Editor of a national newspaper in Venezuela. (2008) Junior alone.
R v Moore & Others - The defendant was one of a gang of 24 defendants who had been supplying cocaine from Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada into the UK over a period of years. There had originally been a trial involving 22 of the defendants; this defendant and another were extradited after convictions in relation to the other defendants. The trial lasted some ten weeks and involved issues relating to extradition, abuse of process and procedures relating to Trinidad and Tobago. (2009). Leading junior.
R v Clementson & Others - The defendant was said to be part of a gang distributing cocaine and cannabis from a premises in Brixton. The case involved probe evidence spanning some seven months and the distribution and supply of drugs throughout England. The trial lasted ten weeks. (2009). Leading junior.