Tyrone Smith KC

Barrister

Tyrone is a highly experienced, highly sought-after Silk who has consistently defended in very serious, substantial and often high-profile criminal cases, including murder, large scale drug conspiracies, fraud and terrorism cases.

Recommended in Crime in Chambers UK and Legal 500

Over many years he has gained a reputation as a fearless advocate who is effective at cross-examining lay, professional and expert witnesses. He is adept at changing his approach and tactics to meet the wide variety of criminal cases he defends in.

He has a specialist knowledge of telecommunications evidence, including Encrochat and cell site.

Tyrone was elected as Head of Chambers in January 2023.

Recent Testimonials

"He is a very good practitioner and has dogged persistence on behalf of his clients." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
"Tyrone is a really well-regarded and effective barrister who fights for his clients." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
"He gets straight to the point, is very incisive and makes a terrific speech." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
"He is a fantastic advocate who is practical and his sense of humour makes him likeable to juries." Chambers UK 2025, Crime
"Tyrone's advocacy is top-notch. He has a wonderful way of appealing to the reasonableness of jury without appearing be partisan in advancing his own case. He is also tactically very astute and always plots a very good course through the case." Legal 500 2025, Crime
Recognised in Doyles Leading Criminal Law Counsel - London 2024 list.
"Realistic in his advocacy, he never tries to surmount the impossible." Chambers UK 2024, Crime
"He is a strategic mastermind, who has excellent legal knowledge and produces impeccable advocacy." Chambers UK 2024, Crime
"Very jury friendly and very succinct in his submissions - he has a nice, clear, direct manner." Chambers UK 2024, Crime
"Tyrone Smith KC is an impressive silk who routinely acts in murder, manslaughter, drugs and all manner of other serious criminal cases. He is particularly noted for his skill in motor manslaughter matters, and is an expert in telecommunications evidence." Chambers UK 2024, Crime
"Tyrone is a superb advocate who commands attention from and wins the respect of the jury. He is able to cut through to the issues in a case incredibly quickly and is not fazed by unexpected developments in a trial. He is also well abreast of the law and able to make concise but comprehensive legal submissions before a judge at short notice." Legal 500 2024, Crime
"A lawyer with tremendous insight who is brilliant with clients." Chambers UK 2023 , Crime
"He combines an approachable attitude with serious intellect and advocacy." Legal 500 2023, Crime
"A phenomenal jury advocate who is brave enough to throw a humorous line into a case and get the jury on his side." Chambers UK 2022
"Tyrone has a measured and determined approach and is extremely good with young and vulnerable defendants facing murder. He is a new breed of silk with a good thirst for PR and client management, both professional and lay. He is well-liked by his contemporaries and the judges and he is affable, warm and engaging in all that he does. He takes great interest in his juniors and whilst running an extremely busy and successful practice he maintains a hands-on approach to his cases." Legal 500 2022, Crime
"A very fine silk whose judgement is spot-on every time. He deals really well under pressure and is utterly unflappable." Chambers UK 2021
"A fearless advocate and beguiling charmer of judges and juries alike." Legal 500 2021
"He finds alternative angles in cases others fail to see." Legal 500 2020
"Tenacious and measured in his cross-examination." Legal 500
"He is persuasive and has a real knack for getting on with people." Legal 500
"An incredibly proactive and talented Silk who takes a thorough approach to his brief." Legal 500

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association

Homicide

R v Sengendo Defendant conducted a series of attacks against sex workers in North London. In one evening he abducted three women killing the third.
R v A. Russell Serial killer – on different dates the defendant murdered three people.
R v CL- Represented a young defendant charged of a doorstep stabbing on Halloween whilst wearing a horror mask.
R v K – Murder and two counts of attempted murder, following an altercation near a nightclub on Brighton seafront.
R v Fuller - murder of the brother of Grammy winning rapper 21 Savage with Rambo knife.
R v Robinson - Acted for driver whose lorry contained 39 Vietnamese people who died of lack of oxygen whilst sealed in a container.
R v Moustfa – Double murder. Defendant killed his wife and neighbour’s wife.
R v McKenna – murder of a 16 year old rival gang member at rush hour on a footbridge at East Croydon Railway Station.
R v Ali- Murder of cousin following a family dispute over land and property in Pakistan.
R v Kvedaras - Love triangle murder in which the defendant killed his partner’s ex-husband.
R v Bains - Gross negligence manslaughter arising from the failure of the landlord defendant to ensure that working smoke alarms were installed at the property. The consequence of an electrical fault in a television set in the bedroom meant that 2 small boys aged 3 and 2 who occupied the property both died.
R v Rhooms & Others - Multi handed murder. The victim was set upon and stabbed twelve times. Complex case, issues of bad character and cut throat defence.
R v Mohammadi – Defendant strangled an 80-year-old woman with a lawnmower flex and hid her body following a dispute between allotment holders.
R v Smith - Teenager accused with another of killing a youth worker who confronted drug dealers near Parsons Green Tube station.
R v Begum – Young woman with no previous convictions murdered her ex- boyfriend.
R v Hurry - Mother and son charged with the murder of their grandfather. The victim was bludgeoned to death in the bathroom with a metal bar.

Drugs

R v Dean Beaton – 18 handed drugs conspiracy in operation for 2 years involving 1 tonne of cocaine. Evidence included PGP and Encro devices.
R v Zeb Khan – 8 handed conspiracy to import 350kg of heroin from Pakistan into the UK. The cocaine was secreted inside heavy machinery to try and thwart Border Force X-ray machinery. The enterprise was the subject of significant covert surveillance.
R v Hollingdale - Conspiracy to import 120 kilos of cocaine, case notable for its alleged use of scrambled telephones.
R v Batliwala - Conspiracy to import millions of pounds of cocaine, cannabis and to evade duty on cigarettes smuggled within fruit and vegetables via a bonded warehouse situated close to Heathrow airport.
R v Dean - Conspiracy to supply cocaine throughout the Oxfordshire area.
R v Tarak Ahmed - Defendant imported and distributing 20 tonnes of chemicals such as benzocaine and lignocaine from China for use in the adulteration of class A drugs
R v Logan, Tate, Topsom, Iktilat, Wright and others –. The drugs supply involved over 85 separate multi-kilo importations of class A drugs. The money laundering side of the investigation involved the distribution of millions of pounds worth of high value Euro notes
R v Couchman, Mills, Bowler – The cannabis was imported from Holland by lorry using the cover of legitimate wholesale flower businesses. The imported drugs were then distributed from lock up garages in south London. The annual turnover of the conspiracy was estimated at £45 million.
R v Hassan & Others – Conspiracy to import wholesale quantities of class A drugs using a light aircraft to fly from Belgium to Kent.
R v Dennis Smith - Conspiracy to import cocaine valued at over £12.5 million. The drugs were concealed on a coach carrying war veterans home from a visit to the cemeteries of France.
R v Gary Ward - Importation of 200,000 ecstasy tablets.
R v Matovic – Conspiracy to import ½ a tonne of controlled drugs by yacht.
R v Dar & Yilmaz – Conspiracy to import £100 million worth of heroin. The re-trial, following a successful appeal, involved the first application made for trial without jury.
R v Gavin Hunt & Others - Importation of Class A drugs (500 kilos of cocaine). The drugs were concealed in coconuts and imported into Spitalfields market.
R v O'Connor, Hanley, Wright - Conspiracy to import cocaine valued at over £800 million. The case also involved the laundering of the proceedings through horse racing.

Serious Driving Matters

R v Joshua Dobby - High profile case of a drug addict who killed an aspiring child actor and his aunt during a police chase whilst out on licence. Pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter. Following sentence , Her Majesty's Attorney General under section 36 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 applied for leave to refer to the Court of Criminal Appeal against sentence on the ground that it was unduly lenient. Dobby, R v (Rev 1), Court of Appeal - Criminal Division, May 24, 2017 [2017] EWCA Crim 775
R v Robert Brown & Another - Charged with causing the death of two young brothers in a suspected hit-and-run crash in Coventry. Awaiting trial
R v William Magee - Represented lorry driver charged with death by dangerous driving after an elderly cyclist died under the wheels of a delivery lorry. Expert evidence in relation to the use of on- board camera system and vehicle positioning.
R v Phillip Beadle - Represented lorry driver charged with death by careless driving involving the tragic death of a lady cyclist in central London. Further details.

Terrorism

R v Tarek Namouz – Defendant charged with terrorist funding offences. The defendant sent sums obtained from his hairdressing salon and COVID loans to Syria to fund a militia sympathetic to ISIS.
R v Tsouli – defendant acquitted of possessing terrorist material whilst a serving a prison sentence for previous terrorist offences.
R v M - Importation of firearms, including submachine and heavy machine guns by former member of the IRA in breach of Good Friday agreement.

Miscellaneous

R v J -Acted for a mother charged with allowing her 8 week old child to suffer serious harm.
R v Marvin Herbert - Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by offering a hideout for the notorious murderer Dale Cregan. Case involved extensive telephone cell site evidence throughout the UK and abroad.
R v Winchcole – A plot to rob a drug dealer of over £1 million worth of class A drugs together with a large quantity of cash. The defendants used to a satellite tracking device to follow the drug dealer. The downloaded data was cross-referenced with detailed cell site evidence to show the conspirators plan in action.
R v Andy Frain – Football violence defended well known Chelsea headhunter following large scale public disorder between rival Chelsea and Cardiff supporters outside Stamford Bridge.
R v Learco Chindamo – Defended man previously convicted of the murder of Headmaster Phillip Lawrence and charged with robbery whilst on licence.
R v Forbes, & Others – Sexual offences, this is now the guideline case on the recently amended IPP legislation.
R v Calderwood - the second trial relating to the robbery of "Graff the jewellers" in Bond Street where £40m of jewellery was taken.
R v David Joseph & Others - Robbery of "Graff the jewellers" in Bond Street where £40m of jewellery was taken in broad daylight and never recovered. The case was heavily reliant upon cell site analysis.
R v Carl Robinson - Firearms.
R v Purdey & Others – Conspiracy to manufacture and supply firearms which were said to have been used in over 40 shootings across the UK following first trial and imposition of sentences . The enterprise re-commenced whilst the key individuals were serving their sentences leading to a second trial.
R v Davenport & Others – The blackmail of QPR football club chairman Gianni Paladini. It was alleged that the defendant sought to force Mr Paladini to relinquish his shares in QPR by force, including the use of firearms.

R v Hollinshead - Defendant charged with fraud after having inflated his connections with the Saudi Royal family to lure potential investors into a variety of schemes including his fraudulent purchase of London Welsh RFC. Case involved complicated consideration of IP address analysis to demonstrate fraudulent use of email accounts.
R v MW - Solicitor charged with fraud by abuse of trust as a result of his fraudulent use of client funds.
R v Yanev - Fraud against the revenue in respect of a scrap metal business with a turnover £11 million.
R v Hamud Yassin - Multi-million pound fraud by trustees of a charity set up to protect the interests of asylum seekers.
R v Woolery - Fraud upon Royal Marsden Hospital Trust of £640,000 from funds earmarked for specialist medicines used in the treatment of cancer.
R v Webber - Multi million pound fraud orchestrated by a teenage schoolboy investigated by the Police Central eCrime Unit. He created an online trading platform called ‘Ghostmarket’ for the sale of stolen credit card details and computer malware. It additionally offered tutorials in the commission of computer based crime. The case involved highly technical and complicated evidence.
R v Ray Woolley - Crime arising out of disputes over the proceeds of £38 million Mtic fraud.
R v Q.Khan - VAT fraud relating to fraudulent reclaims on business properties.
R v Whetstone - Multi million pound boiler room fraud operated from Spain.
R v Hussein - Multi million pound international pharmaceutical fraud involving the distribution of wholesale quantities of counterfeit medicines into the NHS and chemists.
R v Rogalski & Others - Defendant charged credit card fraud, said to have involved potential losses of £170 million.
R v Takkar - MTiC fraud £5 million.
R v Agwu-Jones - Corruption and fraud in respect of Local Government contracts for the London ‘Cycle network’.
R v Godfrey & Others - £5milion tobacco diversion fraud.
R v Thorne & Others - Alcohol diversion fraud causing loss to the exchequer of £4million.