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Jeffrey Samuels QC
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Personal Profile
CLICK HERE for Jeffrey's Criminal Law profile in PDF format.
Northern Circuit Lead Advocacy Trainer (Crime)
Member of the Serious Fraud Office's panel of prosecuting Counsel (QC Panel)
Having established a successful practice in serious and complex criminal and regulatory cases, together with a reputation as a highly effective and well-respected advocate, it was a well merited honour when Jeffrey was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2009.
He is noted in the 2010 edition of Chambers and Partners as "a very busy silk" who "has recently been involved in a number of Class A drug supply, serious sexual assault, money laundering, conspiracy, manslaughter and murder cases."
The Leader of the Criminal Group in Chambers, Jeffrey has over the years proved to be a “very useful operator” (Legal 500), exercising his “very fine judgment” (Chambers & Partners, 2009). Although instructed in many notable trials, he is perhaps best known for his success in representing Barry George (convicted of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando) through the CCRC, his successful appeal against conviction culminating in his acquittal at the Old Bailey in the summer of 2008.
Since then he has been instructed to act, amongst others, for Colin Norris, the nurse convicted of murdering 4 of his elderly patients, in his attempt to overturn his conviction and latterly for Levi Bellfield, convicted of the so-called bus stop murders in South London and now charged with the murder of Milly Dowler (click here for the BBC coverage related to this case).
Areas of Expertise:
Email: clerk@stjohnsbuildings.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 214 1500
Crime
R v Hargreaves (2010). Successfully persuaded a jury that the defendant, who deliberately started a fire in the bedroom during a drunken fight with his wife, killing three of his children, should be convicted of manslaughter rather than murder. Click here for BBC coverage of this case. Click here for Manchester Evening News coverage of this case.
R v Petros Williams (2010). Appeared on behalf of the defendant, a Zimbabwean national, at his trial for the murder of his children aged 2 and 4 after they were discovered lying in bed with ligatures around their necks, with the defendant lying next to them. Click here for The Guardian's coverage of this case.
R v Cooper (2009). Defendant convicted of manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility after severing his ex-partners’ head with a kitchen knife in front of their children. A complex sentencing exercise involving the little used s.45A of the Mental Health Act’s hybrid order (hospital and prison). Click here for the BBC coverage of this case. Click here for the "This is London" coverage of this case.
R v Reszpondek (2009). Acted for a Polish man arrested for the murder of an Indonesian woman after the discovery of remains buried in a field outside Wrexham. A huge police investigation involving expert forensic archaeologists, pharmacologists and pathologists, all requiring careful cross-examination. Click here for news coverage of this case.
R v Nichol-Andrews (2009). In addition to the above, Jeffrey was instructed to defend a social worker/foster carer charged with the systematic torture of children in her care. After his cross-examination of the complainants the Crown were forced to abandon the prosecution.
Maintaining the momentum, after a very busy first year in silk, during the coming months Jeffrey will be defending in a contract killing case in Sheffield and a so-called ‘honour killing’ case in Preston.
He is also receiving instructions in serious fraud cases, an area of his practice that he has been developing in recent years, appearing in a number of SFO cases along with heavy and complex matters of a similar nature locally.
In addition to heavyweight criminal cases, his advice is increasingly sought in respect of quasi-criminal and regulatory matters.
He has recently acted on behalf of a Detective Inspector at a Police Appeals Tribunal securing his reinstatement. He has appeared in the GMC in respect of a GP who over prescribed medication with fatal consequences. He has recently been appointed to the Attorney General’s list of QCs in respect of health and safety, environment work.