SPECIALISMS
Police Misconduct, Crime, Inquests and Licensing
EXPERTISE
Police Misconduct
Steven specialises in all aspects of Police Misconduct and is instructed to advise on behalf of Police Officers and Police Authorities.
He regularly represents Police Officers and Police Authorities at Misconduct Hearings, Police Appeal Tribunals, and in Judicial Review proceedings.
Recent Police Misconduct cases
Representing Police Authorities
Northamptonshire Police v PC Cowie & PC Taylor (2025) – successfully presented against 2 officers who faced allegations of Discreditable Conduct, which resulted from their off-duty drunken behaviour in a McDonalds restaurant. At the conclusion of a 3-day hearing the allegations were found proved and both officers were dismissed.
Northamptonshire Police v PC Dumbarton (2025) – the officer faced allegations of serious sexual assault on a female while off-duty. The officer had previously been acquitted in criminal proceedings. At the conclusion of a 4-day hearing the allegations were found proved and the officer was dismissed.
Northumbria Police v PC Warmington (2024) – successfully presented against an officer who faced allegations of driving his private vehicle without a valid MOT, and telling lies about his use of the vehicle to his supervisor. All allegations were found to be proven, resulting in the officer’s dismissal.
Northumbria Police v PC Teasdale (2024) – successfully presented against an officer who faced allegations of breaching the Confidentiality SPB. Following the officer’s dismissal, the officer appealed to the PAT. Steven successfully represented the AA at the PAT, which concluded with the appeal being dismissed and the panel’s outcome finding being upheld.
Leicestershire Police v PC Cooke-Wilkinson (2023) - successfully presented against an officer who faced allegations of sexual touching/inappropriate conduct while off-duty. The officer appealed the panel’s outcome decision of dismissal to the PAT. Steven’s written response to the appeal notice resulted in the appeal being dismissed, without advancing to a full PAT hearing.
Representing Police Officers
Former PC Cole Barratt (2024). Mr Barratt faced allegations of sexually touching a female officer while off duty. During cross-examination, the female officer and the AA’s other witness were found to have provided completely inconsistent accounts. The panel found that the allegations were not proved and dismissed the case against Mr Barratt.
DC A (2024) represented a male officer who faced allegations of being sexually inappropriate towards a junior female officer on several occasions. Following cross-examination of the female officer, the panel concluded that the AA’s case was not proved and dismissed the case against the officer.
DS D (2024) represented officer who faced allegations of stalking his ex-wife, conducting unauthorised checks on police computer systems, and using racist & offensive language when speaking with a junior officer. Following cross-examination of the AA’s witnesses and the officer’s own evidence, 3 of the allegations were found to be not proved. A single allegation of confidentiality was found to be proven but to amount to misconduct only.
PC N (2024) represented officer at Accelerated Misconduct Hearing. The officer faced allegations of sending/receiving inappropriate messages, via WhatsApp, that breached the Equality & Diversity, ARC, and Discreditable Conduct SPB. Following written and oral submissions the officer was not dismissed and received a Final Written Warning.
PC X (2024) represented former officer who faced gross misconduct allegations of Equality & Diversity, ARC, and Discreditable Conduct. The allegations emanated from comments allegedly made while off duty on a train journey. Following cross-examination of the AA’s witness, the panel concluded that 2 of the allegations were not proved and those that were proved amounted to misconduct only.
DI D (2022) represented an officer who faced allegations of Honesty & Integrity and Discreditable Conduct, relating to the alleged suppression of disclosable material. Following discussions regarding the quality of the evidence, on day 1 of the hearing the allegations were withdrawn and replaced with a single allegation of Duties and Responsibilities. The officer received a written warning.
DCI X (2020 - 2021) represented an officer who faced allegations of Discreditable Conduct and Equality & Diversity, regarding messages recovered from another officer’s mobile phone. Following detailed submissions relating to the Equality Act 2010, the allegations against the officer were re-assessed as misconduct only. Steven represented the officer at the Misconduct Meeting of behalf of the local Federation. The officer received a written warning.
PC X (2020 to 2022) represented an officer facing allegations including multiple breaches of Honesty & Integrity. Following a 5-day Misconduct Hearing, the Panel found 1 allegation of Honesty and Integrity to be proved and issued a Final Written Warning. Steven represented the officer in Judicial Review proceedings, where the High Court rejected the AA’s application to have the Panel’s outcome determination overturned.
Criminal Law - Recent Police Cases
PC B (2024) officer faced allegations at the Crown Court of ABH and sending of an indecent image without consent. Both allegations were off-duty within a domestic context. Applications were advanced to exclude the prosecution’s evidence in the case, which resulted in the prosecution offering no evidence and not guilty verdicts being recorded.
Chief Superintendent X (2023) officer faced allegations in the Magistrates’ Court of common assault. Following a contested trial the officer was found not guilty of all charges.
Criminal Law
Steven has a busy defence practice, covering a wide range of cases in the Crown Court including: homicide; serious violence; robbery; drug conspiracies; and sexual offences.
Recent Criminal Cases
R v LT (2024) successfully represented client charged with armed robbery. Client’s DNA, in blood, was recovered at the crime scene. Client’s previous convictions for armed robbery were adduced as evidence of his bad character. Following a 5-day trial, the jury acquitted Steven’s client.
R v AM (2024) successfully represented client charged with 2 counts of rape. Following 5-day trial, the jury unanimously found client not guilty on both counts.
R v DC (2024) successfully represented client charged with using an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and 2 counts of sexual assault. Jury unanimously found client not guilty on all counts.
R V K (2024) successfully represented client charged with attempt rape. Following a 3-day trial the jury unanimously acquitted clint in less than 20 minutes.
R v LH & Other (2023) led by Toby Hedworth K.C. in murder trial. Client was accused of murdering and disposing of victim in a shallow grave. Jury acquitted client of murder and convicted him of manslaughter.
R v IL & Others (2022) led by Toby Hedworth K.C. in multi-handed murder trial. At the conclusion of the Crown’s case, Steven drafted an application to have the case withdrawn from the jury because the identification evidence was inadequate and unsupported. The application was successful, which resulted in client’s acquittal.
R v SR & Others (2022) led by Toby Hedworth K.C. in three-handed murder trial. Client admitted stabbing deceased but claimed it was in self-defence. Jury acquitted client of murder and convicted him of manslaughter.
R v TS (2022) successfully represented defendant charged with assault by penetration. Following 5-day trial, involving detailed cross-examination of the complainant and police officers’, about the quality of their investigation, my client was acquitted by the jury.
R v CD (2022) successfully represented client charged with GBH with intent. The allegation was that my client had bitten part of another man’s ear off. Following a 3-day trial, involving expert evidence, my client was acquitted by the jury.
R v ST (2021) successfully represented defendant in a multi-handed conspiracy to supply heroin trial. On day 15 of the trial, the prosecution offered no evidence. The prosecution’s decision to offer no evidence was caused by my protracted, detailed disclosure requests, which the prosecution was unwilling/unable to respond to.
R v GM & RM (2021) led by Toby Hedworth K.C. in murder trial, representing the first defendant. On day 8 of the trial, immediately prior to the making of a submission that our client had no case to answer, the prosecution offered no evidence against the client, leading to his acquittal.
R v TC (2021) successfully represented first defendant in an armed robbery trial. The key issue was identification, specifically the police’s failure to comply with the provisions of Code D of PACE 1984. Following 5-day trial, which involved detailed cross-examination of the complainant and police witnesses, my client was acquitted by the jury.
R v GB (2020) represented defendant in an Aggravated Burglary case. Successfully argued that the Crown’s Facebook identification evidence was inadmissible, which led to the Crown offering no evidence.
Inquests
Steven has represented a variety of interested parties at Inquests, including families, private health care providers and NHS staff associations.
Licensing
Steven appears at the Crown Court in firearms licensing cases. He is instructed by individuals appealing Police Authority decisions and on behalf of Police Authorities.
EDUCATION & AWARDS
• Gray’s Inn Prince of Wales Scholarship
• Northumbria University Deans Award
• Northumbria University Best Advocate Prize on the BPTC
• LLB (Hons) - Nottingham Trent University (1993 - 1996)
• Distinction - GDL Northumbria University (2016)
• Outstanding - BPTC (2017)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Steven is a member of the Criminal Bar Association and the North-Eastern Circuit.
Prior to being called to the Bar, Steven worked for the police up to, and including the rank of Superintendent. Working predominately in the CID, Steven’s experiences included leading overt and covert major crime investigations and being appointed an ‘Authorising Officer’ under RIPA, where he authorised and reviewed a range of covert police operations.
Prior to joining the police, Steven played rugby professionally for Edinburgh and Bath.
Steven can receive instructions direct from the public or businesses through the Bar’s public access scheme.
