SPECIALISMS
Police Misconduct, Crime, Inquests and Licensing
EXPERTISE
Police Misconduct
Steven is frequently instructed to advise on all aspects of Police Misconduct 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.
Steven has also been instructed to represented student officers at Regulation 13 hearings; and to represent an officer at a Misconduct Meeting, on behalf of the local Federation.
Recent Police Misconduct cases
DC A (2024) represented a male officer at a Misconduct Hearing 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 proven and acquitted the officer on all allegations.
DS D (2024) represented officer at Misconduct Hearing 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 proven; and 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 at Misconduct Hearing who faced gross misconduct allegations of Equality & Diversity, ARC, and Discreditable Conduct. 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 proven and those that were proven amounted to misconduct only.
DI D (2022) represented an officer at a Misconduct Hearing facing 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 Following discussions regarding the quality of the evidence, on day 1 of the hearing the allegations were withdrawn and replaced with a single allegation of Duties and Responsibilities.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.
PS W (2022) represented an officer facing allegations including Honesty & Integrity and Discreditable Conduct. Following service of a robust initial response, the Honesty & Integrity and Discreditable Conduct allegations were withdrawn, and the remaining allegations were re-assessed as misconduct only. The case was concluded at a Misconduct Meeting by a member of the local Federation.
DCI X (2020 - 2021) represented an officer facing 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. Officer received a written warning.
PC A (2021) represented an officer at a special case hearing, facing allegations of Confidentiality and Discreditable Conduct. Following detailed submissions, the officer received a Final Written Warning.
PC X (2020 to 2022) represented an officer facing allegations including multiple breaches of Honesty & Integrity. Following a Misconduct Hearing, the Panel found 1 allegation of Honesty and Integrity to be proven 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 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 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 receives regular instructions to represent bereaved families at Inquests, particularly deaths within the Prison estate. Steven has also represented a variety of interested parties, including 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.
