About Us

Chris Bennett – Specialist Criminal Defence Solicitor

Partner

Having qualified in 1991, Chris Bennett has worked as a criminal defence solicitor ever since, representing clients facing all types of criminal offences.

Chris Bennett has an excellent reputation for successfully defending clients in criminal cases in London, Northampton and the Midlands.

Cases of Note

Mr Bennett has acted as defence solicitor in the following criminal cases of note:

  • R v R – allegation of murder – client alleged to have murdered lodger and dumped body in the Thames.
  • R v B – Conspiracy to import 12 tonnes of cannabis into the UK. SOCA investigation. Trial at Southwark Crown Court – client acquitted.
  • R v Northampton Magistrates Court – successful Judicial Review of the Magistrates misuse of thier power to vary sentence under the “slip rule”. This resulted in the release of the defendant from prison custody.
  • R v L – SOCA led investigation discovered a cannabis “factory” set up at his workshop. This led to charges of Conspiracy to produce a class B drug , cannabis. The client was acquitted after a six week trial.
  • R v M – Leicester Crown Court – Client was alleged to have hacked into Servers of a large entertainment company and then copied a large quantity of unreleased music and video material.
  • R v W – Client alleged to have been a senior member of a Hacking group who organised a Distributed Denial of Service Attack on PayPal and a number of other well-known companies. Prosecuted for computer misuse and failure to supply computer keys following RIPA request.
  • R v M – Client alleged to have run an advanced fee fraud from Spain worth upwards of £3million. The prosecution was discontinued before trial following service of the Defence Case statement.
  • R v H – Leicester Crown Court – Client charged with conspiracy to cultivate cannabis and money laundering. The client was acquitted after a 10 week trial.
  • R v H – Wood Green Crown Court – The client, a chartered accountant, was acquitted of a £45 million tax fraud following an eight week trial. All the co-defendants were convicted.

Sarah Colby – Specialist Criminal Defence Solicitor

Assistant Solicitor

Sarah Colby qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and has practised exclusively as a criminal defence solicitor ever since in Northampton, Bedford, Luton, St. Albans, Watford and London. She attained her higher rights of audience in 2005, and acts as a criminal defence advocate both in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court.

Sarah Colby has been a court and police station duty solicitor for 18 years, and deals as a defence solicitor with criminal cases at all levels of seriousness. She is a fearless defender of her clients’ rights both at the police station and in court.

Cases of Note

Miss Colby acted as defence solicitor in the following criminal cases of note:

  • R v W – murder case involving alibi witnesses whom Sarah Colby contacted persistently and met with out of hours to take statements. At trial the Judge directed a Not Guilty verdict having heard evidence from the defendant and the main alibi witness.
  • R v P – allegation of gang rape involving juveniles, where the defence was consent. The case was dismissed at trial following instructed counsel’s expert cross-examination of the complainant.
  • R v C – successful judicial review of the refusal by Ealing Magistrates Court to remove a police bail condition which excluded the client from her home. The High Court ruled that the Magistrates’ Court decision was disproportionate to the offence alleged, and the bail condition was removed.
  • R v V – murder case where the defendants were two brothers. The case went to the House of Lords on the issue of provocation.
  • R v E – seven-handed joint enterprise murder, conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to possess offensive weapons and violent disorder by juvenile defendants. Stabbing of a young Somalian.
  • R v M – case involving the murder and attempted murder of two Reading schoolgirls in a park
  • R v G – five handed allegation of conspiracy to commit armed robbery on two known drug dealers
  • R v S – renewed murder prosecution involving a mentally ill defendant who was unfit to plead at the time of the first prosecution.
  • R v P – multiple allegations of robbery and armed robbery by a 15 year old defendant.
  • R v T – allegation of murder by a father of his 11 year old daughter. Defendant suffered from previously undiagnosed Aspergers. Following assessment by a specialised expert instructed by Miss Colby, a plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility was accepted. Sentence reduced on appeal.