Overview
Edmund is a specialist criminal advocate, ranked in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500, and is a contributing editor to Phipson on Evidence. He was called by Lincoln’s Inn in 1997 and took Silk in 2019. He is a Deputy High Court Judge, assigned to the King's Bench Division, a Recorder of the Crown Court and the County Court, and is authorised to sit at the Old Bailey.
He both prosecutes and defends the full range of serious criminal offences, from complex tax and commercial fraud to allegations of murder, serious violence and other organised crime. His cases frequently involve multi-defendant trials with an international dimension, such as cross-border arms trafficking & brokering and corruption, and often raise substantial issues of jurisdiction, disclosure, and public interest immunity. He also regularly provides pre-charge advice on the strategy of responding to on-going investigations particularly into allegations of commercial crime.
Edmund is part of our Sanctions team.
Recent instructions and trials include:
- Re: TF, advising the beneficial owners of an off-shore company on the mechanisms by which overseas tax authorities can engage the assistance of UK law enforcement to obtain details of a company bank account held in the UK.
- R v. Betteridge, defending a young man accused of murder following a street fight. Leading Mark Florida-James. Following a 5-week trial in February 2024 the defendant was acquitted of murder.
- Op Barbados, prosecuting 24 defendants over four consecutive trials at Southwark CC between Sept 2023 and April 2025, arising from a sophisticated £20m VAT fraud.
- R v. Garay, defending a Peruvian national who lived in the UK, accused of murdering his girlfriend while on holiday in Peru. Fixed for a 4-5 week trial at Maidstone CC in July 2023. The case is believed to be the first murder trial to rely on s.72 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which allows certain violent offences committed abroad to be tried in the English courts. Leading Oliver Kirk.
- R v. RHB, defending a university student accused of murder following an argument in the deceased's flat. Fixed for a 2-week trial at Croydon CC in June 2023. Leading Alex Rooke.
- R v. West, prosecuting historic allegations of rape and other serious sexual offences committed against three young girls between 1981 and 2001. 3-week trial at Ipswich CC in April 2023.
- R v. Cranstoun, prosecuting the rape of a family member. Maidstone CC in January 2023.
- R v. Curtin, prosecuting murder where the defendant has longstanding mental health issues which raise issues of fitness to plead, insanity and diminished responsibility (for trial in early 2023). Leading Mark Mullins.
- Project Cortez, conducting the private prosecution of an ex-director of the corporate trustee of a private family trust, accused of defrauding it of over $1m. Listed for three-week trial at Southwark CC in June 2023;
- Op Demeter, prosecuting a conspiracy to supply prohibited firearms and ammunition, (tried at Southwark CC in October and November 2021). Leading José Olivares-Chandler.
- R v. Vengalis, prosecuting a man accused of murdering his wife (at Ipswich CC). Leading Ben Burge.
- Re: SFO v. S: Advising a former director of an international gas & oil exploration company on the SFO's jurisdiction over allegations of bribery and corruption in the awarding of overseas contracts by foreign states. The SFO withdrew all proceedings in 2022.
- R v. Hendrickson & others, prosecuting a six-handed murder at Basildon CC between March and April 2021. Leading Ben Burge.
- R v. Gould and others, leading for the Crown in a 'special court' convened by the Court of Appeal to consider the ambit of s.66 of the Courts Act 2003. Leading Jamie Sawyer.
- Re: A Trust: Advising a billion-dollar off-shore trust on its remedies and response to the seizure of its records by law-enforcement agents, and allegations of large-scale tax fraud.
- Op Afterburner, advising on the on-going investigation into the unlicenced supply of fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, battle tanks, radar defence systems and huge quantities of assault rifles and ammunition to embargoed or sanctioned states in Africa and the middle east.
- R v. Onions & others, a £5m conspiracy to cheat the revenue, plus associated Directors' Disqualification offences (listed for 8-10 weeks at Southwark CC). Leading Nick Jones.
- NCA v. Filat, representing an overseas PEP in the first ever appeal against Account Forfeiture Orders (Southwark CC);
- R v. Palazu, defending a Romanian national with two previous manslaughter convictions who was charged with murder following a mass fight at a farm-workers' caravan site (3-week trial at Maidstone CC). Leading Oliver Kirk.
- R v. George & others, prosecuting a three-handed conspiracy to supply fighter jet parts to Iran (6-week trial at Southwark CC). Leading Don Ramble.
- R v. Hughes, a £7m conspiracy to cheat the revenue and money laundering (4-week trial at Southwark CC). Leading Serena Gates.
- R v. Katabarwa & others, a six-handed conspiracy to commit multiple armed robberies (9-week trial at the Old Bailey). Leading John Warrington.
Prior to taking Silk Edmund was First Junior Counsel to the Met Police, advising on its involvement as a Core Participant in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
Additional Information
Edmund is Chairman of the Kent Bar Mess, and is on the Executive Committee of the South-Eastern Circuit. Before coming to the Bar, between 1991 and 1995 he was a civil servant at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), where he was involved in investigating and prosecuting cartels, price-fixing and other anti-competitive practices.
Professional Panel Appointments
- A Deputy High Court Judge of the King's Bench Division
- A Recorder, authorised in crime (plus criminal appeals and serious sexual offences) and civil. Authorised to sit at the Old Bailey
- DV security clearance since 2007, with STRAP induction.
- On the SFO's panel of prosecution King's Counsel.
- Prior to taking Silk he was on both of the SFO’s A-panels of junior counsel, and on the CPS’s Grade 4 specialist panels for Fraud, Serious Crime, Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, and Proceeds of Crime.
- General Dental Council’s Fitness to Practice Panel member 2013-2017.
Awards
- Sir Thomas More Awards (Lincoln's Inn) 1996 & 1997.
- Ede & Ravenscroft Prize 1997.
- Buchanan Prize (Lincoln’s Inn Student of the Year) 1997.
Asset Forfeiture, Confiscation & Civil Fraud
Edmund provides experienced and practical advice to clients in confiscation proceedings, and in applications for Restraint, Freezing, Forfeiture or other Civil Recovery (eg Part 5 of PoCA etc). Please see his present and past cases (below) for further details.
Business Crime & Financial Regulation
Edmund is a specialist in financial and business crime cases. Please see his present and past cases (below) for examples of his work and experience.
Criminal Prosecutions - Private & Public & Inquests & Inquiries
Edmund undertakes Private Prosecution and Inquest & Inquiry work.
Sanctions
Edmund is part of our Sanctions team and accepts instructions in this practice area.
Professional Memberships
- Criminal Bar Association.
- South-Eastern Circuit.
- Kent Bar Mess.
- Fraud Lawyers' Association.
- Private Prosecutors' Association.
- Proceeds of Crime Lawyers' Association.
- Cybercrime Practitioners' Association.
Cases of Note
CURRENT & RECENT CASES OF NOTE
R v. Curtin (2022-23)
Prosecuting a fatal stabbing committed by a defendant with long-standing mental health issues. For trial at Basildon CC in early 2023. Leading Mark Mullins.
Project Cortez (2021-2022)
Instructed to conduct the private prosecution, brought by a private off-shore family Trust, of a former director of the corporate trustee who is accused of defrauding the Trust of over $1m. The matter is currently fixed for a three-week trial at Southwark in late 2022. Instructed by Mishcon de Reya.
Op Demeter (2021)
Prosecuting a conspiracy to supply semi-automatic firearms and ammunition, plus associated Serious Crime Act and money laundering offences. The investigation involved the deployment of UC police officers acting as buyers of prohibited weaponry, and the trial is fixed at Southwark CC for 5 weeks in October-November 2021. Leading Jose Olivares-Chandler.
R v. Vengalis (2021)
Prosecuting a man accused of murdering his wife, the mother of his 5 children, in April 2021. The trial is listed for 3 weeks at Ipswich CC in January 2022. Leading Ben Burge.
R v. Hendrickson and others (2021)
Leading Ben Burge in the successful prosecution of a six-handed armed raid on a cannabis factory in Essex, in which a man was murdered and another nearly killed. Those convicted of murder and attempted murder (Hendrickson and Wright) received life sentences with a minimum term of 32 years each; all 6 defendants were convicted of aggravated burglary and were sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.
R v. JG and others (2021)
Instructed to lead for the Crown in a two-day 'special court' convened by the Court of Appeal. The Court was established to consider the ambit of the powers conferred on judges by s.66 of the Courts Act 2003, and considered four conjoined appeals including one involving an 18-year extended sentence imposed following a finding of dangerousness. The appeals raised issues of general importance, including the relationship between the respective jurisdictions of the Magistrates' Courts, the Crown Court and the Divisional Court, the Crown Court's ability to correct procedural defects in the Magistrates' Courts, and whether the Crown Court has a power to lay fresh charges or to amend existing ones, where a defendant has already pleaded guilty and been committed for sentence. Leading Jamie Sawyer of Red Lion Chambers.
Re: S (2020)
Advising a HNW individual on the merits of bringing a private prosecution, and on other suitable remedies for the recovery of over £1m, following their investment in a suspected 'Ponzi' fraud.
Re: A Charitable Trust (2020)
Instructed by a leading firm of off-shore attorneys to advise on the recovery of a charitable trust's internal records that were seized by police pursuant to a search warrant executed at the home of a former trustee/director.
R v. Palazu (2019)
Defending a Romanian national charged with murder, who had two previous convictions for manslaughter in his home country. Leading Oliver Kirk.
Re: B (2019)
Instructed to advise on the merits of bringing a private prosecution against public officials for their suspected criminal acts committed in the course of legal proceedings.
Re: P (2019)
Advising a HNW individual on potential criminal liability arising from business dealings in the UK with a foreign PEP currently under investigation abroad for corruption.
Filat v. The NCA (2019)
Representing an overseas PEP in their appeal against an Account Forfeiture Order obtained by the NCA over nearly £500,000 cash held in their UK bank accounts.
Re: A (2019)
Advising a senior company executive on allegations of involvement in large-scale bribery in return for substantial overseas contracts.
R v. Onions and 3 others (2019)
Prosecuting the joint investigation by HMRC and the Insolvency Service into a four-handed £5m VAT & PAYE fraud involving pre-pack insolvencies and phoenix companies. Leading Nick Jones.
Op A (2019)
Advising on an investigation into the bribery of company officers and public officials arising from the unlicensed sale abroad of gunboats, funded by the proceeds of large-scale government fraud.
Op Bash (2019)
Advising the CPS pre-charge on a 24-handed £100 million cross-border money-laundering operation. Leading Ini Udom.
R v. X (2019)
Advising a High Net Worth foreign national on the lawfulness of a Restraint Order and other measures taken against property held in the UK and elsewhere.
Op Barbados (2019)
Advising HMRC & CPS on the pre-charge investigation and preparation of a 30 suspect £30m VAT off-set fraud, involving tangible and intangible contra-deal chains supported by fraudulent off-shore banking platforms.
Op Afterburner (2019)
Advising the CPS’ Strategic Exports Division on HMRC’s investigation into the unlicenced supply of fighter jets, Surface to Air missiles (SAMs), helicopter gunships, battle tanks and other weaponry to Syria, Libya, Iran, Uganda and South Sudan.
Law Officers of the Crown (Guernsey) v. MS (2018)
Advising the MLRO of a Guernsey-based investment bank on the merits of the prosecution’s case, brought under Guernsey law, relating to offences of Money Laundering and Failing to Disclose. All charges were dropped in 2019.
R v. VWR International Ltd (Op Athenian - 2018)
Prosecution counsel in a case brought against a corporate defendant charged with the unlicenced export of controlled chemical compounds to Pakistan, Jordan, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
R v. Witham Specialist Vehicles Ltd (Op Ashby - 2018)
Prosecution counsel against a corporate defendant accused of illegally exporting ammunition carriers (DROPS vehicles) to Mali and Guyana.
R v. Alexander George & 3 others (Op Algebra - 2018)
Leading Don Ramble in a four-handed trafficking & brokering prosecution at Southwark Crown Court involving the unlicensed supply of fighter jet and other aircraft parts to Iran.
R v. David Hughes (Op Modcons II - 2018)
Leading Serena Gates in the prosecution at Southwark Crown Court of an ex-Tax Officer for a £7 millon conspiracy to cheat the revenue and money laundering operation.
OLDER CASES
Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing (Jan 2017-April 2019)
First Junior Counsel to the Met Police, preparing its evidential contribution to the Public Inquiry into the long-term deployment of undercover police officers since 1968. Led a team of 7 junior Counsel preparing evidence and submissions on all undercover deployments between 1983 and 1992.
R v. Mario Te (Op Mangerton - 2017)
Junior to Alan Kent QC prosecuting murder at the Old Bailey.
R v. Katabarwa & 5 others (Op Yena II - 2016-2017)
Leading John Warrington in the prosecution at the Old Bailey of 6 defendants for 10 conspiracies to rob banks & post offices, using loaded handguns and significant violence to staff.
R v. Hamer (2016)
Court-appointed advocate (Canterbury Crown Court) to cross-examine witnesses in appeal against conviction of mentally ill transgender woman convicted of posting untrue allegations of rape and child abuse against ex-partner and others.
R v. Ahmed & 2 others (Op Modcons - 2016)
Leading John Keal in the prosecution at Maidstone Crown Court of a number of accountants and businessmen on charges of conspiracy to defraud the UK Revenue of £7 million and money laundering.
R v. Baxendale-Walker (Op Celadon - 2016)
Leading David McNeill in the prosecution at Guildford Crown Court of a former solicitor, specialist tax advisor and media owner accused of forgery and fraudulently obtaining material for use in a £240 million civil action.
R v. Texieira (2016)
Trial at the Old Bailey of conspiracies to import and supply 300kg of cannabis worth £1.5m.
R v. Louca & 4 others (Op Closeknit - 2016)
Leading Faras Baloch (18 RLC) in the prosecution at Southwark Crown Court of 5 defendants charged with laundering £15m from large-scale cross-border alcohol diversion fraud.
R v Katabarwa & 4 others (Op Yena - 2015)
5-handed armed robbery at the Old Bailey, using loaded hand-guns.
R v. Gex (Op Creolize - 2015)
Prosecution at the Old Bailey of grooming of children via internet chat rooms and possession of indecent images of children.
R v. Springett & 3 others (Op Acapulco - 2015)
Joint prosecution by HMRC and Police Canterbury Crown Court of £800,000 fraud on gov’t agency providing funding for adult education courses.
R v. Akinluyi and 3 others (2014)
Leading John Keal in the prosecution of a 5-handed conspiracy to import class A drugs worth several million pounds concealed in the on-flight catering equipment of international airlines, using corrupt ‘air-side’ staff both in the UK and abroad.
R v. BC & DE (2013)
Acting for the Metropolitan Police in the application for forfeiture of money seized at the house of a man suspected to have been involved in funding Islamic terrorism in East Africa.
R v. Levy (a.k.a. Michaels) (2013)
Leading in the prosecution of a series of frauds which netted money, goods and services worth £1 million.
R v. Roe (2013)
The prosecution of a driver for a world superbike racing team for the importation into the UK of £2 million consignment of Class A and B drugs, a semi-automatic hand-gun and live ammunition.
R v. B (2012)
The prosecution of allegations of sexual assault and internet chat-room grooming of girls under 15 by a middle-aged man.
R v. Birch (2012)
The prosecution of the organiser of an importation of class A drugs worth over £3 million. The case relied on cell-site, ANPR, and international travel data to prove the defendant’s involvement. He pleaded guilty at the close of the prosecution case.
R v. Castle (2012)
The successful defence of man accused of being involved in the smuggling into the UK of £5 million of Class A and B drugs. His two co-defendants were convicted and received sentences of 20 and 17 years respectively.
R v. Sidime (2012)
The prosecution of a serial sex-offender and rapist for repeated attacks on young women at a back-packers’ hostel in West London. Victims and witnesses were flown back from New Zealand, France and Germany to give evidence that secured the convictions on all counts on the indictment.
R v. Rossiter (2011)
Successfully quashing the conviction of a young man for GBH, following his trial for attempted murder, by satisfying the Court of Appeal that the prosecution’s approach to disclosure had been fundamentally flawed leading to material non-disclosure at the trial. Led by Anthony Glass Q.C.
R v. Messent (2010)
The prosecution of the former director of a City reinsurance brokers guilty of paying over $2 million in bribes to foreign officials in return for government reinsurance contracts. Led by Hodge Malek Q.C.
R v Sarig & Freckleton (2010)
The prosecution of UK citizens for repeated and illegal supplies of heavy weaponry (eg automatic guns, aircraft ammunition and 500lb flare bombs) from Eastern Europe to Asia, Africa and South America. Led by Cairns Nelson Q.C.
R v Johnson & Owolabi
Laundering the proceeds of over £500,000 in Tax Credit fraud, involving over 75 false identities and 80 bank accounts.
R v Claydon and Muffet
The importation of 150 kg of cocaine. Led by Vivian Walters.
R v Teal and Jones
The illegal export of para-military equipment from the UK to Iraq and elsewhere in the middle-east. Led by Cairns Nelson Q.C.
R v Osman and others
Conspiracy to facilitate the international movement of illegal immigrants.
R v H
Historic allegations of the serious and repeated sexual abuse of a 14 year old with cerebral palsy.
R v Smith
The prosecution of the principal financier of an importation of over 60kg of amphetamine.
