Fri, 21 Jun 2019
Two QCs and a barrister from No5 Barristers’ Chambers have been involved in a murder trial which saw a man sentenced to a life term for shooting his estranged wife.
David Mason QC and Earl Pinnock appeared for the prosecution in the trial of Andrew Hooper who shot Cheryl Hooper, 51, twice while she sat in her Land Rover Evoque on her drive in Newport, Shropshire.
Hooper, 46, represented by Phil Bradley QC, had denied murder. He was found guilty by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court and will serve a minimum of 31 years.
The court heard that Mrs Hooper had pulled up outside her home where she lived with her daughter, Georgia Hooper, 15, when she was killed on January 26 last year. Hooper pulled up behind them in his silver Land Rover Defender.
The jury heard that Hooper, who had a 400-acre farm, was able to follow the movements of his wife after fitting a tracking device to her car, without her knowledge.
The defendant shot Mrs Hooper in the neck from around 5ft (1.5m) away after smashing the glass in her car window.
Hooper, who weeks earlier signed over all his licensed guns to a friend after three suicide attempts, left the scene before later turning the gun on himself. He suffered severe facial injuries and has lost the ability to speak.
Following the verdict, it emerged that Hooper was also given a suspended sentence in 2004 after breaking into his first wife’s home and threatening to kill her.
To read more about the case, visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-48720940
David Mason QC, Earl Pinnock and Phil Bradley QC are all members of the Crime Group at No5 Barristers’ Chambers.
