Adrian is Head of Chambers at No5. He is one of the country’s experts in professional regulatory misconduct compliance. He is one of the few recognised nationally as a Leader in this Field by the legal directories.
He has represented professional people of all types; police officers from special constable to Deputy Chief Constable, solicitors, surveyors, doctors, teachers and University professionals, media professionals and financial professionals.
He is “first choice” leading counsel for the West Midlands Police Federation, and works for other Federations on almost all aspects of this work throughout the country. He has enormous experience in advising and representing officers at all levels. He represents officers in Misconduct Panels, and at all stages of the appeal process including the Police Appeals Tribunal, and Judicial Review.
He also regularly defends officers in the Crown Court, and in the Magistrates Court.
He is frequently instructed to represent professional people at both Inquest and Inquiries both with and without a jury. These include fatalities arising out of deaths in hospital, deaths in police custody, all manner of medical deaths, and even where an allegation of homicide has been made against the individual personally.
He has a particular expertise in misconduct in public office having represented reporters from News International in Operation Elveden, and prison officers in the leading case of Cosford. He has conducted numerous cases of MIPO where the allegation ranged from death in custody to the fabrication of evidence or on duty misfeasance. He represented officers is the “Plebgate” scandal and linked to the Investigation into Undercover Policing.
To these skills he adds the polished advocacy of an established Crown Court silk.
He takes pride in his relations with his client.
Other
Adrian is Head of Chambers at No5 Barristers' Chambers.
Adrian was educated at Warwick School and read law at Trinity Hall Cambridge. He is now a Governor of the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation.
He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1990 and made Queen’s Counsel in 2011. He is a Master of the Bench at the Inner Temple and serves on their International Committee.
Adrian has a lifelong passion for South East Asia. He is the Vice Chairman of the Anglo Thai Society and directed an FCO sponsored project to provide legal training to the Judicial system in the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao.
Adrian is an accredited mediator.
Recommendations
“Adrian can cut through volumes of material to break matters down to identify the key issues. He has a calm and unflappable manner with clients, opponents and panels.”
Legal 500 2023
Ranked as a Tier 1 leading silk in Professional Disciplinary Law
Legal 500 2022
“Adrian is an excellent all-round advocate. He is able to listen to the client and respond expertly to the needs of the case.”
Legal 500 2021
“He is fiercely bright and, whilst sensible, does not shy away from seeking results for clients that others may not dare to pursue. Always meticulously well prepared, he goes through the detail of his cases with a fine-tooth comb.”
Legal 500 2021
“He takes a tactical approach to cases and there is never a stone left unturned. His preparation and the tactics he deploy are second to none.”
Chambers UK 2021
Professional discipline (band 1) - “A highly regarded silk” “Adrian is a first-class barrister, who has an innate sense for the right tactical approach to a case and a magical touch with juries and tribunals”. “Charming to deal with and clearly knows his stuff”
Chambers UK 2020
Ranked as a Tier 1 leading silk in Regulatory, Inquests and Inquiries, and Crime - “a great tactician”
Legal 500 2020
Notable Cases
Operation Focus
Representing one of 6 officers accused of discriminatory conduct whilst on duty with Hampshire Police.
Inquest of Averil Hart (Norwich)
Representing the University of East Anglia in relation to a death of a student who had an eating disorder.
Re M (Birmingham)
Successfully challenged by threat of Judicial Review a CPS decision to disclose adverse findings against a serving police officer thereby damaging her career.
R v A (London)
Successfully advised a solicitor accused of improper fee billing thereby preventing prosecution.
Re L (London)
Successfully represented a police officer sued for fathering a child with an animal rights activist whilst under cover.
Re P (West Midlands)
Represented an officer charged with the mishandling of CHIS.
Re R (Westminster Magistrates)
Successfully represented a property development company and its director facing a private prosecution, and then obtained their costs on its discontinuance.
Re S (Carlisle)
Represented the Borough Council seeking the revocation of the licence of a taxi driver charged with a serious sexual assault on a passenger.
R v Greenfield and Others (Birmingham)
Successfully represented one of three serving officers charged with perjury at an Inquest into the high-profile death in custody of Kingsley Burrell. The case received a very large amount of media interest. The officer was acquitted at the Crown Court trial, and remained in post after a Misconduct Hearing.
Re G (Traffic commissioner)
Represented a major haulier for Amazon in proceedings before the Traffic commissioner seeking to revoke their operating licence.
R v H (Birmingham)
Represented a police officer charged with the attempted murder of his wife by strangulation.
R v W (Warwick)
Represented an architect accused of revenge porn.
Re L (High Court)
Represented a police officer judicially reviewing his dismissal, and also challenging the appeal findings of the Chairman of the Police Appeals Tribunal.
Middlesbrough Football Club (Nottingham)
Represented the Club avoiding payment of a quarter of a million pounds to a player intermediary convicted of fraud.
JF (Avon and Somerset Police)
Successfully represented an officer charged with creating a false account both in his written evidence and at a subsequent inquest in relation to a death in custody.
SRA v HM (Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal)
Represented a solicitor of 30 years charged with the misuse of client account money. The case was very complicated by the very large number of over lapping allegations made.
R v M (Birmingham)
Successfully represented an Assistant Chief Constable charged with criminal offences.
SRA v Williams
Appeal by a solicitor against the publication of a disciplinary sanction by SRA
DS Stuart Hinton (Warwickshire)
Successful defence of the officer charged with misconduct arising out of interviewing Andrew Mitchell MP over Plebgate. National media coverage.
R v Reynolds (Worcester)
Defence of a financial adviser charged with fraud. Overlap with FSA allegations.
R v W and R v F (Central Criminal Court )
Defending separate News International Journalist\s charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office as part of Operation Elveden.
R v O (Nottingham Crown Court)
Successful acquittal of officer charged with dangerous driving as part of an on duty pursuit. The judge described the policy as “not fit for purpose”.
R v F (Court of Appeal )
Leading authority on misconduct in public office.
Re B – (Worcester Coroners Court)
Represent a police officer investigated for the murder of his partner.
Inquest of Ian Terry (Manchester)
Represented several specialist Greater Manchester police firearms training officers in an inquest into the fatal shooting of a colleague in a training exercise.
R v W (Manchester Crown Court)
The acquittal of a serving police officer accused of assisting her son’s murder of the model and Hollyoaks star Amy Leigh Jones in Manchester.
Re C (Metropolitan Police)
Officer charged with misconduct arising out of News of the World sting.
Re F (West Midlands)
Officer re instated despite a drink drive alcohol reading of 144.
R v H (Leicester)
Prosecution of nine serving officers charged in relation to the high-profile death of Mikey Powell in custody. All acquitted.
Memberships
Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
Criminal Bar Association
Qualifications
MA (Hons) Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
