Career Overview
He has led and been led in complex cases of murder, serious cases of sexual offences, drugs and complex fraud. He is a respected and accomplished advocate whose practice encompasses all areas of serious crime. He is a committed barrister with a strong sense of justice which tries to pursue with a down to earth approach.
Rod builds a strong rapport with both lay and professional clients, based on industry, attention to detail, strategic acuity and tactical good sense. He has an effective courtroom manner and gives sensible, realistic advice in a straightforward and uncompromising manner. He is responsive, calm under pressure and has an ability to connect with all throughout proceedings.
Rod has appeared in the Court of Appeal on numerous occasions, successfully overturning convictions and reducing sentences. He has been instructed to provide advice and conduct appeals in cases where he was not trial counsel.
Areas of Expertise
Murder/Manslaughter/Serious Acts of Violence
Drug Trafficking/Importation
Fraud/Conspiracy/Money Laundering
Serious Sex Offences/Historical/Young, Vulnerable Defendants and Complainants
Notable Cases
G Isleworth CC
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Attempted murder during drunken argument by defendant who had recently been profoundly disabled by stroke
G Maidstone CC
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Alleged attempted murder in town centre by male who slit throat of one man and slashed the face of his brother.
D Croydon CC
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Historic rape and sexual abuse of two child victims - five year old daughter and four year old friend of family.
K Kingston CC
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Teenage boy accused of sexually assaulting a female child relative five years previously.
A Woolwich CC
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Man in his seventies tried with raping and sexually assaulting nine year old boy thirty years previously, the boy having subsequently been convicted of murder.
S Croydon CC
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Step-father accused of historic sustained sexual assault on ten year old step-daughter.
R CCC
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Murder of eccentric millionaire by group of employees.
K CCC
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Illegal entrant tried for murder of male carer in Hyde Park.
S CCC
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Killing of female by her lodger and leaving body undiscovered for two months. Issues of causation – murder/manslaughter.
P ILCC
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Teenage male accused of raping U13 girl whom he met online and sexually assaulting U13 boy while visiting his home
S Snaresbrook CC
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Sexual assaults by care worker on designated patient.
A Croydon CC
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Minicab driver accused of raping female fare and subsequently indecently assaulting two further female fares.
K ILCC
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Suspected gang rape of female in park exacerbated by further rape of victim by male rescuer
A Leeds CC
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Practising solicitor accused of conspiracy to defraud mortgage lenders involving multi-million pound inner city development and numerous residential properties.
F Manchester CC
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Systematic fraud upon health authorities by owner of numerous care homes.
Z CCC
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Multi-million pound international fraud upon American computer systems manufacturer using false warranty scheme.
J Preston CC
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Serving police officer accused of misusing authority to seize CCTV showing an alleged assault incident involving an eminent professional footballer.
L Kingston CC
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An interpreter assisting a government department, accused of blackmailing someone for whom he was interpreting and arranging a bribe for a foreign official attending the UK in furtherance of an inter-state protocol.
N-S Croydon CC
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Young woman accused of conspiring in county line drugs enterprise operated in London to supply the west country.
K Isleworth CC
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Man in his twenties accused of supplying class A drugs to schoolboy who consequently died
L Woolwich CC
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Estate agent tried for allowing his managed properties to be used as cannabis farms. Subsequently a POCA application for £1.4m was settled for £70k.
Other Information
Beyond his practice Rod has a love for cooking and travelling and has discovered that some Erging and regular yoga practice are, if nothing more, the antidote to the compulsive distraction of supporting Chelsea.
