Alex Rose is a highly experienced criminal defence practitioner and is widely recognised as a leading junior instructed in many high-profile trials and appeals in recent years. He is meticulously prepared, strategically astute and a fearless and skilful advocate, totally dedicated to the best interests of his client. He specialises in terrorism, homicide complex organised crime, and serious fraud cases.
Alex has been ranked again by Chambers and Partners for crime in the Chambers UK Bar Guide 2019 and in the Legal 500 2019.
Criminal Defence
Overview
Alex is a highly experienced criminal defence practitioner and is widely recognised as a leading junior having been instructed in many high-profile trials and appeals in recent years.
He is known for his thorough preparation and meticulous attention to detail. He is strong on legal submissions and displays flair in presenting a case before a jury. Alex is often instructed to represent vulnerable defendants, including those with learning disabilities and mental health problems, and young persons charged with grave crimes
Recent highlights include being instructed to act in high-profile terrorism trials involving: S indicted for directing terrorism, terrorist training, and engaging in preparatory acts of terrorism concerning a UK Plot; and MT alleged to have assisted her husband in engaging in act of terrorism concerning a plot to carry out a murderous knife attack in the UK. Alex has been instructed to act in three multi-handed murder trials to be tried at the Central Criminal Court; and is instructed as Lead Counsel in Operation Fort, an investigation concerning over 70 complainants of human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.
Notable Cases
HOMICIDE
R v G, Central Criminal Court, 2018 - Multi-handed murder trial concerning a young defendant - joint-enterprise post the Supreme Court decision in R v Jogee [2016] UKHSC 8;
R v K, Central Criminal Court, 2018 - Multi-handed murder trial
R v G, Central Criminal Court, 2018, - Multi-handed murder trial - high-profile murder committed during the course of a series of moped-enabled knifepoint robberies. This has been reported by The Guardian.
R v R, Isleworth CC - Multi-handed murder trial: R accepted manslaughter and was unanimously acquitted by the jury of the murder. This case has been reported by ITV News.
R v TRJ - Multi-handed murder by stabbing. Defendant acquitted of all charges: murder, manslaughter and wounding with intent. This case has been reported by the BBC.
R v G - Multi-handed murder by stabbing. Defendant acquitted of all charges.
R v MG - Attempted murder. Defendant acquitted of all charges.
R v Krasniqi - Attempted murder of Bosnian war-criminal Radislav Kristic by prisoners with political/religious motivation. Defendant acquitted of attempted murder. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v Spence - Murder of the son of the former Prime Minister of Somalia. The Defendant was acquitted of murder, manslaughter and wounding with intent. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v Brown - Attempted murder, aiding and abetting assisted suicide. Defendant sentenced to a Community Order. This case was reported by the BBC.
TERRORISM
R v MT - Assisting another to engage in preparatory acts of terrorism (UK Plot). MT sentenced to a determinate sentence. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v U - Directing terrorism, terrorist training, engaging in preparatory acts of terrorism (UK Plot). This case was reported by The Guardian.
R v K - Engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. Preparing to travel to Syria to join with IS. Co-Defendant convicted of UK plot: planning a murderous attack on military personnel at the Lakenheath US airbase. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v A - terror-related prison unrest and violence.
R v MA - terror-related prison unrest and violence.
R v Small - Engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorists acts; dissemination of a terrorist publication; support for a proscribed organisation. This was a high-profile trial of former Commonwealth Champion boxer - acquitted of all charges; this case was reported by the BBC.
R v C - fundraising for purposes of terrorism
R v A - fundraising for purposes of terrorism
Contact Alex
Financial Crime and Confiscation
R v K - Substantial POCA case concerning in excess of £100m with complex issues
R v L - Money laundering trial concerning £500,000 recovered from the back of car in which L was travelling in.
R v Douglas - Substantial money laundering case concerning millions of pounds. After legal argument concerning the legality of D's removal from Thailand, D sentenced to a confiscation order of less than £5,000 and a finding of no hidden assets. This case was reported by the Daily Record.
R v M - Multi-million pound fraud by false representation involving a letting agency.
R v K - Multi-million pound fraud by abuse of position involving multi-national companies.
R v Babatunde Akinlabi - Leading Junior for the first defendant in high-profile multi-handed £1 million Gumtree phishing fraud. Cut-throat defence and very similar previous conviction ruled admissible. Only defendant to be acquitted by the jury. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v Stewart - Fraud by false representation; Unprecedented and high profile multi-handed trial of private investigators. Acted for only acquitted defendant. This case was reported by The Independent.
R v Wilson - Complex fraud by investment banker.
R v Williams - Serious Fraud Office (SFO) prosecution of a multi-handed mortgage fraud running into millions of pounds.
R v Azam - SFO prosecution of a complex mortgage fraud by mortgage broker running into millions.
R v Bohat - Production of false identity documents; passport factory.
R v Latif - Fraud perpetrated on the trustee-in-bankruptcy.
R v Patel - First parent to be prosecuted under the Fraud Act 2006 for catchment area address fraud [acquitted]. This case has been reported by the BBC.
DRUGS/SERIOUS ORGANISED CRIME
R v JP - Multi-handed trial concerning allegations of trafficking persons to perform forced/compulsory labour/offences contrary to the Modern Slavery Act. This case was reported by West Midlands Police.
R v P - Conspiracy to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin. Drugs imported inside office furniture, which was handled by P, the manager of a freight forwarding company. P was unanimously acquitted by the jury. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v - Conspiracy to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into the UK using corrupt baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport. This case was reported by the BBC.
R v D - Conspiracy to supply three tonnes of cocaine outside of the jurisdiction. This case was reported by ITV News.
R v L - Operation Gesticulate - Multi-handed conspiracy to facilitate the arrival of asylum seekers into the UK for gain. After two aborted trials and a hung jury, a jury finally acquitted L after the CPS decided to try her for a fourth time! L had been the longest prisoner on remand in the UK.
R v Soltani - Multi-handed conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law - The use of forged documents to leave a member state in order to enter the United Kingdom does not make the entry into the United Kingdom illegal unless those documents are presented to immigration officials so as to practice deceit to secure entry (Kapoor and Naillie applied and Bina distinguished) - legal argument led to prosecution offering no evidence and NG verdicts.
R v A - Conspiracy to supply six and half kilograms of heroin.
R v L - Conspiracy to supply industrial quantities of cocaine.
R v MA - Multi-handed conspiracy to supply heroin.
R v CB - Multi-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine.
R v Capone - 'Operation Ettrick' Conspiracy to supply 20 kg of Class A drugs.
R v Shaksy - 'Operation Steel'; Conspiracy to import three kg of cocaine.
R v Ghafur - Conspiracy to import large quantities of heroin into the UK from Pakistan concealed inside the mooli vegetable [acquitted]. More information can be found on the Metropolitan Police website.
R v Capone - Limited role in drugs conspiracy; ring-fencing benefit.
R v Solanki - Erroneous application of lifestyle assumptions
R v K - Conspiracy to supply 11.5 kg of cocaine; SOCPA agreement
R v Lindsay - Multi-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine; admissibility of text messages [acquitted]
OTHER SERIOUS VIOLENCE
R V S - Multi-handed conspiracy to commit armed robberies of bookmakers
R v N - Multi-handed conspiracy to commit blackmail and false imprisonment [acquitted]
R v MO - Armed robbery
R v Mfinda - Multiple stabbings; DNA evidence [acquitted]. This case was reported by the Harrow Times
R v Driouch - Operation Withern; August riots
R v McGlue - Operation Withern; August riots [acquitted]
R v Bowman - Operation Intrados; gang violence
R v Simmonds - Operation Hemah; Cash-in-transit robberies
R v Williams - Possession of an arsenal of prohibited firearms/ammunition [acquitted]
R v Taibi - Cash-in-transit robbery [acquitted]
R v Sweeney - Armed robbery; DNA evidence [acquitted]
R v Kane - Wounding with intent; nightclub glassing [acquitted]
R v Zulfiqar - Wounding with intent; stabbing [acquitted]
SEXUAL OFFENCES
R v C - Historic familial rape and sexual activity with children involving abuse and severance arguments
R v D - Historic familial rape and sexual activity with children
R v JD - Attempted rape, kidnap, sexual assault; DNA cold case review;
R v SC - Sexual assault; child complainant
R v Gent - Rape, assault by penetration [acquitted]
R v Nhamoinesu - Assault by penetration [acquitted]
R v Ghirmay - Rape [acquitted]
R v Scott - Rape; abuse of process by delay [stayed]
R v Barrett - Rape, sexual touching; child complainant [acquitted]
R v Barakat - Sexual assault; child complainant [acquitted]
R v R - Rape, sexual assault; child complainant
OTHER CRIME
R v El-Togby - Public order; counter-protest against the EDL [acquitted]. This case was reported by the BBC
R v K - K detained in UK prison pending extradition to Algeria having been convicted in absentia for inter alia corruption; charged with supplying drugs [acquitted]
R v Mohammed - Prohibited firearm; exceptional circumstances found
R (Terry Adams) v SS for Justice & NPS - Judicial review of licence and MAPPA conditions; Head of well-known Adams family; high level of media scrutiny relied on by defendants to justify the MAPPA Level 3 designation for TA for money laundering offence. This case received national press coverage
Contact Alex
Criminal Appeals
R v S - Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs - ongoing
R v Ajufo-Roque, 2018 EWCA Crim 232 - Supplying prohibited firearms - report by David Dyson - sentenced reduced from 80 months to 68 months
R v Collier, 2018 EWCA Crim 685 - Production and supply of cannabis - sentence reduced from 60 months to 27 months enabling the release of the appellant
R v M - CCRC Appeal against conviction - defective directions: failure to mention facts relied on and alibi
R v L, 2016 EWCA Crim 170 - Appeal against conviction - wrongful admission of bad character evidence
R v KB, 2014 EWCA Crim 1326 - new post-LASPO Extended Sentence quashed and determinate sentence substituted, for conspiracy to commit robberies using imitation firearms
R v Simon Benton - IPP quashed and extended sentence substituted: R v Simon Benton [2014] EWCA Crim 108
R v AD - August riots sentence; unduly disparate
R v BA - Appeal against IPP
R v GM - CCRC Appeal against conviction; erroneous inference from silence direction
R v CB - Appeal against rape conviction; fresh evidence
R v Richards - August riots sentence; unduly disparate
R v Brown, 2011 EWCA Crim 838 - IPP quashed for determinate sentence;
R v Regan, 2012 EWCA Crim 1974 - Cost order; disparity
R v Mayhew, 2011 EWCA Crim 243 - Insufficient credit for guilty plea
R v Pack - Whether deed transfer is a gift caught by the CJA 1988. This case was reported by The London Evening Standard
R v McCann, 2009 EWCA Crim 1336- Distraction burglary on elderly; manifestly excessive
R (M) v Herts Constab, 2008 EWHC 2360 (Admin) - Habeas Corpus; manipulation of PACE clock
B v DPP, 2008 EWHC 1655 (Admin) - Appeal by way of case stated: Duty of plain-clothed police officers to produce documentary evidence even when suspect is well known (Archbold 2013, para. 15-54)
