Trials

AUCKLAND TRIAL LAWYER

I am an experienced trial lawyer who achieves successful outcomes before juries and judges.

I have many years of experience successfully defending clients charged with all types of criminal charges – including murder, drugs, firearms, sexual violence, assaults, and fraud.

I take a careful and strategic approach to your defence. This means that I will thoroughly review and consider the evidence and make sure that you understand the case against you. I will then listen carefully to your instructions and find out how you want to run your defence. I will give you straightforward advice, make sure you understand your options and provide you with my recommendations. Finally, I will follow your instructions and work hard towards achieving the outcome that you are seeking.

It is not always possible to succeed on your own. A successful defence often requires a team approach. This means that I routinely instruct leading expert witnesses in New Zealand and abroad to review forensic evidence relating to DNA, drugs, ballistics, fingerprinting, toxicology, psychiatry and psychology. These experts often take a different view to the police or Crown experts and these differences can sometimes be the difference when it comes to achieving a successful outcome in your case. I also have strong established relationships with private investigators who I regularly instruct to follow up leads, find witnesses and help bring together the evidence needed to shape your defence.

I believe that trial outcomes are often determined by preparation driven by an absolute commitment to achieving the successful outcomes my clients are seeking. This means that you can be assured that I will work hard for you in preparing your defence and that I will do all that I can to achieve a successful outcome for you.

Selected Case Studies

R v S

My client and three of his friends were charged with wounding with intent to injure. At trial the defence was that the complainant was lying and that it was the complainant and his friends who were the aggressors and that they had accidentally injured him during the ensuring melee. The Crown failed to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt and my client was acquitted.

R v M

My client was charged with possessing class A drugs for the purposes of supply. I challenged the lawfulness and reasonableness of the warrantless police search of my client’s property that led to the drugs being found. The Court agreed that the search was unlawful and unreasonable and so the police could not rely upon evidence of the drugs found during the search. The Prosecutor offered no evidence, and the charge was dismissed.

R v T

I assisted Senior Counsel in the defence of a man charged with the murder of an inmate at Auckland prison. The jury in the High Court were not satisfied that the Crown had proven the charge beyond a reasonable doubt and so our client was acquitted of murder but convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter.

R v M

My client charged with rape. At trial the defence put forward was that the sex was consensual and that the Complainant had made up the allegation after regretting what took place. The Judge dismissed the charge after the Complainant’s evidence due to the inconsistences in her evidence.

R v S

My client charged with aggravated robbery. The evidence relied upon by the Crown was that the clothing worn by the offender was similar to the clothing worn by my client. Charge dismissed prior to trial due to there being insufficient evidence for the matter to proceed to trial.

R v A

My client charged with assault with intent to injure after an alleged assault outside an Auckland bar.  At trial the defence put before the jury was that the complainants had made up the allegations.  The jury returned a not guilty plea and my client was acquitted.

R v L

My client charged with injuring with intent to injure after he was alleged to be involved in a night-time street attack. At trial the defence put before the jury was that the complainant had made a mistake in identifying my client as the offender. The jury returned a not guilty plea and my client was acquitted.

R v T

My client charged with injuring with intent to injure after an alleged assault against a fellow party goer.   At trial, the defence put forward was that my client was acting in self-defence.  The jury accepted that my client was acting in self-defence and he was acquitted.

Police v S

My client charged with male assaults female on his ex-partner and proceeded to a judge alone trial. The charge was dismissed by the Judge at the end of the police case after a successful cross-examination highlighting the inconsistencies in the Complainant’s evidence.

Police v R

My client charged with assault on his wife following an argument over the custody of their children.  At the judge alone trial, the defence put forward was that the assault never happened and that the Complainant had made up the allegations to give herself an advantage in the upcoming custody proceedings.  The Judge was not satisfied that the Police had proved the charge beyond reasonable doubt and my client was acquitted.

R v W

My client was charged with assault with intent to injure and male assaults female after an alleged assault on his partner.  The defence put forward at trial was that the complainant had made up the allegations because she wanted to end the relationship and wanted my client to move out of her house.  The jury returned a not guilty verdict and my client was acquitted.

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