Anthony Orchard KC

Practice Profile

Anthony Orchard KC is a leading criminal silk, ranked in the latest editions of Chambers UK Bar Guide and the Legal 500 with a practice concentrated upon homicide, organised crime, serious fraud and sexual offending.  

He has appeared in excess of two hundred homicide trials at the Central Criminal Court and elsewhere, many involving allegations of multiple shooting, gangland murder and revenge.  These include R v Michael Philpott and others (the 2013 “Derby fire” case). 

He has extensive experience in prosecuting and defending homicide, organised crime, complex fraud, money-laundering, internet hacking, confiscation, sexual offences, human trafficking, importation and supply of drugs.  He is frequently called upon to advise clients under investigation. He defends cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority. Fraud cases undertaken have included Investor Fraud, VAT diversion, International Carbon Trading, "Boiler Room" frauds, "Ponzi" schemes and Insurance fraud.

He also advises individuals and businesses on a variety of topics including SOCPA contracts, PACE, PII matters, RIPA, Surveillance law, Abuse of Process, all Disclosure issues and many other issues.

Anthony's Privacy Policy can be downloaded here.

News

• Operation Tambo [Central Criminal Court] 2022

  Three Handed Murder

  Three-handed murder trial at the Central Criminal Court. First defendant charged with murdering a fellow resident at the YMCA hostel in Wimbledon. Two further defendants alleged to have helped him conceal the murder weapon in a vent. Case involved detailed analysis of hours of CCTV footage.  Instructed by CPS, Homicide.

  Led by Anthony Orchard KC

   

• R v Gopaul and Bannerman [C.C.C.] 2020

  Homicide

  Anthony Orchard QC led William Davis for the prosecution in a murder trial following an incident outside a nightclub in which a man was stabbed. After the killing the Defendant fled to Cyprus with the assistance of a friend, who was convicted of assisting an offender. The Defendant was extradited to the UK in 2019.

  Press coverage: 
   

• R v Bryan & Ahwan [Kingston] 2020 2020

  Murder

  Anthony Orchard QC led William Davis in the prosecution of two defendants for an incident in Kingston town centre in which a van was deliberately driven at one males, and another was fatally stabbed.

  Press Coverage here.

• R v SA [C.C.C.] 2020 2020

  Murder

  Anthony Orchard QC led William Davis in the prosecution of a defendant in connection with an incident at an all-night party in Aldgate in which one man was fatally stabbed, and three others were injured.

• R v. Donovan & Woolcock [C.C.C.] 2019

  Loss of control murder

  Anthony Orchard QC led Charlotte Newell for the prosecution in a murder trial involving two cousins for the murder of their great uncle. The first defendant alleged loss of self-control; both defendants convicted following a trial.

  BBC report here.

View All Cases

Notable Cases

• R v. Philpott & ors [Nottingham] 2013

  "Derby" fire case

  Anthony Orchard QC defended Michael Philpott, accused of starting the fire that led to the deaths of six of his seventeen children in his Derby home in May 2012. The case attracted massive media coverage. Issues dealt with included previous allegations of historic sexual assault and abuse; the defendant’s previous convictions for assault and attempted murder; his detailed background history; other historic character issues, mobile phone linkage and the admissibility of surveillance evidence