Rupert Kent

Practice Profile

Ranked in the Chambers UK Legal Guide for both financial crime and crime, Rupert is a polished and sought-after barrister routinely instructed in the defence and prosecution of lengthy and complex cases involving financial crime, in particular in ‘white collar’ work, as well as in murder and other serious crime cases. He is regularly instructed as leading counsel, and also appears as a led junior or junior alone. He is a Grade 4 CPS General Crime Advocate Panel member, receives Serious Fraud Office instruction (being security cleared), and is public access qualified.

In relation to financial crime, Rupert is both a Grade 4 CPS Fraud Specialist Advocate Panel member and a Serious Fraud Office B Panel member, and has advisory and advocacy experience (for both the prosecution and defence, and on appeal) in the following areas:

• Business crime
• Insolvency
• Asset restraint
• Confiscation
• Money laundering
• Investment fraud
• Banking fraud
• Pension fraud
• Tax fraud
• Mandate fraud
• Duty evasion fraud
• Immigration fraud
• Procurement fraud
• Bribery

In relation to serious crime, Rupert is a Grade 4 CPS Serious Crime Specialist Advocate Panel member, and a Grade 4 CPS Counter Terrorism Specialist Advocate Panel member, and has advisory and advocacy experience (as above) in the following areas:

• Murder
• Firearms
• Drugs supply
• Modern slavery
• Gang activity
• Human trafficking
• Export offences

Rupert's Privacy Policy can be downloaded here.

Appointments

• CPS General Crime - Level 4
• CPS Fraud - Level 4
• CPS Serious Crime - Level 4
• CPS Counter Terrorism - Level 4
• CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Panel 
• SFO - B Panel
• Kosovo Specialist Chambers Specialist Counsel (Defence; Victims)

Memberships

• Fraud Lawyers Association
• South Eastern Circuit

News

• R v G [Central Criminal Court] 2024

  Murder

  Rupert Kent was instructed by the CPS Homicide Unit as led junior in this month-long trial relating to the 2021 killing of a 16-year-old boy, who was murdered in front of his mother at his home address by a group of eight assailants wielding ‘Zombie’ knives. The case involved the calling of expert pathologist, forensic science and cell-site expert evidence, and the presentation of part of the closing speech by junior prosecution counsel after his leader became unavailable to conclude it.

• R v H & 4 Others [Southwark Crown Court] 2024

  Causing Death by Dangerous Driving

  Rupert Kent was instructed by the CPS Homicide Unit in this one-week trial relating to the 2021 death of a pedestrian, caused by the careless driving of the defendant in his public bus. The case involved the calling of an expert pathologist, speaking to the cause of death of the victim, who had died some weeks later from ill-health and complications arising from the incident.

• R v D & 4 Others [Southwark Crown Court] 2024

  Fraud

  Rupert Kent was instructed by Lansbury Worthington Solicitors as led junior in this three-month fraud case involving £20m of funds, misappropriated as a result of a large-scale VAT acquisition fraud involving the use of sham trade to apparently offset output tax received in the course of legitimate transactions.

• R v D [Southwark Crown Court] 2024

  Fraud

  Rupert Kent was instructed by Brooklyn Law as junior alone in this fraud case involving £2m of misappropriated funds, taken from a high net worth individual. After pleading guilty to a lesser offence, albeit relating to the same value of loss, the defendant received a 20-month prison sentence, deemed served through a combination of time spent on remand and on a qualifying curfew.

• R v L [Wood Green Crown Court] 2024

  Attempted Murder

  Rupert Kent was instructed by CPS London North West as junior alone in this one-week trial relating to the 2021 attempted murder by the defendant of his partner, during which incident 10 knife wounds were inflicted. The issue at trial was whether the defendant was capable of forming specific intent, and each party called expert psychiatric evidence as to the mental state of the defendant. 

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