Charlotte Hole

• Op Tamora [Isleworth] 2023

  Containers filled with 270kg of cocaine, 2,500kg of cannabis and 18.6m cigarettes

  Charlotte Hole and Sam Willis prosecuted two importers for bringing into the UK 270 kilograms of cocaine, 2.5 tonnes of cannabis and 18.6 million duty-free cigarettes, all hidden inside shipping containers. Valued at £24m, the drugs had been vacuum-packed and then secreted inside crates of animal feed, yams and oranges. The cigarettes were concealed in a similar manner, hidden inside crates of snack food, coconut fibre and biscuits - the tax that should have been paid on them if imported lawfully totalled just over £9m.

  The case followed an extensive investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, who became involved when a farmer discovered 189kg of cocaine in a shipping container full of animal feed. The defendants had unsuccessfully tried to divert the container to their warehouse in London so that the drugs could be removed before the container reached the farm.

  During the 16-week trial, the conspiracy was evidenced using material from numerous encrypted communications services. The jury heard technical evidence involving cell site analysis, VPN services, and IP address resolution. 

  Charlotte and Sam were instructed by the CPS Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID).

  https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/drug-smugglers-foiled-farmer-jailed-over-ps29-million-plot

  https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/news/2023/12/importers-of-vast-amounts-of-illegal-drugs-and-cigarettes-jailed/

  https://www.swrocu.police.uk/news/2023/12/importers-of-vast-amounts-of-illegal-drugs-and-cigarettes-jailed/

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67733286

  https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-12-16/pair-jailed-after-15m-of-drugs-hidden-in-animal-feed-delivered-to-farm

• R v FD & RJ [Guildford] 2022 2022

  Romance Fraud

  Leading Anna Dutka, and instructed by the Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID) of the CPS, prosecuted this case of romance fraud, where vulnerable victims were defrauded of £426,311.68. Victims were targeted based on their sexuality, age and poor health, with the defendants posing as younger men seeking romantic relationships to gain trust. Over 80 victims were identified. The defendants were sentenced to 8 years and 3 years 9 months’ imprisonment respectively.

  News articles:

  https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/romance-fraudster-who-scammed-over-ps400000-victims-jailed

  https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-singleton-conned-fraudsters-who-25828717

• R v S, B, P, Q, R [Snaresbrook] 2022

  Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs

  Leading Dominic Hockley, 2HB – prosecution of an organised crime group identified through Operation Venetic, involving Encrochat and SkyECC material.  The group had conspired to supply wholesale quantities of Class A drugs, and weapons including a Skorpion machine pistol and handguns.

• R v BS [Basildon] 2022

  Attempted Murder

  Instructed as junior alone to prosecute a 15 year old for the attempted murder by stabbing of another teenage boy.

• R v AA [CCC] 2021

  Attempted Murder

  Led by Rupert Kent, prosecuting a father charged with attempting to murder his young daughter by stabbing.  Trial was before by a High Court judge, and issues relating to mental health, capacity, and the admissibility of confessions to medical professionals arose.

• R v D, H, H, M, D, L-F [Guildford Crown Court] 2021

  Conspiracy to Convey Drugs into Prison

  Instructed as junior alone to prosecute a multihanded conspiracy to convey drugs into prison, involving admissibility of intercepted telephone calls.

• R v CU & others [Kingston] 2020

  Commercial Burglary

  Prosecution of twelve defendants in relation to a string of high value commercial burglaries involving the theft of rare and precious books.  Led by Catherine Farrelly. 

  News reports:

  https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/18/rare-books-stolen-london-heist-found-floor-romania

  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/18/rare-books-stolen-romanian-gang-recovered-joint-uk-eu-police/

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8747023/2-5million-trove-books-stolen-London-warehouse-Romania.html

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54209366

• R v CU & Ors [Kingston] 2020

  The Feltham Book Heist

  Leading Charlotte Hole. The prosecution of 12 defendants for a number of high-value commercial burglaries, including the theft of rare books by Isaac Newton & Francisco Goya. The prosecution arose out of a JIT (Joint Investigation Team) with Romanian and Italian law enforcement and concerned legal issues in relation to the admissibility of extraterritorial evidence and the presentation of a significant amount of telephone and cell-site evidence. The case attracted considerable interest in the national and international press.

  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/13/tome-raiders-solving-the-great-book-heist

  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/heist-isaac-newton-galileo-romania-clamparu-b748240.html

• R v PS & MO [Woolwich] 2020

  Confiscation following conviction for conspiracy to supply drugs

  £384k confiscated from drug dealers following convictions for conspiracy to supply drugs with a street value of over £10m, after 951kg of cannabis was found in a lorry load of rabbit hay.  Junior alone.  (R v Seabrook & ors [Woolwich] 2018)

• R v LV [Guildford] 2019

  Armed Robbery

  Prosecution of an armed robbery of a Post Office by a defendant armed with a handgun.  Junior alone. 

  News report:

  https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/robber-brandishing-handgun-who-burst-16308125

• R v H [Maidstone] 2019

  Assault

  Defence of a man with paranoid schizophrenia who attempted to stab a police officer whilst intoxicated and during an acute psychotic episode.  Junior alone.

• R v BH & 3 others [Blackfriars] 2018

  Internet Banking Fraud

  £500k internet banking fraud against elderly victims by bank employees.  Catherine Farrelly led Charlotte Hole, instructed by the CPS International Justice and Organised Crime unit, prosecuting 4 defendants following an investigation by the National Crime Agency Cyber Crime Unit .  The case centred around the activities of two men who worked at high street banks who assisted another in creating a significant number of sham bank account for the use in a transfer fraud, raising legal issues about the definition of ‘criminal property’ under s.340 POCA 2002.

• R v. H [Kingston] 2018

  Historic rape, buggery and sexual assault

  Paul Jackson Led Charlotte Hole for the Defence of male charged with the historic rape, buggery and sexual assault of eight males over three decades. This trial involved an application to stay a count as an abuse of process, the analysis of volumes of third party material, section 41 applications, section 100 and 101 applications and submissions of no case. Instructed by TS Law.

• R v TK [Kingston] 2018

  Operation Trident- Possession of live ammunition

  Charlotte Hole defended a 21 year old social worker in an Operation Trident case, after live ammunition was found in her bedroom.  The defendant faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, but was acquitted after trial.

• R v SB [Southwark] 2018

  Assault on partner

  Charlotte Hole defended an 84 year old man with Alzheimer’s disease who was charged with assaulting his elderly partner, causing her significant facial injuries.  The complainant was unable to attend Court, raising issues of hearsay, and the defendant was unfit to plead.

• R v Seabrook & ors [Woolwich] 2018

  Conspiracy to supply drugs

  Charlotte Hole, instructed by the CPS SE Complex Casework Unit, was led by Martin Yale, Senior Crown Advocate, in a 5 week prosecution of 5 defendants charged with conspiracy to supply drugs with a street value of over £10m, after 951kg of cannabis was found in a lorry load of rabbit hay.  The case involved large volumes of telephone records, cell site evidence, and disputed evidence of co-location.

  News report here 

• R v SC [Westminster] 2017

  Police officer assault on two teenagers

  Charlotte Hole, instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit, prosecuted a serving police officer charged with assaulting two teenagers when called to a domestic dispute.

• R v AA [Central Criminal Court] 2017

  Malicious communication to the police

  Charlotte Hole defended a 25 year old with autism and learning difficulties, charged with malicious communications offences relating to threatening calls he made to the police.  He was found unfit to plead, acquitted of one of the counts, and admitted to the National Autism Unit, a course the Probation Service had been unsuccessfully recommending for a number of years.

• R v. Akhtar [Southwark & C.O.A.] 2016, R v. Akhtar [2016] EWCA Crim 390 2016

  Appeal against a decision to stay proceedings

  Successfully defended a prosecution appeal against a decision to stay proceedings involving a vulnerable defendant where special measures were essential for a fair trial, but had not been put in place by the Court.

Notable Cases

• R v. Akhtar [Southwark & C.O.A.] 2016, R v. Akhtar [2016] EWCA Crim 390 2016

  Appeal against a decision to stay proceedings

  Successfully defended a prosecution appeal against a decision to stay proceedings involving a vulnerable defendant where special measures were essential for a fair trial, but had not been put in place by the Court.