Richard Bendall

Richard Bendall was called to the Bar in 1979 and for the majority of his career has undertaken a very varied spread of Common Law and Criminal work in Common Law chambers. More recently, his practice has become almost exclusively Criminal, and he joined Furnival Chambers in 2010.

He both prosecutes and defends with a roughly equal balance and has appeared, usually as lead counsel, in a long series of serious cases involving homicide, violence, sexual allegations, drug supply, money laundering and fraud. He is very experienced in cases involving every conceivable aspect of alleged dishonest behaviour including embezzlement, bribery and corruption.

He has undertaken Court Martial cases involving fatalities in Germany, Kosovo and Belize.

He has a very good reputation for arguing technical points of law in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and has appeared in numerous cases in the law reports.

His very broad experience of quasi-criminal matters has included police disciplinary work and inquests. Because he has spent over 30 years arguing all manner of cases involving virtually every aspect of commercial and property law, he is, unlike many criminal counsel, un-phased by criminal prosecutions involving difficult areas such as equitable interests in jointly owned property, company law, directors responsibilities, bankruptcy, insolvency, trusts, etc.

He is a member of the Turks & Caicos Bar (British West Indies).

Richard is married with 3 children.

Recent interesting cases

Currently instructed for the defence in R v Michael Misick & ors involving allegations of conspiracy to bribe the then Premier and several cabinet ministers of the government of the Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI.

R v Daniel Elliott (2015) Successfully prosecuting campaign of rape trial entirely based on circumstantial evidence including cell site; fibre evidence; mixed profile DNA etc

R v Louis Swebweze (2015) Successfully prosecuting serious kidnap for ransom trial based entirely on circumstantial evidence including cell site.

R v Khan & ors (2015) Successfully prosecuting 5 handed conspiracy to steal high value cars case with losses in excess of £3/4M.

R v Rifat Abazi & ors (2015) Successfully prosecuting 4 handed conspiracy to supply crack cocaine case

R v C (2014) Historic rape case involving allegations going back to the 1970s.

R v M-L (2014) Defending allegations of rape and sexual assault on 5 members of defendant’s own family.

R v Kansara & Coni (2014) Successfully prosecuting bank fraud case tried at Old Bailey

R v Millwood & Burke (2014) Successfully prosecuting importation of £1/4M worth of crack cocaine

R v Silva & ors (2014) Successfully prosecuting 3 handed arson case based on circumstantial evidence including cell site, podiatry (gate) evidence, etc

R v Thomas & Telfer (2013) Serious blackmail case involving false allegation of rape

R v Daniel Burgess (2013) Successfully prosecuting attempting pervert course justice trial re insurance fraud

R v Akeem Kassim (2012) Successfully defending commercial armed robbery case

R v Jameel Khan & anor (2012) Successfully defending in forged currency case

R v Stevenson & ors (2012) Successfully prosecuting 7 handed rogue builders deception fraud case.

R v Ann Browning (2011) Prosecuting a woman who had befriended, then murdered and buried in her garden, a vulnerable 82 year old pensioner, before plundering his savings.

R v Raymond Liff (2011) Prosecuting confidence trickster who had defrauded victims out of £850,000

R v McQuillan (2010) Defending allegations of sexual abuse on children by youth worker where accused had jumped bail in 1987

R v Mohammed Ali (2010) Leading in 6 week trial defending allegation of conspiracy to smuggle cigarettes involving covert recordings and issues of Bengali dialect

R v Masterson (2009) Leading in 6 week trial defending allegation of conspiracy to “ring” stolen plant equipment

R v Peel & Fyfield (2009) Defending in case involving numerous priceless artefacts stolen from the Haslemere Museum

R v Irena James (2008) Leading in trial defending allegations of defrauding elderly vulnerable victim of all his assets

R v Negus & ors (2008) Leading for prosecution in 7 handed multi-million pound mortgage fraud

R v Haque & ors (2008) Leading for prosecution in 4 handed case involving allegations of misconduct in public office by 2 serving police officers, and attempts to pervert the course of justice

R v Winston Jarrett (2006) Leading in 55 day trial defending allegations of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs involving cut-throat defence and covert recording by a co-defendant of an alleged confession

Recent reported cases

R v John Frankham and Tony Stevens [2011] 1 Cr. App. R. (S) 80 (CA) – guidance on sentencing for roofing frauds involving the targeting of the elderly or vulnerable.

R v Patricio Gonzales-Ramirez and Jose Padillo [2011] EWCA Crim 2714 – guidance on sentencing for planned, high value, organised thefts from affluent tourists.

R v Campbell [2007] 1 W.L.R. 2798 (CA); [2007] 2 Cr.App.R. 28; [2008] Cr.L.R. 303
– the leading case on directions on bad character

R (CPS) v Crown Court at Guildford [2007] 1 W.L.R. 2886 – definitive High Court decision that judicial review not available for illegal sentences passed in Crown Court

Gearing v DPP [2009] RTR 7, [2008] EWHC 1695 (Admin) – important High Court authority relating to access to a solicitor, breach s 58 PACE 1984, Art 6 HRA, exclusion of evidence of breath test procedure etc

Carter v DPP [2007] RTR 257; Skinner v DPP [2005] RTR 207; Jones v DPP [2005] RTR 184 – all three are High Court cases on excess alcohol procedures

Griffiths v DPP [2007] EWHC 619 (Admin); CLW/17/8/07 – High Court case on Gatso speed camera procedures

Attorney General’s Reference (Number 112 of 2006), R v Snow, [2007] All.E.R. (D) 27 (Feb) – appropriate sentence for death by careless driving when under the influence of alcohol

R v S(G) and ors [2005] EWCA Crim 887, [2005] CLW/05/26/5 – leading case on Human Rights issues re covert recordings, Art 6 and 8 HRA, RIPA. Interlocutory appeal related to 10 week trial for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

R v E and anor [2004] All.E.R (D) 253 (CA) – appeal to CA re 3-handed conspiracy to commit armed rob involving circumstantial evidence, including fact that one D had previously obtained pistols similar those used in robberies.

R v Field [2003] 1 W.L.R. 882 (CA) – important Court of Appeal decision on Human Rights aspects of disqualification orders preventing working with children / retroactive penalties, Art 7 HRA etc

Amalgamated Metal Trading Ltd v City of London Police Financial Investigations Unit & ors [2003] 1 W.L.R. 2711, [2003] 4 All.E.R. 1225 – leading case on money laundering and the steps a bank must take when there is suspicion that a customer’s account represents the proceeds of crime.