At Goldkorns, our team offers expert criminal defence advice, including defending conspiracy allegations and charges.
Charges relating to conspiracy can be complex and might include fraud, white collar crime, cartels, cyber-crime conspiracies, drugs conspiracies and conspiracy to commit violent crimes like murder, rape or terrorism.
A conviction for conspiracy will rest on evidence that a defendant entered willingly into agreement with at least one other party to commit a crime or illegal act, regardless of whether any other activity takes place to further the aim of what has been agreed.
Conspiracy charges are covered by the Criminal Law Act 1977 and Collecting evidence is crucial in such cases.
It is advisable to take legal advice as soon as possible if there is a possibility of being questioned over allegations of conspiracy – at the early stages of such an investigation, errors and misjudgements can be made which may later prejudice the outcome if a case goes to trial.
Conspiracy might involve:
- Benefit fraud
- Conspiracy allegations against a professional (property developer, builder, solicitor, surveyor, estate agent, insurer)
- Conspiracy to defraud Local Authority
- Housing fraud
- Immigration fraud
- Obtaining public money by deception (Legal Aid or government funding)
Related Cases
R v C Acted for defendant in high profile murder at the Central Criminal Court of the deceased and attempted murder of his friend the defendant was the only person not convicted of murder and attempted murder – case attracted extensive national press coverage
05 09 2024
Our client was one of the UK’s most wanted men and had featured in a special programme on Sky TV, which had been made in conjunction with the National Crime Agency. He was wanted in connection with an international conspiracy to import 3 tonnes of cocaine into the Netherlands and Belgium from South America. These allegations stemmed from a Dutch investigation into a Turkish crime syndicate. We successfully challenged one of the charges he faced as the Crown had not obtained the necessary permission from the Attorney General to prosecute it. As a consequence, the Crown accepted a plea in relation to 2% of the original amount of cocaine and a significantly reduced the sentence.
17 12 2021
We represented a client who was charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. The client was convicted after trial and an appeal against the conviction was successful on the basis that the judge had erred in allowing the Crown to adduce bad character evidence of people not in the trial.
17 12 2021
Represented two clients alleged to be drug barons who evaded capture for over a decade with an estimated business turnover of £1 billion. On their arrest law enforcement authorities had seized over £5million in cash which at the time was one of the largest cash seizures in the UK.
17 12 2021
We represented a client alleged to have been involved in a multi kilo conspiracy to import Class A drugs into the UK from South America and South Africa. A successful half time submission of no case to answer was made to the Court that, as our client had failed to reach an agreement with his co-defendants, he had not conspired with others to commit the offence.
17 12 2021
We represented a client charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs along with eight others. It was alleged our client was at the top of the chain within the conspiracy. The operation was a joint partnership with officers of the National Crime Agency and the Metropolitan police which established the supply and importation of vast amounts of class A drugs, involving the UK and Spain. The Spanish connection involved an operation resulting in the seizure of 3 tonnes of cocaine, 1 million euros, encrypted blackberries and firearms. The Crown suggested that the overall turnover of class A drugs was in the region of 520kg a year and a total drug value of £104 million.
17 12 2021
We represent the principal director of a company subject to an international investigation conducted by the National Crime Agency into an operation involving the production, distribution and sale of Class C drugs, namely various types of prohibited steroids. The investigation spanned 5 years and resulted in the seizure of hundreds of kilos of drugs. The case involved the distribution of drugs and associated money laundering through numerous foreign jurisdictions including India, Greece, and Balkan countries.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented a client in respect of a conspiracy to murder. The client escaped from custody whilst on remand and became the first Category A prisoner in 15 years to do so. Following his return to the UK, the client was acquitted.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented a young male who had been jointly charged with two females with the murder of a young female. Each defendant blamed the other. The case was successfully dismissed at half time in respect of our client.
17 12 2021
We represented a client charged with the murder of a bomb disposal expert. Following a two-year investigation and search for the remains of the body, our client was charged with murder. Our client was subsequently acquitted of the murder, but was convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented one of seven defendants charged with murder following a gangland fight in London. The case involved complex investigation by the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Serious Crime Command Team. Following a full trial our client was acquitted.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented a client, charged alongside others, with an historic murder having been identified through new advances in the analysis of DNA evidence. It related to gang feud rivalry in different areas of London. We instructed one of the leading experts in the world on DNA and were able to successfully argue against the admissibility of the Crown’s DNA expert evidence, resulting in a successful application of no case to answer against our client.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented two clients in a re trial for murder. They were said to be the heads of an organised crime network which had arranged for a rival gang member to be killed. We secured an acquittal by disputing our clients presence at the scene through phone data.
17 12 2021
We represented clients jointly charged with the murder of a 19 year old father following an altercation captured on CCTV in which the victim received multiple stab wounds. At trial one client was acquitted and the other, who had confessed to stabbing the victim, was convicted of manslaughter and received a sentence of six years imprisonment.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented three clients post-conviction who had been sentenced to life imprisonment following their convictions for conspiracy to murder. We successfully quashed their convictions and a retrial was ordered. At the subsequent retrial, the Crown’s disclosure process was placed under intense scrutiny which resulted in the Crown offering no evidence following legal argument.
17 12 2021
We successfully represented a client who was extradited to the UK from Spain in respect of an allegation of murder. The client had evaded arrest for eight years before being extradited to stand trial. At trial the defendant was acquitted and his co-defendant, who was due to stand trial before our client had been extradited, and who had accused him, was convicted.
17 12 2021
We represent a client alleged to have been involved in buying, selling and transferring multiple firearms and ammunition imported from mainland Europe, mainly Bulgaria and Germany. The Crown alleged that our client was part of a very large, sophisticated and organised crime network, which also involved the importation of Class A drugs for commercial gain.
17 12 2021
Our client was accused of conspiring to supply firearms. Firearms had been seized from his home address. We were successfully able to show the Crown’s case was incorrect and, as a result, secured our client’s acquittal.
17 12 2021
Represented a client who was said to have operated a “gun factory”, where he converted replica firearms into working firearms and manufactured ammunition and silencers. Items manufactured by him were linked to 28 shootings across the country, including one murder, four attempted murders, nine other shootings and an armed robbery.
17 12 2021
X v B was a case involving a well known actor sued for over £1million in damages for rape. X's claim was eventually struck out and she was prohibited from continuing without permission of the court.
17 12 2021
Peake v Sotheby's: Was a case involving a painting by John Singer Sargent, being a lost masterpiece. It had disappeared during the Second World War when it had been in the hands of the Nazis and it was then passed in to the hands of the communists. It surfaced in London in the late 1980's. Our client claimed ownership. The case required a consideration of German, Austrian, Bohemian and Czech law. The case settled and the painting was subsequently sold at auction for over $5m.
17 12 2021
The Sonic Gun: Case achieved great public interest. Binoculars with ultrasound were used to affect the outcome of various horse races.
17 12 2021
R v M. defendant acquitted of a very large value theft of computers. The entire trial took place through video link with the defendant appearing from his bedroom throughout proceedings due to his inability to attend the Crown Court and is thought to be one of the first cases of its kind to take place like this.
16 12 2021
R v J. Defendant charged with large scale drugs conspiracy in the Home Counties
16 12 2021
R v S. Defendant charged with multiple serious sexual offences
16 12 2021
R v B. Defendant acquitted of murder following a change in legal team.
16 12 2021
R v J. Representation of a family charged with murder with the arrests and the finding of the deceased covered live by Sky TV
16 12 2021
R v M. First honour killing prosecuted in the UK and dealing with the appeal of both father and uncle. Case appeared on national TV in Panorama
16 12 2021
R V D. Defendant charged with murder of a jogger on Mitcham Common and subsequent appeal against sentence allowed by the Lord Chief Justice and case now appears as a legal authority
16 12 2021
R v C. Defendant acquitted of murder in the first case to be prosecuted in the UK when the victim was still officially alive through artificial means but subsequently died at the time of the defendant being charged with murder (reported in the national press)
16 12 2021
R v A. defendant acquitted of murder in the case involving the youngest hitman in the UK (reported widely in the national press)
16 12 2021
R v W and Others. Represented the defendant who was charged, along with a number of others, in a multi-handed drug conspiracy that was at the time the largest seizure of cannabis in Metropolitan Police history. The defendant was acquitted.
16 12 2021
R v A. Represented a number of defendants as part of Michael Michaels' series of supergrass trials at Woolwich Crown Court. The defendant was acquitted.
16 12 2021
R v B & H. Represented both defendants in what was at the time the biggest firearms factory found in the UK. The defendants were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court and the sentence was subsequently appealed by the prosecution on the basis that it was too lenient.
16 12 2021
R v S. Represented a defendant charged with an attempted murder arising from a drug related dispute in the East End of London. The defendant was acquitted.
16 12 2021