1 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Specialises in defending complex murders, frauds and other financial/business crime. Recent caseload has included a number of high profile trials. Notable specialism in paper-heavy cases of a technical nature and those turning on the cross-examination of expert witnesses.
Murder defence work over the last 12 months has included the “heroin wars” gangland tit-for-tat murder trial; the contract killing by a wealthy businessman of his wife and the murder of a prostitute by a would-be serial killer.
In the field of fraud and business crime has equally wide experience in defending serious fraud, money laundering and multi-million pound revenue evasions. These have included the “Shard” construction fraud, numerous MTIC frauds, property frauds, advance-fee frauds and money laundering conspiracies.
Most recently acted in the first of three fraud trials arising out of “Operation Bamburgh” (by far the largest ever fraud ever prosecuted in the NE of England).
Previous instructions have been widely publicised in the print and broadcast media and include:
- the “Anonymous” hacking case, where the CIA, FBI, Sony, News Corp and numerous other governments, corporations and agencies were targeted in an international hacking campaign that received wide publicity in the UK and USA;
- the 21/7 London Bombings case;
- the Mahmod “body in the suitcase” honour killing trial which became a cause celebre for the victims of so-called “honour” crimes, has been the subject of numerous documentaries and a recent film which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in September 2012;
- R v Janik and others, a 6 weeks kidnap and murder trial at the Central Criminal Court. The murder
was committed against a background of debts among drug dealers, culminating in the body being dumped in a field in Northamptonshire where it lay undiscovered for 6 months before being found by a dog-walker.
- the Chatham arson murder case where three generations of the same family were killed in a planned and targeted arson attack on a residential house;
- the Terry Smith armed robbery conspiracy where a former Britain’s most wanted man, who claimed to have reformed and who had become a successful TV pundit and author was tried with offences of armed robbery spanning a 2 year period;
Has represented an alleged principal Al Qaeda banker charged with terrorism offences and advises pre-and post charge on the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism Acts.
In the appellate field, has a successful record in challenging convictions and sentences in difficult appeals and has appeared in numerous reported cases.
Committee member of the Criminal Bar Association between 2007 and 2010 and was elected to the Bar
Pavlos Panayi
Year of Call: 1995
2 Council of England and Wales, serving 2007-2010. He has also previously served on the Bar Conference organising board and on the Young Bar Committee of the Bar Council.
Founder and co-chair (with Kerim Fuad QC) of the Cypriot Lawyers Society.
Homicide and Corporate Manslaughter
R v Wenham - Reading CC (2015): Murder of a prostitute killed in a carefully planned attack by a middle-aged man of previous good character. Prosecution alleged that the defendant was a would-be serial killer. Defence of diminished responsibility raised novel issues of paraphilic disorder and the withdrawal symptoms of SSRI anti-depressants. For media attention, click here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/michael-wenham-dad-who-decapitated-5069212
R v Cruise - Lewes CC (2014): Contract killing where a wealthy husband and businessman paid £20k for his wife to be killed. Acted for the alleged hitman who was alleged to have been recruited (via an intermediary) to carry out the murder. Case resulted in horrific injuries to the victim who survived and gave evidence. For media attention, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-30045792
R v Zerei - Central Criminal Court (2014): The Southgate shooting case where a man was shot and killed on Southgate High Street as part of ongoing drug wars between rival criminal empires in North London. Defendant was himself the victim of an attempted murder by his former accomplices, four days after the murder. For media attention, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-28290635
R v L - Guildford Crown Court (2014): Instructed to defend a pub landlord charged with manslaughter following the death of a customer after alleged unlawful restraint and removal of the man from the pub. Death resulted from sudden death during restraint. For media attention, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2579483/Restaurant-manager-barman-killed-customer-restraining-forcefully-stopped-breathing-suffered-fatal-heart-attack.html
R v Janik- Central Criminal Court (2013): Appeared for the defence in a four-handed kidnap, ransom, murder trial. Victim alleged to have owed debts to drug-dealers in the Polish community and was kidnapped, kept hostage in London for three days before being murdered and dumped in a field in Northamptonshire. Skeletal remains discovered by a lady walking her dog 6 months later. Case has received widespread publicity. Prosecution relied on a huge volume of cell site call data.
R v Begum- Central Criminal Court (2013): Appeared as leading counsel for the defence in a murder trial arising out of a knife fight between two large opposing groups in Poplar, London. Acted for second defendant (wife of the main defendant). The incident resulted in one death and serious injuries to three others. The case lasted 4 weeks and involved expert evidence on CCTV and a large body of eye-witness evidence. For media attention, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2449819/Peacemaker-stabbed-death-machete-brawl-neighbours.html
R v Chen – Harrow Crown Court (2013): Acted as sole counsel representing defendant alleged to have committed attempted murder in a case with a background of criminal activity in the Chinatown underworld. R v Muhammadi – Maidstone Crown Court (2012): Acted for principal defendant in widely reported triple murder of three generations of the same family by arson on a residential home in Chatham, Kent. For media attention, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18670799
3 left in a permanent vegetative state.
Previous high-profile cases include:
R v Singer – Central Criminal Court (2009): Murder of a mother and attempted murder of the deceased’s 18 months old child by drugging, beating and arson. Defendant was the deceased's former partner and father of the child. Case attracted widespread tabloid and broadsheet publicity throughout the investigation and trial. For media attention, click here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5423850/Caretaker-spiked-girlfriends-omelette-so-he-could-kill-her.html
and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8034398.stm
R v. Mahmod – Central Criminal Court (2007): Kurdish honour killing case, termed the ‘body in the suitcase’ murder after deceased was abducted by her father and uncle, killed and buried in a suitcase under the foundations of a house in the Midlands. The trial was widely reported and became a cause celebre for the victims of so-called ‘honour’ crimes when the deceased’s boyfriend and sister gave evidence against her uncle. Heavy use of cell-site evidence and RIPA recordings during the 4 months trial. For media attention, click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4961272.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6733653.stm
R v. Tye & Others – Central Criminal Court (2004): 2 months trial into the ‘honey-trap’ conspiracy to murder. Acted for 17 year old girl of previous good character in cut-throat defence with major gangland criminal. For media attention, click here: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-12211433-sacked-men-jailed-for-boss-ambush.do
Fraud and Financial Crime
R v Leonard - Teesside CC (2015): Prosecution arising from Operation Bamburgh, a 5 year conspiracy by more than 20 mortgage brokers, solicitors and bridging finance companies to defraud property vendors and lenders. Biggest police investigation ever conducted in the North East of England. Acted for a defendant alleged to have worked for three of the mortgage broking firms at the heart of the fraud and to have operated a dishonest bridging finance company. Prosecution relied on 30,000 pages of evidence and the largest prosecution ever to rely on electronic presentation where jury bundles provided on iPads. Case linked to two follow on trials, each to last 5-7 weeks. For media attention, click here:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4436911.Thousands_hit_by_suspected____sell_and_rent____frau d/
R v Robertson - Manchester CC (2014):Property fraud involving corrupt solicitors, financiers and property developers who sold and re-mortgaged a large number of residential and commercial properties
unbeknown to the registered title-holders (by utilising forged conveyancing and Land Registry documentation).
R v Mongi – Southwark Crown Court (2013): Led for the defence in an international money laundering conspiracy linked to a multi-million pound property fraud involving the use of corrupt solicitors, bankers and an insider at the Land Registry. Represented the defendant who was first on the indictment: the finance director of a project finance investment firm based in London. The allegations involved the use of complex construction project financing deals as vehicles for money laundering.
R v Aghjou – Southwark Crown Court (2013): Led for the defence in a £6million “cash for crash” insurance fraud. Pre-trial strategy and legal argument resulted in the prosecution offering no evidence.
R v Sherman – Ipswich Crown Court (2012): Led for the defendant who was alleged to have laundered money for a network of drug dealers based in East Anglia. Pre-trial strategy, legal argument and protracted
4 negotiations resulted in prosecution offering no evidence five days after the jury were sworn.
R v M – Kingston Crown Court (2012): Acted for director of a major construction industry contractor alleged to have committed false accounting during huge construction projects including the building of “The Shard”. R v Turner - Canterbury Crown Court (2011): Acted for director of an import/export company alleged to have been involved in a complex duty evasion case involving over £50 million in lost revenue.
R v Salami - Southwark CC (2011): Acting for principle defendant in a multi-million pound IRS Fraud on O2 by a criminal organisation using of off-shore premium rate phone lines and hundreds of compromised telephone contracts. Over 20,000 pages of evidence relied on, including very complex telephone evidence. For media attention, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048273/iPhone-fraud-gang-tricked-O2-paying-4-5m-premium-rates-scam.html and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15260987 R v Chaudhery - Croydon Crown Court (2011): Huge MTIC fraud involving over £100 million in lost revenue. The defendants were all allegedly missing traders, who did not in fact go missing and were each prosecuted after a 4 year HMRC investigation.
Previous high-profile cases include:
R v Alam – Southwark Crown Court (2009): Successful submission of abuse of process avoided POCA proceedings following trial of a £16million fraud on Royal Bank of Scotland and linked international money laundering.
R v. Quinn and others - Southwark Crown Court (2007): £16 million fraud on Royal Bank of Scotland plc. and consequent international money laundering.
R v. Ryan and others – Kingston Crown Court (2006): Multi-million pound MTIC fraud involving computer chip carousel in EIRE and UK. Kingston CC.
Organised Crime
R v C - Southwark Crown Court (2014): Acting for one of the main conspirators in an alleged prostitution trafficking conspiracy with links to Romania.
R v Zerei - Central Criminal Court (2014) (see above under “Homicide and Corporate Manslaughter”): Murder arising out of 5 year turf war between gangs of heroin dealers in North London. Trial due to begin in 2014 will include one allegation of murder and two separate incidents of attempted murder against a background of complex telephone and CCTV evidence.
R v Saroay – Reading Crown Court (2012): Acted as sole counsel in a 12-handed conspiracy to import heroin from Pakistan. Case involved over 50 kilos of high-purity heroin worth over £15m. Defendant ran an aggressive cut-throat with two co-defendants including the principal conspirator who was first on the indictment. Saroay was acquitted and both cut-throat co-defendants were convicted.
R v McGowan – Woolwich Crown Court (2012): Acted for main defendant charged with kidnap and torture following one criminal gang defrauding another criminal gang in an alleged fake diamond scam.
R v R – Kingston Crown Court (2011): Appeared for the main defendant in an allegation of importation of 1.5 tonnes of high-grade cocaine. Defendant alleged to have been part of a gangland dynasty stretching back to the Richardson gang. Case involved complex international jurisdictional issues. Wholesale price of drugs was £375 million with an estimated street value of £2 billion. For media attention, click here:
5 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2021894/300m-haul-cocaine-hidden-hold-pleasure-cruiser-sailed-Venezuela-Southampton.html and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8427363.stm
R v Benwell – Worcester Crown Court (2011): Gunpoint kidnap case involving the targeting of a family in their home over drugs debts owed by another family member.
R v. Frigieri - Woolwich Crown Court (2010): Representing banker for a criminal network trafficking enormous quantities of drugs throughout UK. Client laundered over £100 million in a 12 month period via a series of corrupt directors of various Bureau de Changes. Case widely reported in the media. For media attention, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11930487
General Crime
R v Al Bassam – Southwark Crown Court (2013): Acted for alleged 15 year old member of Anonymous and Lulszec internet hacking groups. Allegation that he and his co-conspirators hacked the CIA, FBI, SOCA, Fox News, News International, Sony Corps, Twentieth Century Fox, Nintendo, the NHS and the Arizona State Police and was a leading member of an international collective of hackers. Case has received international publicity. Defendant was the only defendant to avoid an immediate custodial sentence. For media attention, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324884/Lulzsec- hackers-thought-day-pirates-caused-millions-pounds-damage-cyber-attacks-CIA-Pentagon-Home-Office-agency.html
R v Martin – Southwark Crown Court (2012): Prosecution arising from a News of the World investigation by Mahzer Mahmood, the so-called “Fake Sheikh” into an alleged child prostitution racket. Successfully challenged the basis of the prosecution case during lengthy legal arguments resulting in the prostitution charges being dropped and substituted with a theft charge. For media attention, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073212/Mother-daughter-offered-girls-young-13-sex-return-18-000.html
R v Williams – Wood Green Crown Court (2011): Multi-handed conspiracy to defraud trial. Acted for the only defendant acquitted. The case was noteworthy for being the first and only case ever to begin with a jury but conclude with the Judge delivering the verdicts as a result of jury tampering during the trial. For media attention, click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2014987/Judge-ditches-nobbled-jury-delivers-verdict.html
R v Lawrence - Southwark Crown Court (2010): Acted for only defendant acquitted out of 5 charged with conspiracy to supply 23 kilos of high-purity cocaine in Highgate, North London. Case hinged in part on disputed observation evidence. After cross-examination of the principal observation officer, the prosecution conceded the officer could not have been accurate and abandoned that part of their case.
R v Lindsey – Exeter Crown Court (2010): Allegation of extreme violence arising out of a feud between drug dealers. Case described by the senior Judge presiding over the 7 weeks trial as involving the worst injuries he had ever seen where the victim survived. For media attention, click here: http://swns.com/thugs-jailed-for-stabbing-man-28-times-who-required-2000-stitches-021715.html
Previous high profile cases include:
R v Jafari - Croydon Crown Court (2005): Led for the defence in the Harmondsworth Detention Centre Riot case; Case involved 19 defendants who were the ringleaders in a riot which followed the death of an
inmate in custody. For media attention, click here:
6 R v. Spring – Maidstone Crown Court (2008): Led for the defence in 2 months HMRC duty evasion trial resulting from huge covert police investigation.
R v Terry Smith - Chelmsford Crown Court (2009- 2010): 3 months trial in 2009 and 2 months retrial in 2010 of a conspiracy to commit armed robberies. Defendant was a published author and television broadcaster and a former most wanted man in Britain. Defendant was alleged to have committed a string of daring robberies of security vans while leading a double-life as a TV personality. Case involved the attempted murder, by shooting, of a member of the public who intervened in one of the robberies. Lengthy police investigation and both subsequent trials received widespread national publicity. For media attention,
click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/8000227.stm and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7935387.stm
R v. Ringland – Inner London Crown Court (2006): Hi-tech Crime Unit investigation into computer manipulation and sexual blackmail of young women in the UK and overseas. Defendant dubbed the ‘internet rapist’ by the tabloid press. Cutting edge technical expertise used in the computer analysis. Case described by the investigation team in press briefings as the most sophisticated use of computers by a criminal that they had ever experienced. For media attention, click here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1533726/Paedophile-hacker-who-scared-girls-into-sending-him-photos-gets-10-years.html and http://news.sky.com/home/article/13551407
Terrorism
Noted in Legal 500 for “defending very effectively in terrorism cases”. Has a particular expertise in this area and lectured on the terrorism legislation passed in the wake of the 9/11 and 21/7 bombings.
R v. Girma - Central Criminal Court (2008-2009): 21/7 bombings trial. Represented the wife of 21/7 Shepherds Bush bomber for her alleged role in assisting her husband in the preparation and aftermath of the London bombings attacks. Trial lasted 4 months and involved expert evidence in Islamic studies and alleged extremism. Case required analysis and mastery of a vast amount of cell-site evidence and computer material. For media attention, click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7267055.stm
Secretary of State v. AJ – High Court (2007): Acted successfully in challenging the lawfulness of a Control Order made under the controversial provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. Client was a man with mental health issues, wrongly suspected of involvement in terrorism.
R v. AG – Southwark Crown Court (2004): Prosecution of alleged principal Al Qaeda banker for Terrorism offences.
Confiscation, Civil Recovery and Asset Forfeiture
Acted in numerous multi-million pound confiscation cases and an expert in the operation of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
R v Hickman – Southwark Crown Court (2011): Took over representation from QC and junior after they were forced to withdraw, then led for the defendant who faced a £15 million confiscation claim and linked contempt proceedings for breach of a restraint order. Defendant had run a number of international companies selling unlicensed pharmaceuticals including fake Viagra and other similar products. Prosecution alleged hidden assets of £15million.
