1991 to 2003 - Standing Counsel to Inland Revenue (Crime)
2000 - Appointed Recorder (Authorised to try Class 2 cases
2003 - Appointed Queen’s Counsel
2008- Elected Governing Bencher Inner Temple
2010- Appointed to the SFO's list of Queen’s Counsel
Tom Bayliss QC “... has a practice heavy on murder and terrorism cases. He is especially noted for his client handling.” Chambers UK 2011.
Tom is a specialist criminal practitioner (particularly serious fraud, health & safety prosecutions, homicide and terrorism) and is regularly instructed in serious and high profile criminal cases in the Crown Court and the Central Criminal Court. He is listed as a leading criminal silk in Chambers UK (2011) and recommended for complex fraud and white-collar crime in the Legal 500 (2011).
Recent Cases Include:
Murder and Terrorism
- R. v. Appelquist, Hull Crown Court, 2004, Defence counsel. Murder; defendant charged with the murder of his wife, but no body was ever found. The defendant was acquitted after legal argument.
- R. v. Bibby and others, Maidstone Crown Court, 2004. Defence counsel. Murder. Successfully defended one of three teenagers who were charged with killing a man using a cross bow; issues of joint enterprise.
- R. v. Hughie Fury and others Oxford Crown Court. 2005 Defence counsel. Murder; joint enterprise. The defendant was acquitted.
- R. v David Quigley and others Hull Crown Court 2005 Defence counsel Murder; joint enterprise. The defendant was acquitted.
- R. v Gary Chester- Nash Truro Crown Court 2006 Defence counsel. Murder. The defendant (who was the subject of an ASBO, and had just been released from a sentence for knife crime) travelled from London to Cornwall where he was alleged to have stabbed a local woman to death in a failed burglary.
- R. v. Marvin Bissell Hull Crown Court 2007 Defence counsel. Murder. The defendant was said to have an articulated lorry as a weapon to attack his former lover. He was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter
- R. v. Hussain and others (Operation Window) 2007 Leeds Crown Court; Prosecuting counsel in multi handed murder trial- drugs related revenge shooting.
- R. v Martin Brown 2008 Sheffield Crown Court. Defence counsel. The defendant was extradited from Australia for the murder of a Hull man in pursuit of a black magic pact. The murder was committed in the 1980’s but was the subject of a “cold case review” in light of advances in Low Copy DNA evidence.
- R. v Khan and others (Operation Parade) 2008 Leeds Crown Court – Prosecuting counsel in multi handed murder trial; the contract killing of the son of a Pakistani politician.
- R. v Dhillon and others 2008 Central Criminal Court; Defence Counsel; murder joint enterprise. The defendant, a landlord, was alleged to have encouraged the murder of one of his tenants.
- R. v Shella Roma (2009) Manchester Crown Court. Acted for defendant charged with offences under Prevention of Terrorism Act.
- R. v Daniels and others (Operation Pravat) 2009 Bradford Crown Court 2009. Prosecuting counsel in multi handed murder trial. Joint enterprise, DNA evidence.
- R. v Peng and Jia Leeds Crown Court 2010. The “bodies in the boot” trial of two Chinese students for double murder of a Chinese business man and his wife. Evidence taken by video link from China
- R. v Mohim Khan and others Sheffield Crown Court 2010. Successful defence of a Sheffield businessman charged with Conspiracy to murder, following the death by shooting of a business rival. The prosecution case, alleging a contract killing, collapsed after 9 weeks of the trial, following defence submissions on failings in prosecution disclosure.
- R. v Saunders and others Central Criminal Court 2010 (Murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent). Successful defence of professional boxer.
- R. v Martin Campbell Teesside Crown Court 2010. Murder. Defence of man alleged to have tortured and abused deceased, before deceased died of injuries inflicted. Mental Health issues.
- R. v Christopher Burton and Douglas Stephen (Operation Peplow) Bradford Crown Court 2011. Murder. The defendants became acquainted through a support group for relatives of victims of homicide. They began to terrorise their neighbourhood; engaging in acts of anti social behaviour and violence. Eventually they joined in a fatal attack on a neighbour.
Fraud
- R. v Durgesh Mehta and others Canterbury Crown Court 2006 Defence counsel (MTIC Fraud)
- R. v Howard and others (Preston Crown Court 2010). Defence counsel. Conspiracy to Cheat Inland Revenue (VAT).
Health and safety/ regulatory
- R. v. Mitsui Babcock Energy Systems Ltd. Leeds Crown Court, 2003 (HSE prosecution).
- R. v Kilkeel Fish Selling Company Ltd and others Liverpool Crown Court 2006 Prosecuting counsel (DEFFRA prosecution; breach of European Fisheries Regulations)
- R. -v- BSN (MEDICAL) LTD (Preston Crown Court) 2007. Acted for Company charged under Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 following death by drowning of child at its factory premises
- R v Dixon and Hooper 2008 Teesside Crown Court. Successful defence of a care worker facing a manslaughter charge for alleged negligent administration of drugs in a care home.
Drugs
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R. Stephen Gray and others (Exeter Crown Court) 2011. The 'James Bond' drug gang. 11 week trial. Defence counsel. Conspiracy to supply cocaine. Client only one of those charged with the conspiracy to be acquitted.
Miscellaneous
- R. v Haslam, Leeds Crown Court, 2003. Defence counsel (Consultant psychiatrist charged with rape of patients).
- R. v WR (2009) Teesside Crown Court. Successful defence of a practising solicitor charged with sexual assault on a young male client.
Significant cases in the Court of Appeal and House of Lords
- R v Hedworth [1997] 1 Cr App R 421 CA (Serious fraud, ambit of preparatory hearing)
- R v Woollin [1997] 1 Cr.App.R. 97 CA; [1998] 3 WLR 382; [1999] 1 Cr.App. R. HL 8; [1999] 1AC 82 (Murder: foresight of consequences as proof of intent)
- R. v Parvais Najeeb and others [2003] 2 Cr.App.R. (S.) 69 (Bradford Riots)
- R. v. Petch and Coleman [2005] 2 Cr App R 40 CA (Murder: whether disparity of treatment is capable of amounting to abuse of process).
- R. v Daniels (John) [2011] 1 Cr. App. R. 18 CA (Murder. SOCPA contracts and legal professional privilege).
Additional Information
Member of Specialist Associations: Criminal Bar Association; Health and Safety Lawyers Association.
Trained in the Electronic Presentation of Evidence (EPE)