Irshad Sheikh is a specialist crime and fraud practitioner. He is an advocate of considerable experience and is frequently instructed in complex, multi-defendant cases as a leading junior.
Irshad has substantial experience of defending and prosecuting in a wide range of offences of the utmost seriousness involving violence; tobacco and alcohol importations; the large-scale supply of drugs and money laundering. In cases of rape and serious sexual offences Irshad’s expertise is second-to-none.
He has defended and prosecuted in the most high profile of cases in the Crown Court and appeared in the Court of Appeal on many occasions.
Irshad has also acquired an enviable reputation in disciplinary and regulatory matters, having represented officers of all seniority in police disciplinary proceedings and professionals accused of misconduct and facing disciplinary proceedings before their respective disciplinary bodies.
Irshad has a special interest in serious fraud and is instructed in both private and publicly funded fraud matters. His work in this area has led to the representation of defendants in POCA proceedings, where multi-million pond confiscation orders are sought.
Irshad Sheikh led Ria Banerjee defending D1 in a multi-handed five week Class A drugs conspiracy. D1 was regarded as the leader and wholesale supplier of multiple kilos. The trial lasted five weeks and involved extensive surveillance evidence, probe recordings, call and cell site data.
Irshad Sheikh prosecuted this 50 year old job centre fraud worker who was found guilty after trial of arranging the entry into the UK of a 13 year old girl whom she kept as a personal slave and made to work 16 hours a day for 11 years.
Irshad Sheikh defended in this substantial conspiracy to obtain vast sums from local authorities and individuals through carers recruited in breach of immigration law and the consequent laundering of the criminal proceeds . Instructed by EBR Attridge.
Irshad Sheikh successfully appeared for the defence in this high profile case alleging the gang rape of an 18 year old girl by 6 males.Instructed by Thomas Boyd Whyte.
Irshad Sheikh acted in this prosecution of a multi-million pound fraud on PayPal where the defendant played a leading role in an organised crime network perpetrating this substantial fraud. The defendant, with others, was able to compromise about two hundred PayPal customers’ accounts by gaining access to their security details, causing a multimillion pound loss to the company.
Irshad Sheikh was instructed as the lead advocate in this multimillion pound cheat on the public revenue in a VHCC (‘Very High Cost Case’) involving the service of over 80,000 pages – allegation of cheating the public revenue by creating and submitting false tax returns and thereby dishonestly obtaining tax repayments from HMRC. Regarded as a protracted, substantial, and serious attack on the United Kingdom income tax system.
Irshad Sheikh was lead counsel in case of murder and double attempted murder by asylum seeker. The case concerned the savage beating by the defendant of three men whilst they were in a drunken slumber in a sheltered area of a cemetery in Ilford. The violent attack resulted in the death of one and the others receiving severe, life-threatening injuries.
Irshad Sheikh was Lead counsel in substantial fraud on credit card companies (VHCC). – allegation of the cloning and use of credit cards and the obtaining of goods and services on a massive scale.Instructed by Eversheds LLP.
Irshad Sheikh was instructed as the Leading junior in this Conspiracy to defraud the National Westminster Bank plc – a case involving identity theft and the compromising of bank accounts on a wide and substantial basis.
Irshad Sheikh was Lead counsel in this Multi-handed mail dumping VHCC fraud –widely reported case involving a company that made millions of pounds by dumping letters and parcels that it was paid to deliver by Royal Mail. Among the 360,000 items that were binned were hospital blood test results, university acceptance letters and charity mail.
‘Mr Sheikh is one of those advocates with a commanding presence in court borne by his highly impressive advocacy skills. He takes a witness through examination-in-chief with care, he is a forceful cross-examiner and his closing submissions are well prepared and skilfully presented’.
Gerard McDonald, Solicitor, EBR Attridge
