Ben Holt

Practice Profile

Ben Holt is a specialist criminal barrister. He has been instructed as leading and led junior for the prosecution and defence in the full range of criminal cases; from homicide to fraud and money laundering. Ben was appointed Junior Treasury Counsel, based at the Central Criminal Court, in April 2024 by the Attorney General.

Ben regularly receives instructions from the full range of Specialist Units within the CPS; both as led and leading junior. He is frequently instructed by the Homicide Unit, Special Casework Units [London and the South-East], Specialist Fraud Division, International Justice and Organised Crime Unit [now SEOCID] and the Counter Terrorism Division.

He has been instructed in a number of murder, attempted murder and road fatality cases. In addition, Ben is instructed in substantial cases involving fraud and international money laundering; both for the prosecution and defence. He has undertaken a significant number of cases as part of Op Northleigh; the investigation into the Grenfell Tower disaster. He has prosecuted (alone and as a leading junior) numerous class A drug conspiracies where the evidence comes from data obtained from Operation Venetic.

Ben has specific experience in dealing with complicated disclosure issues; these have included the handling of particularly sensitive material and reviewing cases which have involved evidence from Covert Human Intelligence Sources and RIPA warrants. He has been instructed by the CPS to review disclosure on various matters and has worked together with the NCA and specialist units of the Metropolitan Police in this regard. For example, he was instructed to review the sensitive disclosure as part of Op Melrose (the investigation into the 39 Vietnamese migrants who died).

Ben has also advised on a wide range of cases pre-charge; including homicide, road fatalities and large-scale fraud investigations. Advice has included matters relating to LPP material.

As Treasury Counsel, Ben regularly advises the Attorney General’s Office in relation to Unduly Lenient Sentences. He frequently appears in the Court of Appeal; instructed by the AGO to argue the Reference.

Ben has spent a 9-month period of secondment with HSBC conducting a past-business review into mis-sold interest rate hedging products.

Ben's Privacy Policy can be downloaded here.

Appointments

• Junior Treasury Counsel

Panel Appointments:

• SFO – Panel B
• CPS General Crime – Level 4
• CPS Special Crime – Level 4
• CPS Fraud – Level 4
• CPS Counter Terrorism – Level 3

News

• R v Charkaoui & Ors [Southwark] 2022

  Conspiracy to supply 250kgs of Cocaine

  Lead prosecution counsel in a five-handed large-scale drug supply conspiracy. The main two-defendants were alleged to have been involved in the supply of 250kgs of cocaine over a two-year period.  Instructed by CPS, SCU.

• Operation Venetic [Southwark Crown Court] 2022

  Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine

  Leading junior. Five-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine trial. Evidence obtained as part of Operation Venetic. Defendants alleged to be involved in conspiracy to supply £10m of cocaine. [Instructed by CPS, SCU]

• Operation Localizer [Kingston Crown Court] 2022

  Conspiracy to Supply Class A

  Leading Junior.  Seven-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine allegation. Evidence comes from Operation Venetic material and surveillance operation [Instructed by CPS, London].

  Six defendants convicted; no evidence offered against the seventh.

  Sentence awaited.

• Operation Antelope [Maidstone] 2021

  Aggravated Burglary

   Three-handed aggravated burglary [Instructed by CPS, Kent]. Defendants sentenced to over thirty years’ imprisonment.

   

• Operation Photal [CCC] 2020

  Attempted arson with intent to endanger life

  Ben Holt acted for the Crown in this case where the Defendant was convicted of attempted arson with intent to endanger life after placing an incendiary device in the exhaust pipe of a diplomatic car parked outside the Iranian Embassy [Instructed by CPS, CTD].

  BBC News report

• Operation Footprint [CCC] 2020

  Buying a grenade over the ‘dark web’

  Ben Holt acted for the Crown in this case where the Defendant was convicted of buying a grenade over the ‘dark web’ [Instructed by CPS, Thames & Chiltern CCU].

  ITV News report

• R v. Ahmed [Snaresbrook] 2017

  Attempted Murder

  Ben Holt was Prosecution counsel at this trial of attempted murder. The defendant had run over an acquaintance with whom he was having a disagreement. Convicted of section 18 and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.

• R v. Abdikarim [Isleworth] 2017

  Acid Attack

  Ben Holt was instructed by the Prosecution for the trial of an ‘acid attack’ case. The victim was lured to a park in Isleworth by the defendant. A substance was thrown at him by another, unidentified, male. Victim lost his eye as a result of the attack. He gave evidence with the assistance of an intermediary. Defendant was convicted and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.

  News report here

• R v. S [St Albans] 2017

  Blackmail and misconduct in a public office

  Ben Holt was instructed to defend a Detective Constable charged with blackmail and misconduct in a public office. S had used the PNC to find out personal details of an individual who was using the services of a prostitute. He then blackmailed him. Pleaded guilty. Sentence referred to the CoA by the A-G as being unduly lenient. Instructed by Slater & Gordon.

  News reports:

  BBC report here

  Daily Telegraph report here

• Operation Tandil [Croydon] 2018

  Violent disorder arising out of an attack on an asylum seeker in Croydon

  Two linked trials. Jonathan Polnay led Ben Holt in the first and Ben Holt led Dickon Reid in the second. A total of 14 defendants were charged with violent disorder arising out of an attack on an asylum seeker in Croydon. The case attracted international media attention. Instructed to SCU at CPS London.

  Daily Mirror report here

  Daily Mail report here

• R v. Daniels & ors [Isleworth] 2017

  Conspiracy to steal motor vehicles

  Ben Holt acted for the Crown, Daniels was charged with two others with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles. He worked for a BMW dealership and was convicted of stealing car keys and customer’s personal details before passing them on to other conspirators who would steal the cars that had been sold from his place of work. His co-defendants pleaded Guilty at PTPH; with one of them giving evidence for the Crown against Daniels. On conviction, Daniels was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment.

  News reports:

  Evening Standard

  Daily Mail

• Operation Manningtree [Inner London] 2017 2017

  13 handed Violent Disorder following illegal 'rave'

  Catherine Pattison led Ben Holt in the Prosecution of 13 defendants for violent disorder that arose out of an illegal rave organised to take place on the night of Hallowe’en 2015 by a group called ‘Scumtek’. The violence was described as the worst in London since the riots of 2011 and resulted in the largest deployment of Police Officers since that time.

  News reports here:

  Evening Standard

  The Guardian