Cases
Cases
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Operation Uvrou [Central Criminal Court] 2023
Fake Bomb Attack
As led junior, Aska represented the second defendant who was charged with conspiring to place fake bombs in Gray’s Inn. Instructed by Freemans.
News report here.
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R v. Sahayb Abu - [C.C.C.] 2021
Conviction for man preparing to carry out an IS inspired sword-attack
Jonathan Polnay, led by John McGuinness QC prosecution Sahayb Abu, the ‘masked menace’ for preparing to carry out a terrorist sword attack.
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R v. Abdullah [C.C.C.] 2020
Man who incited German terror cell to commit terrorist atrocities by training them in use of explosives.
Jonathan Polnay, led by Barnaby Jameson QC, prosecuted Abdullah for assisting another to prepare an act of terrorism. He incited a terror cell, based in Germany, to commit terrorist atrocities that would have caused mass fatalities. His encouragement was not limited to words. He researched, obtained and tested explosives in order to teach the German cell to carry out the terrorist attacks to maximum effect.
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Operation Dowl [C.C.C.] 2018
Suicide Terror Plot to Kill the Prime Minister
Mark Heywood QC represented the Crown in this case involving the plot by two individuals to kill the Prime Minister. The plan was to detonate a bomb at the gates of Downing Street and then kill Theresa May with a knife or gun.
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R v. Abdallah [C.C.C.] 2017
Prosecution of British man who travelled to Syria to join so-called Islamic State
Mark Heywood QC acted for the Crown in this prosecution of a British man who was jailed for possession of an AK47 gun, receiving £2000 for the purposes of terrorism and membership of ISIS.
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R v. Aziz & ors [C.C.C] 2017
Three Musketeers Terror Trial
Rishi Nathwani led by Kieran Vaughan QC, instructed by Tuckers represented 1 of the 4 Defendants in the unprecedented Three Musketeers Terror Trial that lasted 5 months at the Old Bailey before Mr Justice Globe. There was a significant press interest in this case, that was only the third trial in the history of the UK that was held (in part) in secret (in camera) due to issues of national security.
The Defendants had been under surveillance and subject to an undercover operation by the West Midland Counter Terrorist Special Projects Team, who ran a covert operation from a Courier Company. When the MI5 were fitting a listening device in a co-defendant’s car, a search revealed a bag with a pipe bomb, imitation firearm, live ammunition and a hatchet with “Kafir” scratched into it. It was the Defence case that these items had been planted by the Under Cover Officer given the previous terror convictions of some of the Defendants.
The trial process threw up a number of complex and significant legal issues, which included:
• Secret/in camera evidence
• Anonymous Witnesses
• British Secret Service (MI5) Evidence that was not contained to NCND
• PII/Disclosure which resulted in the service of the personal phones of several Under Cover Operatives who it was alleged had planted a pipe bomb to frame the Defendants, some of whom were known to the police/MI5
• Jury irregularities including a juror making it plain that she fancied the Officer in the case (who the Defence suggested was corrupt) and another juror making enquiries as to his relationship status.
• Bad Character
• Extreme Islamic ideology
• Low Copy DNA evidence
• Legal argument relating to prejudice/bias as a result of the 4 terror attacks that occurred during the trial (Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park)
