Amos Waldman

Profile

Criminal specialist, regularly instructed in cases of gravity including allegations of violence, drug importations, sexual offences, arson, fraud, money laundering, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, large scale public disorder, including football related incidents, and firearms. He specialises in representing vulnerable and young defendants and those with psychiatric and psychological issues.

He has been instructed in many voluminous, complex and significant cases, both in his own right and as led junior counsel.

He is recommended as a leading junior by the latest edition of the Legal 500, within the Northern Circuit, for Criminal law.
He is on the approved list of counsel for the Falkland Islands

He has particular interests in Proceeds of crime - he lectures on the subject at the Manchester Metropolitan University to students on the BPTC; and Contempt of Court, both Civil and Criminal applications.

He was a member of the CBA working group who recently responded to the Law Commission’s Consultation Paper (No. 209) on Contempt of Court.

Regulatory and Financial Crime

R v Hewett, ~~Liverpool Crown Court~~ – Led junior. Instructed for the Proceeds of Crime application to represent a defendant who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import Class A drugs from Europe. At the relevant time he was living in Spain. The case involved investigation into numerous Spanish properties and bank accounts. The crown initially sought an order for £33.7m.
R v Liddle, ~~Central Criminal Court~~ – Conspiracy to defraud – defendant charged in relation to a nationwide conspiracy involving forged store cards.
R v Ball, ~~Plymouth Crown Court~~ - Led Junior in conspiracy to commit fraud with a value in excess of £1 million.
R v Abbas, ~~Bolton Crown Court~~ - Led Junior in conspiracy to commit fraud, Bolton Crown Court.
R v Maqsood Ahmed, ~~Luton Crown Court~~ - Operation Movement. Led junior in conspiracy to steel and money laundering. 14 handed case, split into several lengthy trials. Involved the theft of high performance vehicles and their onward shipment to Africa. Described by the sentencing Judge as the largest case of its kind ever in the UK. The prosecution sought a confiscation order in excess of £2m. An order of £1,500 was negotiated.
R v Partington, Liverpool Crown Court - Conspiracy to supply cocaine. Instructed on Lengthy and high value proceeds of crime application.
R v West – ~~Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court~~ – Operation Fennel – 18 handed car ringing case.
R v MIK and Others – ~~Bradford Crown Court~~ – conspiracies to commit mortagage and insurance fraud.

Other Serious Criminal Offences

R v Thompson, Manchester Crown Court - Successful application to stay the indictment as an abuse of process. Firearms case.
R v Bourke, Liverpool Crown Court - Firearms case in which exceptional circumstances were found to justify departing from the 5 year minimum sentence. 9 months imposed.
R v Gow, Leeds Crown Court - 13 handed conspiracy to burgle. Due to leader's absence conducted substantial parts of the case alone.
R v Nudds, Bradford Crown Court - Led junior in a multi-handed conspiracy to burgle.
R v Higgs, Preston crown Court - Led junior in a trial and retrial for privately funded case of dangerous driving. The case involved serious and permanent personal injury to the complainant. Defendant acquitted following retrial.
R v Bradshaw, Leeds Crown Court - Led Junior in a 4 week trial defending man charged with 40 counts of arson.
R v Ayub, Minshull Street Crown court - Led junior in 11 week trial involving 7 defendants on charges of conspiracy to kidnap and false imprisonment.
R v Michael Hayes, Liverpool Crown Court conspiracy to rob and armed robbery.
R v Maude, Bradford Crown Court 8 handed conspiracy to commit burglary and money laundering.
R v Kenny, Bolton Crown Court - Operation Perryville. Class A drug conspiracy. Twenty six defendants. Case severed into several trials.
R v Orrell, Liverpool Crown Court - Operation Windle, thirteen handed drug case.
R v Fernhead, Manchester Minshull St Crown Court - Operation Marengo, eighteen defendants, class A drug conspiracy.
R v Sindhu, Manchester Crown Court - Led junior in 5 handed European Drug importation.
R v Cooper, Preston Crown Court – Historic serious sexual offences committed against the defendant’s relatives, almost 40 years ago. The case involved complicated bad character evidence.
R v Bertenshaw - Manchester Minshull Street Crown court - Operation Zeus - Largescale police undercover operation into the supply of class A drugs. 30 defendants.
R v L- 17 year old man arrested for attempt murder. Committed a series of knife point robberies, one in which a taxi driver’s throat was slit. Avoided a sentence under the ‘Dangerousness’ provisions.
R v John Unsworth, ~~Liverpool Crown Court~~ – 84 year old defendant who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine. Received a suspended sentence despite a similar previous conviction in his seventies.
R v Orrell – Liverpool Crown Court -Operation Hyrax – 9 handed conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
R v M – Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court - Historic rapes and sexual assaults, multiple. complainants. Indictment stayed following successful abuse of process application, at the close of the prosecution case.
R v JS, ~~Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court~~ – 18 year old defendant, with psychological difficulties, admitted and was dealt with for his involvement in the torture of another young man over a period of approximately 8 hours.

Criminal Appeals

R v Norman Scarth ~~[2011] EWCA Crim 2228~~ - successful appeal against sentence for contempt of court. The appellant was an 85 year old decorated Second World War veteran. The case generated substantial media interest.
R v Hughes (John) ~~[2010] EWCA Crim 3216~~ – successful appeal against sentence. Burglary of dwelling.

Prison Law and Crime Related Public Law

He represents prisoners charged with offences against prison discipline, He also appears at parole, lifer and IPP panel hearings.

He has advised on judicial review in matters relating to criminal law and prison law.

R v Mercer involved a challenge to the decision of a Magistrates' Court to commit a youth for trial.
HM Attorney General v Norman Scarth ~~[2013] EWHC 194 (Admin)~~ – An application for the respondent’s committal for Contempt of Court for the alleged recording and subsequent publication, on You Tube, of court proceedings.