Tom Stevens

Overview

Tom Stevens is a criminal defence advocate. He has gained considerable Crown Court experience at an early stage of his career, particularly in dealing with drug trafficking offences and cases of serious violence, both alone and as a led junior.

Tom has a particular interest in working with the young and vulnerable; and is consistently instructed to represent defendants with a history of mental illness and those who are homeless or claiming asylum.

Serious Criminal Offences

At an early stage of his career Tom has already been entrusted to defend in cases of seriousness and complexity.

• R v Rashane Wilson (& Others), Snaresbrook Crown Court (2011) - Sole junior counsel for one of 15 defendants charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, in a case tried over 7 weeks with over 10,000 pages of evidence.
  
  
• R v Joseph Messarides, Harrow Crown Court (2011) - s18 and s20 offences involving an alleged hammer attack on a man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
  
  
• R v Gary Nelson, Birmingham Crown Court (2011) - Conspiracy to supply class A drugs over a 2½ year period (led by David Bentley). POCA proceedings involving an alleged benefit figure of over £900,000 are on-going.

General Crime

Tom's practice covers the spectrum of indictable and either-way offences, the following being examples of effective trials he has conducted.

• R v Triana Elliott, Central Criminal Court (2012) - Defence of a woman charged with racially aggravated common assault.
  
  
• R v Orhan Torun, Croydon Crown Court (2012) - Defence of a Turkish national charged with possession of a false identity document and several counts of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
  
  
• R v Wesley Ennis, Inner London Crown Court (2011 and 2012) - Trial and re-trial of a defendant accused of handling stolen goods during the London riots.
  
  
• R v Byron Wilson, Southwark Crown Court (2011) - Defence of a hotel manager charged with racially aggravated common assault. Following representations to the Crown, challenging whether the evidential threshold was met, the case against him was dropped.
  
  
• R v Michela Moran, Snaresbrook Crown Court (2011) - Handling stolen goods.
  
  
• R v Leigh Jackson, Bradford Crown Court (2011) - Multi-handed case of going equipped to steal.
  
  
• R v Treena Knight Ellison, Harrow Crown Court, (2011) - Student raising self-defence against an accusation of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
  
  
• R v Zaheer Ahmed, Bradford Crown Court (2011) - Dangerous driving.
  
  
• R v Ian Clack, St Albans Crown Court (2011) - Four counts of handling stolen goods.R v Anthony Boyd, Kingston Crown Court (2010) - Attempted robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
  
  
• R v Kirsty Pask, Isleworth Crown Court (2010) - Student accused of criminal damage to a high-value sports car.

Criminal Appeals

Tom regularly advises on fresh appeals against both conviction and sentence.

• R v Wayne Flack [2011] EWCA Crim 1112 - Successful appeal against sentence for handling stolen goods.
  

Protest Cases

Tom has experience in conducting cases arising from protest at the magistrates court and Crown Court.

• R v Francis Fernie, Kingston Crown Court (2011) - Sentence of a student convicted of violent disorder during the TUC March of 2011. The case was reported in the national press, click here to view coverage.

Background

Before commencing pupillage, Tom worked as researcher for the Ministry of Justice, producing a report on international comparators for the Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation. The conference considered the disparity between the representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people in the House of Commons and their representation in the UK population at large. He subsequently worked as a legal advisor for OFSTED, the Government body that regulates children's services and schools, dealing with complaints and investigations.

After university and prior to his legal training, Tom established and ran a small media production company, which specialised in making educational documentaries and training films on meeting special educational needs.

Memberships

Tom is a member of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Amnesty International, the Young Fraud Lawyers Association, and the Criminal Bar Association.

Year of Call

2008

Education

BA Hons in History, Bristol University LPC (1st Class) Nottingham Law School BVC (Outstanding) Nottingham Law School Taylor Prize, Nottingham Law School Blackstone Entrance Exhibition (Middle Temple) Kalisher Scholarship 2009

Email Address

t.stevens@doughtystreet.co.uk

Specialist Teams

Member :

• Criminal Law