Gray’s Inn bomb plot trial: Jonathan Lennon KC and Rabah Kherbane’s client acquitted on all charges after four-month trial at the Old Bailey
Jonathan Lennon KC and Rabah Kherbane’s client, JB, was unanimously acquitted on all charges for his alleged involvement in the Gray’s Inn bomb plot. After a four-month trial at the Central Criminal Court, the jury returned unanimous Not Guilty verdicts for JB in respect of two counts of conspiracy to plant devices in London’s legal district, and one count of money laundering in relation to ‘hush’ money and payment for the bomb plot.
The prosecution case was that Jonathan Nuttall, a businessman and millionaire suspected of being involved in an international money-laundering ring had targeted lawyers instructed in an asset forfeiture case. Nuttall instructed his chauffeur and a former Royal Marine to plant devices outside the offices of two barristers (one a deputy high court judge) working with the National Crime Agency in a multi-million-pound case against him and his wife.
The prosecution alleged the former marine had recruited his son, JB, to assist in the plot. The prosecution alleged JB was involved in surveillance trips in the lead up to the bomb plot, collected monies as payment for the plot, and received ‘hush money’ after his father was arrested.
Through detailed analysis of the material, the Defence identified an additional trip by the former marine likely to have been a surveillance trip, in which JB was not involved, and further undermined JB’s alleged participation on each of the dates he was said to have been involved in the bomb plot.
In a legally and factually complex case, the prosecution relied on large volumes of evidence, including prison call recordings, a covert recording of a prison social visit, financial material, cell site evidence, CCTV, social media communications, and substantial digital material from device downloads. Legal arguments by Jon and Rabah focussed on areas of disclosure, admissibility of covert recordings, and the money laundering count. The Defence case also spanned multiple sources of evidence, pulled together from unused material as well as defence-led investigations on behalf of JB.
Jonathan Lennon KC was appointed King’s Counsel on 27 March 2023, this being his first trial conducted in Silk. Jon and Rabah were instructed by Sophie Clarke at Carson Kaye Solicitors.
Further details can be found in press coverage here:
