Nicholas Cooper > 15NBS > London, England > Barrister Profile

Nicholas Cooper

Work Department

Nicholas has appeared in many challenging and complicated trials over the last 22 years. In the last 10 years he has moved from a defence practice to an exclusive prosecution practice, mainly on the South Eastern Circuit.

Position

Nicolas is a Level 3 Prosecutor and specialises in the following areas of criminal prosecutions :

Financial crime.
Disclosure and PII.
Allegations of possession guns amongst criminal gangs.
Moped robbery.
Attempted murder.
Drug importation.
Large scale Class A drug supply by criminal gangs.
Corruption in public officials.

Nicolas is a skilled prosecutor, entirely used to handling large paper-heavy multi-handed trials lasting several weeks. He works closely with police teams, preparing the presentation of expert evidence in such matters as transference of DNA and liquids.
He specialises in the presentation of call data and cell site with expert witnesses to courts and juries and presenting to courts and juries DNA evidence by expert witnesses. Careful and detailed presentation of complex CCTV , often covering multiple events and crimes compiled from many days and multiple sources. Some of the cases he has prosecuted in last 18 months include :
All the trials from Operation Tamara (between June and December 2018) – police operation focusing on Class A drug supply in Notting Hill at time of Carnival. Including :

R v A-S & O trial, Central Criminal Court

R v R trial, Isleworth Crown Court

R v B & W (July 2018) , Central Criminal Court, trial, prosecution of 5 week trial – Organised Criminal Network, President of the Sussex Chapter of Hells Angels allegation S.18 wounding. Included dealing complicated disclosure issues and making a successful PII application.

R v R (April 2019) Croydon CC trial, allegation attempted murder. Secured conviction for S.18 and an extended prison sentence of 17 years. This led to specialist advice and conferences with CPS.

R v H & A (June 2018) Croydon CC trial, allegation of multiple moped enabled robberies over a period of several weeks. Both defendants convicted and received extended sentences of 14 and 17 years.

R v N (October to December 2018) Woolwich CC. Headed a disclosure team of one other Counsel and two police officers. Over the course of 50 days prepared the disclosure and completed the Disclosure Manual Document for the whole of a multi-handed international money laundering trial that was listed for two months. Advising on issues of PII and disclosure, jurisdiction and preparing evidence to be served as part of Crown’s case. Headed conferences with his team and guided team on how to prepare and handle disclosure. Involving Mutual Legal Assistance and Letters of Request.

R v C (April 2019) Snaresbrook CC, money laundering trial, successfully securing conviction in trial where defendant involved in £100,000 international frauds and acquiring criminal property.

R v Le (April 2019) Kingston Crown Court corruption in public officials in the Home Office. Securing conviction

R v J, C & C (May 2019) trial, possession of firearm, secured convictions against members of criminal gang; possession firearm and ammunition.

R v G & C-J ILCC June 2019 secured convictions across the whole indictment; three week multi-handed prosecution of multiple offences of armed Cash in Transit robberies of business money deliveries in South London.

R v C Harrow Crown Court – advising in preparation of money laundering / acquiring criminal property trial. Advising on Restraint and asset identification and recovery, building case to trial.
Appeared for Prosecution in Court of Appeal R v Jesse Brown.

R v Brown [2016] EWCA Crim 523.

R v Brown is a leading authority as to how a Judge should handle notes and situations of apparent deadlock in a jury – the defendant in that case having been convicted unanimously by the jury after a note indicating apparent dead lock; conviction was upheld on appeal and Judge’s handling and direction approved.

He also works advising police and CPS lawyers on areas such as disclosure and PII.
He regularly handles Preston briefings and PII hearings. He has appeared in the Court of Appeal and he frequently advises on unduly lenient sentences.

This year he has worked closely with two Crown Courts, appearing voluntarily at open days presenting mock trials to the Public on weekends.

In Chambers he plays an active role on the Pupillage committee, marking Pupillage applications and attending numerous evenings of interviews each year.