Charles Sherrard KC > Chambers of Sally O’Neill and Michael Holland KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Charles Sherrard KC

07590 530243 csherrard@furnivallaw.co.uk View profile View profile View profile

Work Department

Serious crime, criminal/civil fraud.

Position

Recognised and ranked in Crime & Financial Crime, Charlie’s practice & name as one of the go-to silks in Murder, Serious Organised Crime, White Collar Fraud, Private Appeals, Private Prosecutions and Regulatory work has never been stronger. He is regularly instructed on a direct access basis.

Recognition has now included since being appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2019.

Opinions:  “Charles Sherrard QC’s cross-examination is like missile strikes and just as effective!”

“His recall of facts and detail is frightening, but always accurate”

 “Dedicated, fastidious and incapable of switching off his brain once he has a case in it”

 “An excellent silk who takes the time to listen to his clients

 “Sees angles others don’t and is a lawyer of great gravitas with a wicked sense of humour”

“The Complete Advocate”

Charlie’s sustained reputation is based on his painstaking preparation, an assiduous eye for detail and sympathetic client care. His work ethic and personal attention to detail have resulted in continual recommendations by word of mouth and professional contacts. This explains why Charlie was instructed in cases such as the killing of Jodie Chesney, the first FGM trial, numerous gangland murders and the worst multiple death case in UK history on our roads. 

Charlie has been a regular legal expert guest on LBC News Radio with Nick Ferrari, Theo Usherwood & most recently Shelagh Fogerty regarding the Manchester Bomber case. Was legal advisor to LBC regarding the Labour Party file of anti-semitism. Recently introduced by Andre Morgan on LBC News London as “LBC News Radio’s foremost legal analyst” when discussing the fallout from the parole board decision in the case of John Warboys.

Legal advisor to The Sun regarding Ched Evans acquittal and relevant law.

Expert contributor on Channel 1 Europe TV to Bengali community on Cyber Crime & Money Laundering

Notable Cases & Profile:

Even in lockdown, Charlie successfully submitted a no-case-to-answer in R-v-BT murder trial in Luton. His high profile successes have been seen in R-v-IS [the father of a 3 year old in the leading FGM prosecution at the start of 2019]; in R-v-JJF [18 yr old indicted in multiple revenge killings arising out of North London gangland rivalry]; R-v-JR [HMP Pentonville murder trial]; R-v-MA [ lead defendant in multi-handed Afghan murder]; R-v-MA [Turkish student murder trial] and even when representing an absent Turkish defendant accused of male rape [R v O]. Additional profile cases have included R-v-M [the infamous ‘M1 lorry driver’ following Britain’s worst ever road incident]; R v YC, [Turkish gangland revenge execution], & R-v-OH [a sawn-off execution in West London and many others. 

Since taking silk in 2012, Charlie’s resourceful and powerful tactical expertise, together with a dedicated hands-on preparation and management of cases, has been recognised by continual instruction in a series of high profile and complex fraud cases. Tax and boiler room frauds feature in his key caseload. In a highly competitive field, Charlie has bucked the trend by being continuously busy and constantly in demand.

As soon as he took silk, he gained significant credit and media coverage for his unstinting and powerful defence of Kweku Adoboli [aka The UBS Rogue Trader] when taking on the might of the Swiss Bank and securing unexpected acquittals on all false accounting counts despite the seemingly overwhelming evidence. Another notable client, unpopular with many, but successfully acquitted of a large scale income tax fraud, was Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson [ex leader of the EDL]. Success in the white-collar field has seen him successfully secure the acquittal of SJ, son to a notable peer, in the fraud and feud arising out of the capital raising by the board of JD Sports. 

Similar success in the white-collar field has been achieved in Carousel Frauds in Liverpool [Operation Forbear] securing the only acquittal in the whole operation, and not guilty verdicts for a solicitor said to be at the heart of a fraud on the Olympic Development Authority [Operation Cavalcade] in a long running fraud trial at Southwark. Other notable and high-profile fraud cases have seen Charlie represent other professionals, this time an accountant, at the heart of a massive property fraud [R-v-Entwistle & others] and a banking consultant in Operation Amazon. 

In the Regulatory field, Charlie has been retained as Counsel by a leading international firm of private investigators in addition to a firm of liquidators and tennis coaches appearing before the LTA. His advice has covered such diverse areas as Inquests, Cyber Crime, Sports Law and an increasing number of Private Prosecutions. In 2019, Charlie’s recent Inquest work has contributed to major changes into Health & Safety provisions at a Thameslink Station and assisting in step-free access. 

Direct Access work is accepted

Professional Memberships:

CBA, SEC, Fraud Lawyers Association, Association of Private Prosecutors

Positions in Chambers:

Director of Furnival Chambers, Chairman of Pupillage 

Please see full chambers profile for more info: http://furnivalchambers.co.uk/barrister/charles-sherrard-qc

Career

Called 1986.
Silk 2012
Recorder of Crown Court 2019
Appointed a Chambers director in 2008.
Direct Access registered
Vulnerable Witness Trained

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association, Middle Temple, Bar Lawn Tennis Society

Education

University College School; University of East Anglia (LLB).

Leisure

Campaigner against Anti Semitism and other hate crime.
Tournament and club tennis player still looking to play at Wimbledon