Matthew Donkin KC is trusted to conduct cases of gravity and complexity, and is recognised for his ability to manage demanding evidence and legal issues.
Crime
Having developed a strong reputation for defending and prosecuting cases of general crime, Matthew is now typically instructed in cases of homicide and serious organised crime. Matthew has particular experience and interest in cases involving complex medical evidence.
Homicide & Serious Violence
Serious & Organised Crime
- Operation Belmore: Prosecution of series of cases following a spate of serious violence in Stockton on Tees which became the gun crime capital of the UK during the summer of 2025. Charges included Attempted Murder, Arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, Possession of Prohibited Weapon, Possession of Firearm with Intent to Endanger life.
- R v Sheikh and others: Prosecuting in a complex medical case. Case centred on issues of causation of a brain injury. Extremely complex legal arguments taken to the Court of Appeal. Now a leading authority on s5 DVCVA 2004 cases.
Serious Sexual Offences
- R v WO: Rape. Assault by penetration and sexual activity with child family member. Instructed by RASSO unit, CPS Northumbria. Non-historical case of a father of previous good character who for a number of years had committed serious sexual offences against his daughters.
- R v NS: Sexual Activity with a child family member. Father who had sexually assaulted his daughter. The sole evidence was from his daughter who gave her account aged 3 and was aged 4 by the time of the trial.
Fraud, Financial Crime, Confiscation & Associated Cases
- R v Jaspreet Oberoi, Ricky Collins & Others - Operation Ultimatum. The prosecution of twenty defendants who were conspiring to steal rail in substantial quantities from locations all around the country. Some 3000 tonnes of rail were stolen and shipped abroad at a loss to Network Rail of over £1 million and generating substantial quantities of cash for the conspirators.Due to the size of the case, the prosecution of the defendants needed three separate trials to be conducted over a period of 20 months. A vast volume of documentary and other evidence was obtained by British Transport Police officers and needed to be distilled down into manageable form for each jury, without contaminating one trial with evidence of a separate conspiracy. Cell-site evidence and telephone data was of such a volume that over one hundred separate Sequence of Events charts were prepared by an analyst to cover the 125 separate individual thefts that took place. Fourteen defendants were convicted.
- R v Pilling & Best: The two defendants were metal-detectorists and amateur coin collectors and enthusiasts who acquired 46 extremely rare and highly valuable Anglo-Saxon coins on the black market. The two defendants conspired together to sell the coins unofficially and without declaring them to an American buyer. At trial the defendants claimed that they were unaware of the significance of what they possessed and also that they were not seeking to sell the coins, but to have them authenticated only. The jury rejected that defence and convicted them of conspiracy. The case involved the evidence of the undercover police operation along with extensive expert evidence including from the leading expert Dr. Gareth Williams of the British Museum to explain what the coins were and their historical significance.
Inquests & Inquiries
Matthew accepts instructions to appear in Inquests and has done so in cases concerning fatal traffic accidents and police misconduct.
- Inquest into the death of Irene Collins. Matthew represented the family of the deceased who had allowed the police access to her property to carry out a search with a dog, but the police dog then attacked and savaged the deceased. The case attracted national media attention.
Regulatory
Matthew accepts instructions to represent diverse parties in a broad range of regulatory proceedings.
