New Park Court Chambers

Crime

Tom Storey KC is a leading criminal practitioner both on the North Eastern Circuit and beyond, instructed to prosecute and defend the most serious offences. He specialises in cases involving homicide, terrorism, large-scale organised crime and fraud, and serious sexual offences.

Tom’s meticulous eye for detail makes him a tactically astute barrister who can present or challenge evidence clearly and effectively. He encourages early engagement and adopts a proactive approach to cases he is engaged upon, providing strategic advice from the inception of any case. He is always keen to establish successful working partnerships within case teams and will place the client at the heart of any case strategy.

In Court, Tom is admired for his easy but intelligent manner and his ability to render complex issues comprehensible to juries. He is adept at sensitively handling particularly vulnerable witnesses and clients.

Tom also provides an advisory service, being instructed both pre-charge in relation to complex investigations, and also at an appellate level. He is regularly recommended as a leading individual for criminal law in legal directories, where he is noted for his intellect, thorough case preparation and conscientious approach.

Prior to taking silk, Tom was a level 4 prosecutor for the specialist CPS Serious Crime, Rape and Serious Sexual Abuse and Counter Terrorism panels. He is an accredited advocacy trainer for the North Eastern Circuit and an experienced pupil supervisor.

Homicide & Serious Violence

• StClair, Smith, Smith, Furtado, Windas, Gibson (Bradford CC). Six Defendants charged with murder of man killed in his own home in a targeted attack; five of the six convicted of manslaughter. Cause of death identified as being asphyxiation/strangulation.  Insofar as any motive could be established, this was thought likely to have been the deceased’s involvement in the trade in Class A controlled drugs.
• Marcin Kramarski (Leeds CC). Defendant charged with murder of flat-mate who died after fire set in wheelie bin at entrance to premises, and also with arson with intent to endanger life in relation to occupants of upper-floor flat; convicted of manslaughter and arson being reckless as to endangerment of life. Expert evidence called at trial in relation to flash burns suffered by Defendant at point fire was lit.  At sentence, Prosecution served evidence of multiple previous arrests on occasions when Defendant was in drink, almost none of which had led to offences being charged, but which gave rise to finding that Defendant was dangerous offender.  Court was persuaded that a life sentence was not appropriate in the circumstances.
• Jhangur & Jhangur (Sheff CC). Reported in the press as the “Good Samaritan” case. Defendant charged with murder of member of the public by driving into him whilst he provided assistance to the Defendant’s own sister, who had collapsed on a residential street on the day of her marriage.  Background of dispute between families of Defendant and his sister’s new husband.
• Samuel Moore (Bradford CC). Defendant charged with the murder of his neighbour, having attacked him with a knife, stabbing him 17 times to the torso; convicted of manslaughter. Background of disagreements between Defendant and other residents in block of flats where he resided.  Defendant’s claim to have been acting in self-defence was rejected by the jury.  Application for leave to appeal sentence imposed refused.
• Mohammed Taroos Khan (Bradford CC). Murder by Defendant of his 20-year-old niece, who disappeared from the home where she was living with her grandmother and another uncle. Her body was subsequently disposed of on waste ground, where it was discovered in a partially decomposed state.  Pathologists unable to determine precise cause of death.  Although forming no part of the prosecution case, the defence floated the suggestion at trial that she might have been murdered as part of a so-called “honour killing” by her own father, from whom she was estranged.
• Leon Matthias (Sheffield Crown Court). Murder by Defendant of his 2-month-old son in a case involving allegations of shaking and either throwing him or striking his head against a hard surface. Multiple expert medical witnesses relied on by prosecution; admissibility of defence expert evidence successfully challenged at trial.

Terrorism

• Callum Parslow (Leicester CC). Defendant convicted at trial of attempted murder, having sought out and stabbed an Eritrean national at a hotel which had previously been used to accommodate asylum-seekers. Evidence adduced of Defendant’s far-right extremism, based on texts found at his home address and on his electronic devices, his many X (Twitter) posts and a pre-prepared manifesto document which he was in the process of trying to upload to X at the point of his arrest.  Successfully argued that offence had a terrorist connection within the meaning of the legislation.  Defendant sentenced to term of life imprisonment.
• Samuel Melia (Leeds CC). Defendant convicted of distributing material stirring up racial hatred and encouraging or assisting the commission of racially aggravated criminal damage. Defendant distributed via an anonymous Telegram channel called the Hundred Handers printable versions of stickers bearing racially offensive slogans and expressing various far right ideologies; he further encouraged the widespread placement of these stickers in public locations throughout the UK and abroad.  Expert evidence called at trial on topic of far-right extremism, in order to assist with some of the ideologies expressed on the stickers and with the practice of “stickering” more generally.
• Nathan Worrell (Sheffield Crown Court). Defendant charged with possessing material stirring up racial hatred, consisting of collections of stickers bearing racially offensive slogans and advocating various extreme right-wing points of view; also charged with breaching a criminal behaviour order and notification requirements following previous similar convictions. Guilty pleas entered at trial.
• Darren Reynolds & Christine Grayson (Leeds CC). Defendants charged with and convicted of multiple offences, including conspiracy to commit criminal damage (to 5G mobile phone masts), encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications. Extensive evidence derived from messages posted on Telegram channels, which included material demonstrating an extreme right-wing mindset.  Principal Defendant called for commission of terrorist attacks upon others, in particular MPs and those of the Jewish faith; also provided access to online repositories of terroristic and extreme right-wing texts.  Expert evidence called in relation to far-right extremism.

Serious Organised Crime

• Op Apple (Leeds CC). Defendants charged with conspiracy to import nitrous oxide pursuant to the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 and associated money laundering offences. Principal offenders convicted after 12-week trial. Court found level of importation to be “industrial-scale” (over 91 million cannisters or “cream chargers”). Defendants’ importation business operated through multiple successively-incorporated limited liability companies, some fronted by other individuals; shell companies established in the Netherlands and Poland assisted to conceal the proceeds of the sale of cream chargers to customers across the UK.
• Op Edithall (Leeds CC) . Total of 18 Defendants charged with conspiracies to supply cocaine and to launder proceeds, committed during 2020 and covering an area comprising much of northern England and the Midlands. Principal Defendant directing operations whilst serving a prison sentence for previous offending. Considerable volume of evidence derived from Encrochat encrypted phone messages; additionally, from phone linking and movement evidence, together with police observations.

Serious Sexual Offences

• Clive Jones (Durham CC). Defendant a former CPS prosecutor. Charged with arranging the commission of various child sexual offences, following his interactions with an undercover police officer on an online platform catering for those interested in sexual fetishes.  Defendant arranged to meet at the home address of someone he believed to be the mother of a 7-year-old daughter, for the express purpose of engaging in sexual activity with both of them; he was found to have taken with him a variety of sex toys, lubricants, restraints and chocolates.
• Brian Clark (Newcastle CC). Defendant charged with multiple allegations of non-recent sexual assault upon two young girls for whom he had babysat in the 1990s – 2000s. Multiple issues at trial relating to Defendant’s poor health; all overcome so as to enable trial to proceed after previous strenuous efforts by defence to prevent trial going ahead.
• John Foster & Dorothy Foster (Hull CC). Multiple allegations of non-recent (1970s through to early 2000s) sexual abuse of young boys in East Yorkshire area, where JF worked as local bus driver. Some of the abuse occurred at his home address and also involved his wife.  Five separate complainants gave evidence at trial, each with limited knowledge of the others.  Issue at trial relating to DF, who was deemed to be unfit to be tried due to her advancing dementia.

Fraud & Financial Crime

• David Walker (Newcastle CC). Defendant a financial broker charged together with several others in relation to complex invoice financing (factoring) fraud and associated money laundering. Substantial trial (in excess of four months) involving evidence relating to applications by multiple shell companies for finance agreements with secondary lenders.  Defendant said to have been instrumental in sourcing directors for companies in fact controlled by co-accused.  Successful defence run at trial was essentially that Defendant was an unwitting party to scheme orchestrated by others, and was taken advantage of as much as complainant witnesses had been.
• Operation Dimple 1 & 2 (Sheffield CC). Two interlinked trials both alleging conspiracies to commit credit card fraud and associated re-sale of goods via eBay online sales platform. Offending initially uncovered after investigation into fraudulent purchase of high value Canyon road bicycles, many of which were delivered to addresses in South Yorkshire.  Police subsequently uncovered large quantities of fraudulently obtained stock, much of high value (electrical and designer label goods) and all destined for re-sale.

CPS Counter Terrorism Panel (Level 4) CPS General Prosecution Panel (Level 4) CPS Serious Organised Crime Panel (Level 4) CPS Rape Panel Tom is an accredited advocacy trainer for the North Eastern Circuit, and an experienced pupil supervisor.