Steven Ball > Chambers of Richard Pratt KC > Liverpool, England > Barrister Profile

Steven Ball

Work Department

Criminal Department

Career

Call: 1996

Mediator

Accredited by the Bar Council for Direct Access

CPS Advocates Panel Grade 3

CPS RASSO Advocates Panel

Memberships

Northern Circuit

[Former Junior of the Circuit 2000-2001]

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

The Athenaeum, Liverpool

Education

Inns of Court School of Law, London 1995

University of Hull [LL.B Hons.] 1992-1995

Areas of Practice

 

Background

Steven is an experienced and versatile practitioner known for his calm and engaging manner with clients and his clear and persuasive advocacy in court.

Steven mixes his criminal practice with defending fraudulent and/or unmeritorious personal injury/credit hire claims in the county court.  These two areas of practice compliment each other as they rely on case strategy, meticulous preparation and robust cross- examination.

Steven is a trained mediator and he undertakes disciplinary work on behalf of a conflict management and mediation company who work in sectors such as the military, government, charity, university and healthcare.

 

Criminal Work

Steven has prosecuted on behalf of a wide range of agencies.  In addition to the Crown Prosecution Service he has prosecuted on behalf of the Probation Service, DWP; Local Authorities, the Insolvency Service, the Health and Safety Executive and the Chief Constable of Merseyside.

He has appeared in the Court of Appeal, the Administrative Court [Judicial Review] and the High Court [Appeal by way of Case Stated]

His historical case load both for the prosecution and defence has included serious crime: murder, rape, historical sexual abuse, conspiracy to supply drugs and money laundering.

He has undertaken cases involving cash forfeiture, closure order and football banning orders.  He has experience of cases involving allegations of police misconduct, disclosure issues and public interest immunity.

 

Recent caseload

R v LJS [2023] Steven represented a defendant, a company director in a two week trial in Liverpool in a case brought by the Insolvency Service and helped secure his acquittal on three charges of fraud by transferring property in default of creditors before his company was would up.  The defendant was also acquitted of failing to keep accounting records. He was convicted of failing to preserve records and misconduct in the course of the winding up. The defendant avoided an immediate custodial sentence which would have been inevitable had he been convicted of the most serious charges. [Instructed by Sonn Macmillan Walker , London]

 

R v RF and SN [2023] Steven was appointed by the court pursuant to section 28 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to cross examine in a case involving two un-represented defendants facing allegations of perverting the court of justice and perjury arising from a disputed will.  [appointed by Judge Murray, Liverpool Crown Court]

 

R v PH [2023] Steven was instructed to represent a prison officer who has pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office by taking in class C steroids into Liverpool prison to be distributed amongst the inmates.  There are no sentencing guidelines for this offence and Steven was able to distinguish the facts from other more serious cases that had been reported from the Court of Appeal.  The judge took a starting point of 6 years imprisonment which was eventually reduced through mitigation and credit to 4 years.  [Instructed by Thompsons Law, Leeds]

 

R v AA and MP [2023] Steven has been instructed to represent a Hungarian female who has been accused of conspiracy to control prostitution and trafficking of sex workers in Bolton, Preston and Birmingham.  This case is due to be heard at Bolton Crown Court in May [Instructed by BMS Solicitors, Manchester]

 

R v P,D, T and M [2022] Steven was instructed to represent the Crown in an Operation Castle case involving a conspiracy to rob where a team of burglars targeted two houses on different sides of the city on the same morning in June 2022.  The offences were well planned.  They involved a stolen vehicle and the female victims at each property were left traumatised by the experience of the break in from the bogus callers. The case was based on strong circumstantial evidence rather than direct forensic links. Steven drafted a skeleton argument and successfully made submissions against two applications to dismiss the charges. This led to the two remaining defendants pleading guilty.  Judge Aubrey KC passed sentences between 13 years 10 months and 15 years 6 months on the four members of the team [Instructed by CPS, Liverpool]

 

R v MV [2023] Steven was instructed to represent an 82 year old man accused of historical sexual offences against his daughter now 16.   The case was sensitive and distressing owing to the family circumstances which had led to countless hearings in the Court of Protection preceding the criminal case.  This required careful preparation towards the section 28 cross examination hearing to take into account the complicated factual history of the matter.  The defendant was to die before the section 28 hearing which lead to this fact being endorsed on the indictment before the proceedings were stayed. [Instructed by Russell and Russell, Bolton]

 

R v JBT [2023] Steven was instructed to represent the Crown in a case involving the downloading and distribution of a large volume of indecent images and videos depicting serious sexual activity involving adults and children.  The defendant who was 32 years old and had not been in any previous trouble with the courts was sentenced to an immediate sentence of 2 years imprisonment. [Instructed by CPS, Liverpool]

 

Regulatory Work

Steven has experience of cases involving Health and Safety; the Environment Agency and Trading Standards; Local Authority prosecutions in the Crown Court; the Care Standards Tribunal and in licencing matters.

Steven has recently successfully defended a Mersey Tug man in a prosecution brought by the Maritime and Coastal Agency.

In Rex [Maritime and Coastal Agency] v DE  [2022] Steven successfully defended a Mersey Tug boat skipper in a trial before a jury lasting 8 days.  The skipper was acquitted of conduct endangering the life of an individual which caused the death of a colleague who had fallen into the river whilst attempting to step back onto the tug which was moored at the Tranmere Oil Terminal.   The Tug Boat company – Svitzer Marine -had earlier pleaded guilty to offences relating to a lack of risk assessment and poor training.  Until this tragedy it had been common practice for the tug boats to moor up at Tranmere despite the jetty berth being designed for tankers.  The prosecution argued that the practice was unsafe especially in light of the weather and the fact that the tug was not safely pinned against the jetty.   The prosecution also considered the response of the crew in their unsuccessful attempt to rescue the man overboard by reference to how it was performed and the lack of training drills evidenced in the preceding months. The jury heard evidence from an internationally renowned expert – Captain Inseal,  a Master Mariner – who opined by reference to his maritime experience – the numerous ways in which the Defendant had failed to discharge his duties as the Master of the Tug.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/tugboat-captain-cleared-causing-shipmates-25822131

 

Disciplinary

Steven has represented police officers who have been accused of misconduct. He has also represented care workers in the Care Standards Tribunal.

Steven works on a freelance basis for a conflict management company and is tasked with conducting formal inquiries on their behalf into professional disciplinary matters involving allegations of bullying, harassment and racial discrimination.  These are often sensitive cases which require careful consideration of the evidence. His measure of assessment incorporates the organisations own policies and having gathered evidence he evaluates it and collates his findings in a formal report.

 

Civil Litigation

Steven has a national practice representing Claimants and Defendants alike.  He has a wide range of practical experience in personal injury litigation on both the multi track and fast track.   His work encompasses complicated medical presentations, fatal accidents, claims against the police , credit hire, LVI and fraud.

Steven is regularly instructed in cases of high value; to draft comprehensive schedules of loss and to attend joint settlement meetings.

Steven has conducted a number of recent successful appeals or cases within the county court adjourned for specific legal argument.

Steven has experience of clinical negligence, dental negligence and cosmetic negligence cases; some industrial disease work and ‘on the field’ sports injuries.

He has regularly appeared in the First Tier Tribunal on appeals involving the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Steven is happy to accept instructions by e-mail and will endeavour to ensure a quick turnaround of paperwork whether it be advice or pleadings. He is also happy to advise informally pre issue.

 

Inquests

Steven has a wide range of experience in the Coroner’s Court which combines his knowledge of criminal procedure with the careful scrutiny of medical and causation issues. He has represented the interests of the police in cases involving fatal road traffic accidents and deaths whilst in custody.   He has previously worked on criminal cases involving non accidental injuries with children.

 

Mediation

Steven is a qualified mediator and draws upon 25 years of practice in dealing with a wide range of disputes by understanding and evaluating the issues. Steven will work to reduce conflict and find ways to focus the parties on identifying workable solutions in a cost effective alternative to litigation.

 

Mentoring and Education

In recent years Steven has mentored people coming into the legal profession and has worked on an occasional basis as a visiting lecturer at the University of Law and BPP University in Manchester teaching on the BTC, LPC and LLB courses.

Steven has delivered a number of practical seminars to solicitors and fee earners in recent years at their offices.  For further information please contact him via his clerks.