Johan Grefstad > Chambers of Sir Geoffrey Cox KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Johan Grefstad

Position

Johan became a tenant on completion of pupillage at chambers. Prior to coming to the Bar, Johan was employed as a decision writer at the Financial Ombudsman Service for several years and later as a regulatory consultant at a financial services consultancy. Johan then practised as a solicitor at a leading criminal defence firm based in the City of London.

Johan’s criminal practice is exclusively for the defence.

Financial crime:

Johan draws on his experience in financial services to provide first-class representation to those accused of financial crime offences.

Selection of recent cases:

R v A (2023): Defending alone. Multi-handed conspiracy to commit fraud and convert criminal property arising from the activities of members of a church. Jury discharged following defence application of no case to answer in relation to one of the counts. Re-trial listed for 2024.

R v S (2023): Defending alone. Multi-handed trial alleging entering into a money laundering arrangement. Johan’s client (D1) was accused of personally facilitating the transfer of more than £1.2m.

R v S (2023): Defending alone. Johan was privately instructed to represent a German national accused of laundering more than €1m in a multi-handed international fraud. Following extensive representations, the private prosecutor discontinued the case against Johan’s client. Thereafter, Johan sought and obtained £35,000 of wasted costs against the prosecutor following a contested hearing.

R v H (2023): Defending alone. Acquisition and conversion of cash transferred following a sophisticated banking fraud scheme.

R v D (2023): Defending alone. Cash forfeiture of just over £140,000. Johan raised novel arguments in relation to the operation of s.298 POCA 2002 taking the case to the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Serious organised crime / drugs:

Johan often defends in cases brought by the NCA and regional serious crime directorates.

Selection of recent cases:

R v R (2023). Led junior. Multi-handed drugs supply conspiracy involving the attempted discharge of a prohibited firearm in an alleged retaliatory attack. The trial was aborted in late 2023 due to the prosecution silk withdrawing. The trial is listed to proceed in 2024.

R v Q (2023): Led junior. Multi-handed drugs supply relating to 11.5kg of heroin. The trial involved complex and lengthy abuse of process submissions.

R v S (2023). Led junior. Multi-handed drugs supply operation which involved the distribution of wholesale quantities of class A drugs across the country.

R v S (2023): Defending alone. Drugs supply conspiracy where bulk quantities of class A drugs were marketed and distributed through a network of sites on the dark web.

Violent crime:

Selection of recent cases:

R v R (2023): Led junior. Multi-handed murder trial arising from a stabbing on a London estate.

R v N (2023): Led junior. Manslaughter retrial involving death by a single punch.

R v I (2023): Defending alone. Representing a prisoner serving a life sentence accused of GBH on another inmate and attempting to stab a prison officer, both offences involved improvised weapons.

Civil:

Johan accepts instructions on a range of civil matters. He has conducted numerous road traffic small / fast-track claims across the country predominantly acting for the claimant. Johan also undertakes a range of other civil work spanning employment to a claim relating to the ownership of a sculpture by a well-known street artist.