Dere Street Barristers

Robert Newcombe is a member of the Criminal Bar Association and the UK Environmental Law Association. He acts as leading counsel in complex criminal trials, such as money laundering. He has successfully defended clients charged with attempted murder at the Central Criminal Court. He has also been lead by QCs in successfully defending a number of clients on murder charges at the Central Criminal Court and elsewhere. Robert also represents parties at inquests. In 2011 Robert represented a client in the UK’s first multi-million pound Cyberfraud case (conspiracy to defraud), where the Zeus Trojan virus had been utilised by a sophisticated criminal syndicate to assist in removing funds from internet-accessible bank accounts. Robert often acts for clients charged with grave offences involving firearms and drugs (supply and importation). He has extensive experience in representing vulnerable clients (often charged with rape, where the complainants are themselves often vulnerable). He also regularly acts for businesses, landowners and other individuals charged with environmental and planning law offences. These include: breach of planning enforcement notices (prosecutions and injunctions and appeals) and waste and pollution cases. He advises on Environment Agency civil sanctions; and remediation of sites. Robert also acts in confiscation proceedings and appears in the Court of Appeal. He has presented lectures to practitioners on a wide range of subjects for CPD. Recent lectures include: ‘Firearms Law and Case Management’ and ‘Defending Environmental Prosecutions’ and ‘Enforcement Proceedings under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2000’. Robert enjoys mastering the detail of forensic expert reports including DNA, pathology, financial, computing and other scientific evidence, and excels in presenting such complex evidence to juries.

Trained Lincoln’s Inn; called 1996.

Criminal Bar Association; UK Environmental Law Association.

Haileybury and Imperial Service College, Hertford; University of Northumbria (LLB (Hons)).