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The 'Chicken Cottage Murders' - Old Bailey trial stayed by 15NBS Barristers

Known as the ‘Chicken cottage murders' the trial of R v Butt and Others is thought to have been the longest running murder in the history of the Old Bailey.

Encompassing two trials, held over an 18 month period, the case involved the widely publicised murder of two brothers stabbed to death in Tooting in April 2006 following earlier skirmishes between groups of young Pakistani men.

Proven instances of witness tampering allowed barristers Jon Whitfield, Liam Walker, instructed by Vajahat Sharif of Tuckers, and Joseph Giret of 15 New Bridge Street chambers to successfully argue that the case against their defendants, Shahzad and Bilal Kayani, should be stopped as an abuse of process.

Following the successful submissions by Mr Whitfield and Mr Walker, for Shahzad and Mr Giret for Bilal, the Crown appealed the ruling of HHJ Moss QC under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 but the Court of Appeal upheld the defence submissions and the Judge's ruling. The prosecution were obliged to abide by the stay and not guilty verdicts were entered on all counts.

The unprecedented nature of the conclusion of this trial means that the six defendants convicted in the first trial may now appeal against their convictions because of the witness interference.

For further information

• Four walk free as judge halts trial for murder of brothers - Evening Standard
• Family 'devastated' by killings - BBC News

1 February 2008

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