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Andrew Forsyth

1989

Andrew has extensive experience in all areas of criminal law including serious violent offences such as murder, manslaughter and kidnap, serious sexual offences, large scale drug importation and dishonesty offences such as conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.

As leading counsel Andrew has defended large scale international drugs conspiracies and multi-handed duty evasion cases both with significant money laundering allegations.  Andrew has defended as junior counsel in a number of trials including murder and conspiracy to defraud.  

Recent Cases

R v T & another (Central Criminal Court): Leading counsel for T in a trial (and subsequent retrial) of an allegation of attempted murder relating to an alleged gang-related shooting in which a passer-by suffered life threatening injuries as a result of being hit by three bullets.

R v M (Woolwich Crown Court): Led Junior in case involving allegations of attending terrorist training camps - one of the first cases brought under the Terrorism Act 2006; together with allegations of possession of information likely to be of use to a terrorist, under the Terrorism Act 2006.

R v K & 3 others (Basildon Crown Court): Leading counsel for K in substantial trial - and then retrial - following prosecution failures in disclosure - concerning allegations of conspiracy to evade duty on cigarettes and money laundering. (This case took up over six months of the year.)

R v R (Woolwich Crown Court): Allegation of knifepoint rape of a prostitute.

R v O & another (Inner London Crown Court): Money laundering allegations (Operation Clover)resulting from large scale new tax credit fraud.

R v H (Woolwich Crown Court): Rape and numerous sexual assaults on a Chinese ‘escort' which had resulted in her throwing herself from the second storey window of the defendant's flat.  Andrew had secured an acquittal for the same defendant eight months earlier at his trial at the Central Criminal Court on an allegation of false imprisonment when another Chinese prostitute fell from the same window allegedly to escape the attentions of the defendant.  The alleged victim of the first trial gave evidence in the second under the bad character provisions of the Criminal Justice Act.

News

• Secret tape recording clears man of charges brought by social services
  Lovel Brian Dennis, represented by Andrew Forsyth, was cleared of all charges after secretly recording a meeting with social workers on his dictaphone as he tried to get social services to let him take care of his brother, who has Downs Syndrome.
  11 May 2011
• Andrew Forsyth secures acquittal in £1/2 million fraud on the DWP and HMRC.
  27 November 2009