Success in High Court appeal

SP was charged with multiple counts of rape and assault against the complainant. He had previously been accused by two other complainants of similar sexual and violent offences and had gone on the run from police in 2021 for nearly four months.

Despite the significant danger posed by SP, he was granted bail by the Crown Court. Thom represented the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing a successful appeal to the High Court against the decision (CPS v SP [2023] EWHC 3239 (KB)).

In his judgment, Mr Justice Martin Spencer accepted Thom’s submissions as to the risk that SP would commit further offences and interfere with witnesses, were he to be granted bail.

The decision of the Crown Court was quashed, and SP was remanded into custody to await his trial.

Thom invited to join Advisory Group of the Centre for Criminal Appeals

Thom has accepted an invitation to join the Advisory Group of the Centre for Criminal Appeals.  The Centre is a charity committed to fighting miscarriages of justice and demanding reform in the area of criminal law. 

The Centre works to find cases with merit and high potential impact, and then investigates to uncover fresh evidence to show that a conviction is unsafe, or a sentence is unfair.  The Centre brings cases to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the Administrative Court, and the Court of Appeal. 

Other Advisory Group members include Simon Ford (producer of the Rough Justice television series), Gareth Peirce (lawyer for Birmingham Six and Guildford Four), and Clive Stafford Smith (attorney, founder of Reprieve).

Thom is instructed frequently to both advise and represent clients in appeals to the High Court and Court of Appeal. Click here for more information as to his appeals practice.