Tim Roberts QC

Call 1978 Silk 2003

LLB (Hons) (Soton)

Practise: Crime, Fraud, Environmental, Health & Safety, Regulatory.

 Summary

Tim Roberts QC specialises in criminal cases appearing both for the defence and the prosecution. He appeared for the defence in the “Baby P” murder trial, prosecuted for the Environment Agency, following a major chemical spillage in the Tees Estuary and has represented police officers in criminal and disciplinary proceedings arising out of a major corruption inquiry in the North East. He has a particular interest in entrapment, undercover officer and informant issues.

Career Details

Having developed a practice in the North East, he was involved in many trials that followed from the Cleveland Child Abuse Inquiry, acquiring experience of the cross-admissibility issues arising in those cases. As a Recorder, he is authorised to try serious sex cases. He appeared for the prosecution in the cases of Agar, and Smurthwaite and Gill, which were at the leading edge of the development of the common law in relation to the use of informants and undercover officers, before the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

He appeared in defence of a police officer, in the first post R.I.P.A. case to test the evidential use of telephone calls intercepted upon private communications systems. The legal point, concerning the ambit of section 17, was resolved in the House of Lords.

He appeared for the defence in a large drugs importation case where entrapment was established through police misconduct, and the Court of Appeal considered the legal effect of multiple breaches of the Code of Conduct upon operations involving the use of covert human intelligence sources.

He regularly appears for the defence in murder trials brought on the basis of cell site analysis, CCTV/ANPR imagery, anonymous witnesses and those giving evidence pursuant to S.O.C.P.A. agreements. He appears at courts throughout England and Wales.

Appointments

1993                 Recorder

Reported Cases

R v Agar 1990 - Revealing information identity.

R v Smurthwaite & Gill 1998 - Entrapment of undercover Police officers

R v Harmes & Crane 2006 - Breach of C.H.R.I.Scode by undercover police officers

R v Konzani 2005 - Unlawful infection by STD

A.G.'s Reference 2010 - Manslaughter sentencing guidelines