Peter Joyce QC
Called to the Bar: 1968
Assistant Recorder: 1982
Recorder: 1986
Queen’s Counsel: 1991
Bencher Inner Temple: 2000
Head of Chambers: 2004-2011
Leader of the Midland Circuit: 2005-2008
Advocacy Trainer (teaching both advocates and others to train) since 1995 for the Inner Temple, Grays Inn, Midland Circuit and the Bahamas Bar
Member of the Bar Council: 2005-2008
Circuit Criminal Bar Association Representative: 2003-2005
I was the last pupil of Tom Heald (later HHJ Heald) at 24 The Ropewalk, Nottingham. He told me that to survive at the Bar I would need to thrive on lack of sleep, have stamina and be lucky. I have been fortunate in all three respects.
24 The Ropewalk was to be my professional home for the next twenty three years until 1 High Pavement was set up under the leadership of John Milmo QC to form a specialist criminal set.
At The Ropewalk I enjoyed a mixed practice including family, divorce, landlord and tenant, contract, tort, personal injury and crime. Towards the end of my time there my practice became almost exclusively one of heavy crime – mainly serious sexual offences against both children and adults and serious violence and robberies. As a Junior I prosecuted the first case involving the use of a live television link in the case of R v Taylor and sixteen others, members of the same extended family.
Upon the foundation of 1 High Pavement on 1st January 1990 my practice became exclusively criminal with only the occasional foray into other areas of work.
As a Recorder I maintained an interest in and contact with other areas: civil (including professional negligence) and family, although upon being ticketed as a rape judge this has not been so frequent.
Taking silk in 1991 I have been lucky enough to enjoy a very substantial practice, being involved in many of the most high profile cases in the East Midlands (both prosecuting and defending). I have appeared in a large variety of cases, sexual offences, armed robberies, drugs, fraud, money laundering but mainly offences of homicide. I would estimate that I have been involved in well over 200 murder cases.
I have appeared regularly over the years in the Legal 500 as one of the top silks on Circuit.
Between 1991 and 2001 my diet was principally murder and included cases such as:
R v Auger murder of a baby aged 18 months
R v James poisoning with a horse drug of a vet’s wife
R v Sleet + White murder of a child by stepfather and mother
R v Byron murder of 2 year old and serious injuries to three other children
R v Coyne murder of postman on his rounds by fellow postman
R v Jenkinson attempted murders of three elderly patients by nurse
R v Bass murder of elderly woman by daughter
R v Raymond murder of father by son, including beheading
R v Smith +
Marriott gangland execution in Smithland Woods, Leicestershire
R v Marshall murder of 16 year old outside shop in front of youth’s mother
Other cases in that time included:
R v Green multi-count Indictment against doctor for indecent assault of schoolboys and married couples
R v Beck Head of residential children’s homes assaulting sexually and violently 370+ victims
R v Elmore Davies Merseyside Chief Inspector and Liverpool gangsters’
+ 8 others conspiracy to pervert in corrupting a trial for the attempted murder of a police officer
R v R House of Lords case in which marital rape was declared to be an offence
R v Marshall + 7 men involved in kicking to death a man who intervened to others stop a fight
R v Harris + Harris mother and father denying 9 year old daughter insulin, dying from untreated diabetes
R v Martin murder of child by mother’s new partner
R v Antoniou + murder in High Peak. Head of body found in Bedfordshire
Redhead
Since 2001 my practice has continued as above and includes:
2001
R v Jordan + Hancock Dissemination of extreme right wing racial material
(Leeds Crown Court)
R v Shaffi Major drugs supplier – £23 k per day takings – articled (Bradford Crown Court) clerk police informant
R v Leedham + Others Post-Dunblane 9m compensation fraud involving police (Sheffield) officers + gun dealers
R v Staniforth Murder of woman by group of 5
(Nottingham)
2002
R v Roper Multi-million pound money-laundering – “State created (Southwark) crime by Met Police” ruling by Judge
R v Jobling Murder of baby by father – psychiatric issues
(Lincoln)
R v Toseland + Others Murder – case stayed, exercise yard bugged by police
(Nottingham)
R v Allen Murder of night-watchman by burglar at chocolate (Nottingham) factory
R v Assani + Maddison Murder following robbery of stranger in street
(Nottingham)
R v Karl Rose Murder in pub in Worksop
(Nottingham)
2003
R v Loughran Murder ten years before by drowning of 2 year old – (Nottingham) Munchausen by proxy case
R v Ashraf Drug related murder by 9 men at traffic island in (Leeds) Keighley
R v C Rose Murder in Worksop street by brother of Karl Rose (Nottingham) (above)
R v Ullah Murder of opposing drug gang leader by shooting (Sheffield) through car window
R v Winfield Series of armed robberies
(Sheffield)
R v Bola Woman shot in back of the head. Leading case on (Nottingham) “anonymous witnesses”
2004
R v Parfitt Murder of police officer on duty
(Nottingham)
R v Griggs-Booth Nurse charged with killing 3 patients
(Leeds)
R v Stevens + Austin Police Officer and CPS caseworker – conspiracy to (Old Bailey) pervert
R v O’Brien Gangland shooting – leading to murder in Skegness of (Nottingham) Defendant’s parents
R v Ferry Involved illicit covert recordings by police
(Lincoln)
2005
R v Dyche Killing of former girlfriend by shooting after forcing her (Nottingham) car off the road
R v Iqbal Conspiracy to murder – solicitor involved as Defendant
(Birmingham)
R v McKenzie Gangland shooting
(Nottingham)
R v Kelly + Andrews Drive-by shooting of 14 year old girl on way home from (Nottingham) Goose Fair
2006
R v Tett Murder charge against man sectioned under MHA while (Nottingham) in secure institution
R v Nolan Criminal Cases Review Commission referral relating to (Court of Appeal) conviction for murder 23 years earlier
R v Fray Attempted murder of police officer
(Manchester)
R v Waqar Ahmed 1st trial. Murder following racial disturbances
(Birmingham)
R v Byard Murder of child 19 years before – new medical (Nottingham) evidence
R v Thomas Attempt murder by shooting of policewoman on duty
(Nottingham)
2007
R v Smikle Sado-sexual killing and rapes by former boyfriend (Nottingham) involving filming of sexual acts
R v Salmon Gang shooting murder
(Nottingham)
R v Hollins Senior CPS administrator charged with drug and sexual (Worcester case) offences
R v Assani + Others Derby killing by man previously acquitted of another (Nottingham) murder
R v Gordon Attempt murder in Broad Street, Birmingham with (Birmingham) machine gun
R v Brooks Shaken baby killing
(Birmingham)
R v Ahmed Honour killing in Leeds park
(Leeds)
2008
R v Anguige Death by dangerous driving – 3 teenage girls killed
(Bradford)
R v Nathan Gordon Retrial – Machine gun attempted murder on Broad (Birmingham) Street, Birmingham
R v Nash Armed robberies of high value jewellers across the (Birmingham) country
R v Lee Honour killing murder in Yorkshire
(Leeds)
R v Childe Murder over theft of cannabis crop by rival
(Nottingham)
R v Warrington + Others Murder of elderly demented father by alcoholic son and (Leicester) friends
R v Watts Man charged with rapes of 5 separate women
(Northampton)
R v Smith Murder of elderly female neighbour by man who had (Nottingham) made her a will in his own favour
2009
R v Brown Assisting offenders charged with shooting 16 year old (Nottingham) on street in Nottingham years before
R v Nelson Attempt murder rival gang
(Sheffield)
R v Waqar Ahmed Re-trial following quashing of conviction over police (Birmingham) not disclosing covert material
R v Ashley Campbell + 2 Others Shooting of 15 year old in park in Derby – gang (Nottingham) warfare
R v Bacon + 3 Others Planned killing by wife and son of man outside his own (Nottingham) home
2010
R v Rowbotham Killing by arson of woman in her own home at night
(Nottingham)
R v Waqar Ahmed 2nd re-trial over racial killing
(Birmingham)
R v Knox Murder of child aged 2 many years previously – fresh (Nottingham) medical evidence
R v Stokes, Griffin + Tirado Shooting outside Nottingham Club
(Nottingham)
R v Cheetham Shooting of taxi driver at remote railway station in (Nottingham) Derbyshire – summoned to be killed with no connection to killer
R v Johnson Rape involving drunken woman stranger
(Sheffield)
2011 → date of entry
R v Stokes Re-trial for murder outside Nottingham Club
(Birmingham)
R v Coleman Local celebrity charge with shooting up car on M1
(Huntingdon)
R v Khan Machine gunning – 17 bullets hit victim, over personal (Manchester) rivalries and drugs in Oldham
Interests
Family and friends
Gardening
Woodwork and general construction
Sport generally but especially golf, rugby and cricket
