Shaun Smith QC
Called 1981 – Gray’s Inn
Ecclesfield Comprehensive School
Sheffield University LLB(Hons)
Recorder - Crime 2001, Civil 2004, Serious Sexual Offences 2008
Queens Counsel – 2008
Shaun has been a specialist practitioner in crime for thirty years and a member of these chambers since 1992.
Regularly featuring in “Chambers Guide To The Legal Profession” Shaun has attracted the following testimonials:
“the one I would call if in trouble”
“a tough advocate who prepares well”
“a top quality advocate who has a wide criminal caseload ranging from serious violent crime to fraud”
“trusted to show unwavering commitment”
‘has achieved phenomenal success since taking Silk. Observers believe he has great things ahead of him since he is highly capable and absolutely loved by both jury and the Bench”
“a good all round silk”
“great client communication”
Shaun both defends and prosecutes in a number of areas which include the following:
• murder and attempted murder;
• manslaughter (both unlawful act and gross negligence);
• serial rape and child sex abuse; and
• serious fraud
• high value drugs cases
Cases in which he has appeared in Silk include:
R-v-Horncastle and Others: A House of Lords case resulting in the definitive ruling as to the use of the hearsay provisions of the 2003 Criminal Justice Act in respect of witnesses who are unavailable either because they are dead or because they are in fear.
R-v-Thomas Karbowski and others: The defence of a Polish migrant worker accused of kicking a colleague to death.
R-v- Martin Argyle: The prosecution of a man who stabbed his lover’s husband to death with a screwdriver.
R-v- Arthur Carr: The defence of an 83 year old former schoolteacher who had Alzheimer’s and who had killed his wife whilst she was sleeping.
R-v-Ashley Campbell: The defence of an alleged gang leader who was accused of assisting in the hiding of the killer of a schoolboy.
R-v- Dewaine Fearon and others: The defence of one of nine defendants indicted for murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm against a background of drug related gang crime.
R-v-David Heiss: The prosecution of a German national who became known as the “internet killer” having become obsessed with his victims girlfriend via the internet and then visited the UK in order to kill him by stabbing him to death.
R-v-Sean Woodcock: The defence of a man accused of being involved in the planned murder of his daughters father-in-law.
R-v-Morgan Taylor: The defence of a 15 year old schoolboy accused of the murder by kicking of an alcoholic sleeping on a bench outside hospital.
R-v-Michael Woodward: The defence of a man accused of the random killing of man who had made homophobic comments to a schoolboy playing in a local park.
R-v-Fiona Adams: The defence of a woman accused of murdering two of her children and attempting to cause Grievous Bodily harm to a third child, by deliberately setting fire to their house and leaving two children inside whilst she jumped to her own safety.
R-v-Lasas and others: The prosecution of 4 Eastern European migrant workers for the killing of a work colleague.
R-v-Jodie Pick: The defence of a woman of good character accused of killing her premature baby by shaking.
Shaun is also an advocacy trainer for Grays Inn, and occasional lecturer at the University of Nottingham Bar Course.
In any spare time that he has left you can find Shaun cooking, gardening, watching bands and suffering in his lifelong support of Sheffield Wednesday.
