Nick Adlington | 39 Park Square

Nick’s experience includes:-

Leading junior counsel in attempted murder, child abuse and violent disorder cases.

Junior prosecuting counsel in numerous murder cases, a number of which he was also the reviewing lawyer. He consequently has extensive experience in disclosure and use of the HOMES major incident system.

Prosecuting counsel without a leader in a significant number of attempted murder and manslaughter cases.

Prosecution and defence counsel in numerous sexual abuse cases including rape, sexual activity with a child, assault by penetration and sexual assault together with a significant number of child cruelty cases, including one described by the consultant paediatrician as the worst case she had seen in thirteen years practice.

Prosecution and defence counsel in a substantial number of fatal road traffic cases including causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving.

Prosecution and defence counsel in countless cases of extreme violence and large scale public disorder, armed robbery, kidnapping, blackmail, aggravated burglary as well as more general cases of assault, public disorder, dishonesty, drug possession and supply.

Nick has extensive experience in dealing with traumatised victims and bereaved relatives both as counsel and reviewing lawyer.

R v Lambert and Others (Leading Gareth Henderson-Moore):- The 3 defendants lured the victim into a trap and attacked him with a variety of weapons including a machete, an axe and a sledgehammer. One of the victim’s legs was completely severed below the knee by a machete blow and he was left critically injured, saved only by the rapid intervention of the air ambulance paramedics. .Lambert was convicted of Attempted Murder after a 2 week trial at Leeds Crown Court during which the victim was ruled a hostile witness. The other 2 defendants were convicted of Attempted Murder after a re-trial. The case involved a combination of identification, phone analysis, cell site, vehicle tracking, ANPR and CCTV evidence.

R v F and H (Leading Gareth Henderson-Moore):- The defendants were charged with Causing or Allowing Serious Harm to their 7 week old son. It was clear from the medical evidence that H had shaken his baby son causing catastrophic and near fatal head injuries and the prosecution case against F was put on the basis of red flags which should have warned her against leaving their son in H’s sole care. A complex case involving a large number of paediatric expert witnesses. H was convicted after a 2 week trial at Durham Crown Court.

R v N:- The defendant had over several decades sexually abused 8 different girls. After a 2 week trial at Durham Crown Court he was convicted on all counts.

R v O:- The defendant had on separate occasions picked up 2 teenage girls, plied them with alcohol and then subjected them to serious sexual offences. In addition he had on an earlier occasion picked up an intoxicated and very vulnerable girl, in his car, taken her home and raped her. She had committed suicide before he could be charged. Nick advised that the defendant should also be charged with rape in respect of the deceased victim. Nick successfully argued that the deceased’s victims VRI should be admissible evidence under the hearsay provisions and the defendant was convicted in respect of all 3 victims after a 2 week trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

R v Archer and Jeffries:- Archer encouraged by rear seat passenger Jeffries drove dangerously through Doncaster, colliding with and killing a pedestrian in the process. Archer pleaded guilty prior to trial to Causing Death by Dangerous Driving. Jeffries was convicted of Aiding and Abetting Archer after a week long trial at Doncaster Crown Court during the course of which he sought to place the blame solely on the shoulders of his co defendant.

R v Schuman:- The defendant who was the mother of a three year old girl, distraught after losing the legal battle for custody of her daughter, threw herself off the Humber Bridge clutching her daughter in her arms. Miraculously they both survived. Sentenced to a term of immediate custody for the attempted murder of her daughter, on appeal the sentence was reduced to a community based sentence. Nick was commended by the Court of Appeal for helpfully drawing their lordships attention to the victim impact statement of the girl’s father which contained a strong plea for mercy and of which their lordships had been unaware. The case was reported nationally in the papers and on TV and radio.

R v Siviter:- The defendant who had a history of committing knifepoint robberies entered a Hull newsagents intending to commit a further knifepoint robbery. Things went horribly wrong. He stabbed the newsagent causing near fatal injuries and fled the scene empty handed. The newsagents wife, traumatised by the sight of her husband being stabbed (and she believed killed) in front of her died of a brain haemorrhage the following day. The Crown were unable to establish a causal link to enable a prosecution for manslaughter but the defendant was convicted after trial of wounding with intent and attempted robbery. A very high profile case in Humberside with daily reports of the trial’s progress in the Hull press. The prosecution case relied on DNA and fibre transfer evidence and an alleged confession months after the event.

R v Anderson and Sellers  (Led by FG Burrell QC):- The defendants found their vulnerable victim who was having a solitary Boxing Day drink down a quiet country lane. They tortured him with an air rifle for the PIN numbers to his bank cards then beat him to death with a cricket bat. They then used his bank cards to withdraw the sum total of his bank accounts – about £2.00. Both defendants were convicted after a three week trial at Hull Crown Court.

R v Taylor:- The defendant who was on licence for an armed robbery where he had attempted to shoot the proprietor during the robbery of an East Riding pharmacy committed knifepoint robberies at two Hull betting shops along with his co-defendant. The co-defendant pleaded guilty. Taylor was convicted after a week long trial at Hull Crown Court that involved identification issues and expert photographic interpretation evidence in respect of both clothing and gait caught on cctv.

R v Coulter and Evans:- The defendants rolled a stolen car during a high speed police chase killing the third occupant of the car. Convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking at Bradford Crown Court.

R v Stulginskas:- The defendant who was a Latvian national stabbed a fellow countryman during a seventy two hour drinking binge. Because of the extreme state of intoxication of all involved the Crown’s case relied heavily on the expert evidence of the forensic pathologist as to the force required to cause a wound of the nature sustained. Rejecting the defendant’s contention that the wounding was a reckless act during drunken horseplay the jury acquitted him of attempted murder but convicted him of wounding with intent after a week long trial at Hull Crown Court.

R v M:-The defendant raped and sexually and physically assaulted his female partner over a twelve month period. Convicted after trial at Durham Crown Court.

R v C:- The defendant who was a Zimbabwean national abused his position of authority and trust to sexually assault his teenage niece over a period of several years. Convicted after trial at Leeds Crown Court.

R v P:- The defendant caused fifty separate injuries to her five year old daughter over a six month period in what was described by the consultant paediatrician as the worst case she had come across in thirteen years practice. The defendant was convicted after a week long trial at York Crown Court.

R v Jenkinson and Others:- Jenkinson stabbed another youth to death after a late night confrontation between two groups of youths on Scarborough sea front. Six other youths were charged with violent disorder and assisting an offender arising out of the stabbing. Nick was led for the Crown by T Roberts QC for the trial of Jenkinson. After a two week trial at Teeside Crown Court where many of the prosecution witnesses were reluctant youths the jury rejected Jenkinson’s defence of loss of control and convicted him of murder. Nick then prosecuted the other six defendants in separate proceedings without a leader obtaining an acceptable package of pleas from all six defendants. Nick was commended by the Senior Investigating Officer for his role in this difficult prosecution.