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E: michaelstradling@googlemail.com Call: 1998 Professional Membership: Criminal Bar Association Human Rights Lawyers Association Academic Background: MA, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge CPE, College of Law, London BVC, Inns of Court School of Law PERSONAL INTERESTS What spare time he has is spent with his family and young son, but in the ideal world his interests would include philosophy, mountain biking, travel, and film. |
AREAS OF EXPERTISE All areas of criminal defence work, including murder, serious fraud and money laundering, election fraud, serious violent crime, firearms offences, robbery, drug importation and supply, arson, rape and sexual offences, conspiracies and public order offences. Mr Stradling is one of the few barristers to have defended in cases of election fraud involving postal and proxy voting. He has been instructed in two such cases, both involving extensive police investigation, and both attracting significant publicity. Courts Martial work. Regulatory work (prosecution and defence). Road Traffic Law Prison Law Extradition Serious Crime General Crime Business Crime Fraud Election fraud Mr Stradling has represented three separate clients who have run the defence of duress successfully. He has defended in a child-on-child rape case where his cross-examination led to the complainant agreeing that the defendant was not responsible for the rape. He has conducted serious money laundering trials both on his own and with a leader. He has appeared several times in the Court of Appeal, including a successful (and reported) appeal against conviction. In a recent serious money laundering case, he taught himself the fundamentals of cell site analysis in order to more effectively cross examine the Crown’s expert (whose report had been served so late that there was no possibility of instructing an expert for the defence). Mr Stradling recently acted for the sixth defendant in a 6-handed gang related murder which lasted for 8 weeks in the Central Criminal Court. He was led by Bob Marshall-Andrews QC. CASES OF NOTE Operation Dosterville- 6 handed Vietnamese murder lasting 8 weeks in the Old Bailey (led junior) Operation Boyne- £3.5 million bureau de change money laundering conspiracy Operation Tilgate- importation of cocaine Operation Bluejay- multi-million pound bureau de change money laundering conspiracy Operation Birkaheim- largest ever fraud on a single NHS trust (ghost employees) Operation Tarvin- regional drug supply in Middlesbrough R v Ennis and others- election fraud R v Astley- election fraud and possession of indecent images by a Bristol City Councillor R v Redhead- child cruelty / abandonment R v Hussain- successful defence of duress R v Rafiq- successful defence of duress of circumstances / necessity R v Kazi- successful defence of duress in context of £200,000 banking fraud and money laundering R v W- successful defence of a 12 year old boy accused of anally raping a 6 year old boy R v Degg [2008] EWCA Crim 669 Successful appeal against sentence in a £¼ million conspiracy to steal R v Payton [2006] EWCA Crim 1226; [2006] Crim LR 997; (2006) 150 S.J. 741, CA Important case on good character direction, and also on concurrent criminal and civil proceedings. R v Forrester [2006] EWCA Crim 2136 Relationship between imprisonment for public protection and recommendations for deportation R v Ahmati [2006] EWCA Crim 818 Successful appeal against recommendation for deportation which also led to the Court of Appeal ordering wasted costs against the Home Office |
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