Jamie Sawyer | Barrister | Red Lion Chambers

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Jamie has extensive general crime experience, regularly appearing in courts, defending and prosecuting throughout Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. His practice principally covers fraud, sexual offences, organised crime, violent crime, homicide and road traffic offences. He acted as disclosure counsel in R v Steve Wright – the Suffolk resident accused (and successfully convicted) of murdering five women in the Ipswich area. His experience in the case has been followed by numerous instructions in this particular field.

Jamie has undertaken several cases which involve a “cross-over” between civil work and criminal work, and disclosure between the two spheres.

He continues to conduct cases both alone and as lead junior, often being required to handle complex disclosure and case management issues.

Crime

Jamie has extensive general crime experience, covering a wide range of offences and areas. He has expertise defending and prosecuting offences against the person in cases of fraud, sexual offences, organised crime and homicide.

HomicideSexual OffencesFraudRoad Traffic

Jamie has been instructed as junior counsel in relation to a number of large-scale murder enquiries. He has extensive experience of working with disclosure on such enquiries, having been disclosure counsel on the Steve Wright case.

R v C (2014) Prosecuting junior in the murder of a young mother murdered in the presence of her 4 year-old child. The case involved evidence from several experts on DNA, footwear impressions, blood distribution and toxicology. The defendant received life with a minimum term of 23 years.
R v M & G (2008) Disclosure counsel in a complicated case of arson with intent to endanger life and murder, which involved young defendants.
R v Steve Wright (2008) Disclosure counsel, in a case of murder of five women in Ipswich area. Press Links: The Guardian

Jamie regularly prosecutes and defends cases involving serious sexual offences, both alone and being lead. He is a member of the CPS rape and serious sexual offences panel.

R v PA (2017) Defended historic sexual abuse case involving several complainants and multiple allegations of rape.
Operation Moccasin (2015) Prosecution junior counsel in alleged paedophile ring, involving ten defendants and several child witnesses.
R v JP (2015) Defended historic sexual abuse case, involving young complainant for offences allegedly committed when both complainant and defendant were children.

Jamie regularly prosecutes and defendants cases involving serious fraud offences, including those that overlap with serious organised crime.

Operation Duston (2015) Prosecution junior counsel in multi-handed conspiracy to defraud, which involved extensive identity theft.

Jamie regularly represents the Crown and defence in relation to all types of road traffic offending. These vary from minor road traffic infringements such as speeding offences, through to causing death by dangerous driving.

R v M (2013) Prosecuted a death caused whilst the defendant was driving dangerously and under the influence of cannabis. Required examination of several expert witnesses, including road traffic collision experts, experts on effects of cannabis and “back-dating” of effects of cannabis on human body.
R v MB (2010) Prosecuted causing death by careless driving (elderly defendant who collided with a blind pedestrian). Sensitive case, requiring examination of multiple expert witnesses, and medical witnesses on deceased’s condition at time of collision.

Regulatory & Professional Discipline

Jamie regularly works for local authorities throughout the Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk regions, and in particular has experience of working with Trading Standards departments. He is often called upon to handle large-scale prosecutions on behalf of these agencies, and liaises well with a variety of local government departments.

Professional Discipline

Jamie has extensive experience of working with Norfolk Trading Standards, and also been involved in several of their high-profile cases.

R v DU and CW (2014) Prosecuted large-scale professional due diligence case involving several complainants and interpretation of European legislation.
R v J (2012) Defended care assistant charged with assaulting an elderly resident of a care home. This case involved consideration of the hearsay provisions in light of recent authority from the ECHR and the Court of Appeal.
Trading Standards v BF, P and D (2012) Junior counsel for Trading Standards involving a large-scale conspiracy to defraud.

Other Specialisms

Family Law

Jamie also accepts family court work, both in the family proceedings court and the county court. He specialises in care proceedings involving vulnerable clients which often involves examination of medical experts.

Education

LLB (East Anglia) (2000)

LLM (East Anglia) (2002)

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association

South Eastern Circuit

Justice

Inner Temple

Professional Appointments

CPS Grade 4

CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Panel

Awards

Scholarship Award (East Anglia) (2000)