Mathew Dance
Call: 2001
“This is an excellent set that has worked hard to secure a well-deserved position amongst the leading sets at the Criminal Bar.”
Chambers UK Bar, 2022
Personal profile
Mathew Dance is instructed as both leading and junior counsel for the defence, and is very experienced in highly complex and serious criminal cases. He specialises in defending large-scale Fraud, Serious and Organised Crime.
He is an advocate of the tactical approach, and determined and meticulous preparation required to get the best results. In addition, Mathew maintains a very friendly and approachable manner with both his instructing solicitors and lay clients.
Business Crime & Fraud
Featured cases
- R v G (2021) – Instructed a leading junior to represent the director of a company charged with an £8m fraud on the Royal Mail.
- R v O (2021) – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with a multi million pound money laundering arrangement. The predicate offence involved an alcohol duty diversion fraud.
- R v G (2021) – Instructed a leading junior to represent one of a number of defendants charged with £10m+ money laundering.
- R v S (2020) – Importation of large quantities of cigarettes into the UK. The duty evaded was in excess of £10m.
- R v F – Ebay fraud.
- R v L – Fraud on the Civil Aviation Authority.
- R v J – Money laundering involving a renewable energy company.
- R v K – Money laundering (£57m cash) using a money exchange bureau.
- R v S – Large scale money laundering involving companies based in Kuwait and the US.
- R v S (2017) – Duty diversion fraud in respect of large quantities of cigarettes.
- R v C – A City of London banker charged with fraud and money laundering relating to offshore trust funds and the repatriation of money back into the UK.
- R v B – Alcohol duty diversion fraud and money laundering offences involving the international corporate trade of alcohol into and out of the UK with a loss to the revenue exceeding £15m.
- R v B – Instructed to represent the second defendant in a multi-handed banking fraud at MBNA involving a bank employee.
- R v L – Instructed in a duty diversion fraud. The prosecution alleged that “L” was part of an international criminal enterprise involved in avoiding the duty payable to HMRC in respect of tobacco products.
- R v K – Instructed in an advanced fee fraud and money laundering allegation involving the director of a gaming business.
- R v P – Instructed to represent a company director charged with money laundering. The case involved multi-jurisdictional aspects and Hawala money transfers.
- R v R – Instructed to defend an extradited company director in a complex advanced fee fraud and money laundering operation in the UK and in Spain.
- R v B – Instructed in a boiler room fraud. Glossy brochures and fake share certificates were used to attract investors in a company that had London properties.
- R v E – Instructed to represent the lead defendant in an advanced fee fraud. He was the director of a number of businesses and was alleged to have allowed bank accounts controlled by him to process funds obtained from the fraud and then to have arranged for their onward distribution.
- R v L – Instructed in an alcohol duty diversion fraud involving a large number of different companies, 17 defendants.
- R v N – Instructed in a substantial case with 11 defendants in a “cash for cash” insurance fraud.
Murder & Manslaughter
Featured cases
- R v K (2022) – Instructed to represent the first defendant charged with murder. He is accused of stabbing another male and delivering the fatal blow.
- R v D (2021) – Instructed to represent a young man of good character charged with attempted murder. A young girl sustained life-changing injuries caused by a Rambo knife.
- R v L (2020) – Instructed as led junior in a murder at the Central Criminal Court. ‘L’ was accused of killing a friend by stamping on her.
- R v H (2020) – Instructed as led junior for the first defendant in a four handed murder. A young man was stabbed to death. Gang affiliated.
- R v G – Ex-service man charged with the attempted murder of his wife.
- R v H – Instructed to represent the lead defendant in a double shooting. H fled to his native country and had to be extradited back to the UK.
- R v T – A man was charged with killing his wife. This case centred on issues surrounding mental health and diminished responsibility.
- R v EH – Three-month trial of murder of an 18-year-old-boy. The defendant was 21-years-old and of good character and the case involved multiple cut-throat defences.
Serious & Organised Crime
Featured cases
- R v O (2022) – Instructed to represent a young man charged with possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. Gang affiliated.
- R v T (2022) – Instructed to represent one of a number of defendants charged with offences relating to supply and production of drugs and possession of firearms.
- R v E (2021) – Instructed to represent one of 21 defendants said to be part of an OCG stealing high value cars, dismantling them and shipping the parts to Europe for onward sale.
- R v F (2021) – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with kidnap and false imprisonment. The complainant was forced into a car, assaulted and forced to consume Class A drugs.
- R v U (2021) – Instructed to represent a defendant jointly charged with aggravated burglary, kidnap and false imprisonment. The complainant alleged he was beaten with a hammer.
- R v K (2020) – Importation of many kilos of Class A drugs from the continent into the UK.
- R v D (2019) – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with robbery of a jewellery shop. The owner of the shop was tasered, tied up and in excess of £400k in jewellery taken.
- R v W – Instructed to represent the first defendant in a multi-handed armed robbery. The case involved expert evidence analysing the gait of those caught on CCTV.
- R v D – Instructed to represent a 19-year-old man charged with the raids on cash machines and cash in transit robberies.
- R v G – Multi-handed trial involving the armed robbery of a building society.
Drugs Offences
Featured cases
- R v F (2021) – Instructed to represent one of 19 defendants charged with conspiracy to supply large quantities of Class A drugs in East London.
- R v S (2019) – Instructed as leading junior in a conspiracy to supply large quantities of Class A drugs from London into Wales.
- R v D (2019) – Instructed to represent the second defendant charged with a conspiracy to supply 15kg of cocaine.
- R v J – Instructed to represent one of nine defendants charged with conspiracy to supply heroin, said to represent the majority of the heroin supplied throughout the Midlands.
- R v E – Instructed to represent a lead defendant in the importation of a large quantity of cocaine. Bad character played a key role as the defendant had been previously convicted of a like offence.
- R v D – Importation of large quantities of cocaine into the UK involving a corrupt customs officer who waved through those carrying the drugs.
- R v M – Instructed to represent a Colombian national charged with importing cocaine into the UK.
Human Trafficking
Featured cases
- R v M (2022) – Instructed to represent the first defendant involving exploitation of foreign nationals in the workplace.
- R v L (2019) – Instructed to represent the first defendant in a two-week modern day slavery trial.
- R v H – Instructed to represent the lead defendant in a human trafficking trial. Following their arrival in the UK the alleged victims were falsely imprisoned until their families parted with further money.
- R v B – Trial involving the facilitation of illegal immigrants from Albania into the UK, with complex telephone evidence and cell site analysis.
- R v O – Instructed to represent one of six defendants alleged to be involved in the facilitation of illegal immigrants into the UK.
Sexual Offences
Featured cases
- R v D (2022) – Instructed to represent a school teacher charged with historic sexual abuse on his students.
- R v P (2022) – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with historic allegations of rape and indecent assault in the workplace.
- R v G (2022) – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with rape and indecent assault on a family member.
- R v C (2021) – Instructed to represent one of four defendants charged with a multiple gang rapes. The complainant sustained life-changing injuries as a result of the attack.
- R v D – Sexual offences against the defendant’s stepdaughter’s friend.
- R v R – Instructed as leading junior in relation to historic allegations of rape.
- R v A – Historic allegations of sexual abuse of the defendant’s stepdaughter.
- R v R – Multiple sexual assaults on a number of different complainants involving a young man with serious mental health issues.
- R v C – Grooming vulnerable young girls into working as underage prostitutes.
- R v C – A multi-handed trial alleging the rape and false imprisonment of a 16-year-old girl.
- R v D – Instructed to represent the first defendant who was one of four members of a gang who were alleged to have systematically raped a schoolgirl of 13.
- R v D – First prosecution under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 involving the exploitation of young girls from Russia into the sex trade in the UK.
Education
- LLB, University of Leicester
Memberships
- CBA
- Inner Temple
- Lincoln’s Inn