Mathew Dance

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

Other expertise

• Crime

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