Marcus Rickard

Business Crime & Fraud

Marcus is experienced in all areas of Business Crime & Fraud.

Featured cases

• R v W (2022) – Complex money laundering conspiracy.
• R v (2022) – Conspiracy to commit robbery and money laundering.
• R v S (2022) – Civil confiscation proceedings relating to proceeds from terrorism.
• R v S (2021) – Confiscation proceedings following international conspiracy to defraud £7.5m.
• R v I and others – Instructed as leading junior in a multiple tiered banking fraud.
• R v R and others – Four-week aviation fraud.
  R v A – Instructed as leading junior in a five-week ‘Romance Scam’ where the defendant had conducted an international fraud on vulnerable women all over the world via Match.com, and defrauded them out of their entire estates.
• R v S – Instructed as leading junior in an eight-week “Cattle Ringing Fraud” for breaches of cattle identification regulations and the Animal Welfare Act.
• R v M – Fraud involving tiers of transactions, multiple identities & layered accounts.
• R v F and others – Accountant charged with false accounting and conspiracy to defraud as part of a national mortgage fraud.
• R v O – Misconduct in a public office. This was a six-week trial of a senior UK Border Agency member of staff.
• R v T – Fraud involving a factory creating false immigration documents. EU wide.
• R v F – Instructed as leading junior in a large conspiracy to defraud land registry and probate office.
• R v K – Animal welfare act offences and breaches of cattle identification regulations.
• R v M and others – Fraud and facilitating illegal entry, involving a sophisticated attack on the UK immigration system.
• R v B – Casino fraud via remote access by computer hackers.

Cyber Crime & Data Protection

Marcus has a particular interest in abuse of process and is a specialist in GDPR and privacy work as well as the related compliance, commercial issues, data investigations and data fraud work in the software, technology, fintech, data & AI markets. Marcus also has extensive and growing knowledge regarding voluntary disclosure, confidentiality and legal professional privilege.

Marcus has advised on a number of criminal cases in relation to the interpretation of the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and its application within the Criminal Justice framework, particularly with regard to disclosure in mobile phone and cell site cases involving large scale drug cases.

Marcus has also advised on applicability of data protection in other areas of the criminal justice framework and in the civil arena.

Over the past five years, Marcus has provided consultancy advice dealing with commercial issues for corporate clients on both commercial and contract matters and in relation to general compliance matters.

Marcus also gained commercial experience in relation to:

• SaaS T&C’s – post Brexit and general update
• Sales and marketing policy
• Data deletion / purge
• PIA / DPIA policies
• DSAR policies
• Security Incident Report / Policies
• Data Breach
• Intercompany Data Transfer Agreements
• Legal privilege in the context of internal GDPR investigations
• DPO’s
• International data transfers
• Software on-boarding / approval / review
• General privacy policies
• Call recordings
• Dawn raid procedures.

Serious Violence

• R v W and ten others (2022) – Conspiracy to supply Class A and weapons into prisons plus associated money laundering charges.
• R v I and others (2021) – Conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life.
• R v W – Alleged attack on bailiffs with samurai swords and mallets.
• R v M and others – High profile group attack on Sainsbury’s staff.
• R v M and others – Stabbing at the Notting Hill Carnival.
• R v T – Arsenal v Manchester United Champions League riot.
• R v K – Attempted murder by shooting after a New Year’s Eve party.
• R v Z – Conspiracy to commit arson.
• R v Z – Stag party stabbing at a Holiday Inn.
• R v B – Blackmail, false imprisonment.
• R v A – Karate kick with studded boot to the face in a National League game.
• R v C – Armed robberies and stabbing in a nightclub.

Drugs Offences

• R v T and two others (2022) – Large-scale drug supply case.
• R v X (2022) – Supplying a kilo of Class A drugs.
• R v A – Six-week conspiracy to import Class A drugs.
• R v T – Large scale importation of Class C drugs.

Road Traffic Offences

• R v AG and two others (2022) – Causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
• R v B (2021) – Court of Appeal on a causing serious injury from dangerous driving.
• R v P – Death by careless driving (18-year-old victim)

Murder & Manslaughter

Marcus’s most recent instructions include a high-profile case at the Old Bailey to defend a vulnerable 18-year-old charged with double murder and a gross negligence case in the Court of Appeal.

Featured cases

• R v L (2022) – Court of Appeal case advising on possible grounds of appeal in a double attempted murder case, with mental health elements.
• R v H (2020 – ongoing) – Instructed to defend a vulnerable 18-year-old in a double murder at the CCC.
• R v C (2020) – Court of Appeal Criminal Division appeal against sentence for gross negligence manslaughter.
• R v P (2019-2020) – Court of Appeal Criminal Division appeal against sentence and conviction for murder.
• R v W (2020 – ongoing) – Attempted murder PC case now retrial & abuse of process. Leading junior.

Serious & Organised Crime

Featured cases

• R v P (2022 – ongoing) – Mentally vulnerable defendant accused of arson and stalking.
• R v L (2021 – ongoing) – 30-count burglary indictment.
• R v M (2020 – ongoing) – Rape and burglary.
• R v D – Robbery.

Sexual Offences

Featured cases

• R v A (2020) – Indecent images.
• R v A (2020) – High profile client on harassment charges.
• R v W – Possession of indecent images, over two million images.
• R v W – Indecent images case against an airline pilot. The case was dismissed after defence submissions.
• R v U – Experienced teacher charged with beating his six-year-old daughter with his belt.
• R v M – Rape.

Human Trafficking

Featured cases

• R v HL and others – Five-week kidnapping trial.
• R v K and others – Conspiracy to facilitate entry of prostitutes into UK.

Regulatory & Professional Disciplinary

In addition to Crime, Marcus has appeared in the First-Tier Tax Tribunal (VAT) where he successfully represented an appellant against HMRC in proceedings which lasted four years.

Inquests & Inquiries

Marcus has wide experience dealing with Inquests & Inquiries.

Featured cases

• ​​R v S (2021-2022) – Considering grounds. Reviewing a historic murder conviction and sentence of husband of wife.
• R v AP (2021-2022) – Considering grounds. Reviewing arson and stalking convictions and sentence.
• R v C (2021-2022) – Considering grounds. Reviewing a historic child abuse conviction and sentence.
• R v W (2021-2022) – Considering grounds. Reviewing recent attempted murder conviction and sentence of a mother regarding her children.
• R v W (2021-2022) – Considering grounds. Reviewing a murder conviction and sentence of business partner from 2007.
• R v A (2021-2022) – Considering grounds. Reviewing a historic rape conviction from 1980’s.

Public & Administrative Law

Marcus has also advised in Public & Administrative cases, including Judicial Review proceedings on prison law. He has appeared in the Chancery Division of the High Court leading a case bringing contempt of court proceedings.

Featured cases

• R (on the application of Y) v Secretary of State for Justice and the Parole Board – Concerning prison law and domestic and European jurisprudence on recall of prisoners.
• S v S – Committal hearing in relation to contempt of court (Chancery Division of the High Court) and R v S. Condemnation proceedings.

Education

• Northumbria University Law School
• DipT.P. and BA Hons, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne

Memberships

• CBA
• South Eastern Circuit
• Inner Temple

Other expertise

• Cyber Crime & Data Protection

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