Crime

The Crime@30 team is one of the strongest and most experienced on the Welsh Circuit. The team handles both prosecution and defence work at all levels of complexity. We are committed to delivering a comprehensive and specialist service in the field of criminal law to all our professional and lay clients.

Members of our team regularly appear in some of the most high profile and complex cases across Wales. The experience and quality of the criminal law practitioners at 30 Park Place has been consistently recognised by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. All serious and complicated areas of work such as homicide, serious fraud, confiscation proceedings, serious sexual offences and large-scale drug conspiracies are handled.

In addition to providing a comprehensive service across the Magistrates’ Courts and Crown Courts the team also possess significant appellate experience with members of the team conducting cases all the way through to the Supreme Court. Whilst the focus of the team is on the Welsh Circuit members often appear in cases across the United Kingdom in order to meet the expectations and requirements of our professional clients.

We are committed to the development of team members and the legal profession as a whole and provide training and lectures on all aspects of criminal law. The strength and expertise of our team is demonstrated by the fact that since 1990 twelve members have been awarded Silk and numerous former members have received judicial appointments.

The team and our clerks aim to provide a dedicated, efficient and professional service regardless of the size or nature of the case. We strive to provide consistency of representation wherever possible.

Widely praised for its growing strength in depth at all levels of call, the team at 30 Park Place Chambers ‘leads the way for criminal work in Wales’. Caroline Rees KC, ’a true leader in her field‘, regularly prosecutes and defends in high-profile murder and manslaughter cases, particularly those involving the deaths of children or vulnerable defendants. Andrew Jones KC, well known for prosecuting multi-handed drugs conspiracy matters, took silk in March 2024 - he continues to act for the CPS Complex Casework Unit. Nigel Fryer is a ’go-to for more complex cases‘, with his broad experience covering murder, drug supply, serious sexual offences, and fraud cases. Julia Cox, a Grade 4 Prosecutor and RASSO panellist, has considerable experience handling complex sexual offences cases involving s. 41 applications. Having joined the set in January 2024 from Iscoed Chambers, Emma Harris brings notable expertise in fraud, sexual offences, and drugs matters. In May 2023 Daniel Jones also joined the set, returning to Wales after a decade spent at 5 St Andrews Hill in London. He is best known as a prosecutor. Rising star William Bebb is noted for his ’tactical nous’ and ‘steely resolve’. - Legal 500. 2025

30 Park Place Chambers’ ‘go-to’ criminal team offers clients expertise in relation to a broad range of matters. Peter Donnison is an ‘outstanding advocate‘ whose reputation continues to grow and in 2022 he was appointed both as a grade 4 CPS prosecutor and Deputy District Judge – he is acting for the defence in the Operation Vermont case, in which Andrew Jones is prosecuting. Nigel Fryer and Julia Cox both have considerable experience in relation to sexual abuse and fraud and drugs conspiracy cases. With her ‘calm but incredibly effective presence in the courtroom‘ Caroline Rees KC is regularly instructed by both the prosecution and defence in high-profile murder cases and specialises in cases involving vulnerable witnesses or defendants – she prosecuted the mother, stepfather and stepbrother of Logan Mwangi, who were convicted of the murder of the five year old, in a case involving issues of a child defendant (and related reporting restrictions) and complex medical evidence. Eugene Egan is now a Circuit Judge.- Legal 500, 2024

30 Park Place Chambers is a ‘well established set offering strength in depth in all aspects of criminal law‘. Recent areas of instruction for the team include large-scale drugs conspiracies, serious and historic sexual offences and multi-defendant homicide cases. Caroline Rees KC is a ‘talented advocate‘, and recently prosecuted a man who received a six-year sentence for the gross negligence manslaughter of his partner following consensual sexual activity involving bondage. Nigel Fryer ‘s recent practice involves historic sexual abuse allegations, while Andrew Jones has a strong practice in large-scale drug trafficking matters. - Legal 500, 2023