Stephan Alfred
‘No case before a jury is hopeless when he is on his feet.’
Legal 500 (2015)
YEAR OF CALL 1996
Overview of Practice
Stephan Alfred is a criminal law specialist with a wealth of experience across the whole spectrum of serious offences.
He is extremely well versed in all areas of financial crime and has defended in substantial cases of bank fraud, money laundering and tax fraud.
In 2017, he defended in the largest ever HMRC direct tax fraud trial to date (a case giving rise to a flagship Court of Appeal ruling concerning digital disclosure).
Stephan is equally adept at dealing with cases involving homicide, serious sexual allegations, human trafficking, large scale drugs supply, firearms offences and other organised and grave crime. Indeed, his practice has seen him defend in Encrochat, attempted murder and other serious organised crime trials.
He is currently instructed to defend in phase two of the Essex lorry manslaughter case at the Central Criminal Court and in a multi-handed conspiracy to defraud the Ministry of Defence.
Stephan is a tactically astute trial advocate who always puts his client first.
He is a fluent French speaker.
Practice Areas
He has acted as leading counsel for the defence in a number of grave and complex cases including gangland attempted murder, large-scale public disorder and drugs and firearm related organised crime.
He has considerable expertise in dealing with potential abuse of process issues, sensitive/PII disclosure, vulnerable witnesses and issues affecting a defendant’s fitness to plead/stand trial.
He has acted as leading counsel for the defence in myriad cases including banking fraud and international money laundering.
Stephan provides specialist representation and advice in high-end cases, often from the very early stages of an investigation.
He has considerable experience in cases involving vast amounts of electronic data and evidence and has particular expertise in complex disclosure issues.
Notable Cases
R v Richard Hill and others (Operation Eaglewood) – Drugs and Money Laundering. Leading Counsel.
Also known as R v Iktilat and others. This was the largest case prosecuted by the CPS Special Casework Division London, involving over thirty defendants, including Simon Ford, a fireman commended for his actions on 7/7, who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply of 100 kg of cocaine. Significant press interest and one of the biggest money laundering and drugs prosecutions ever brought on UK soil.
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R v WARD and others – Conspiracy to Supply Cocaine
One of a series of highly professional, large-scale importations of high purity, high volume cocaine into the United Kingdom. The case involved complex scientific evidence and sensitive disclosure issues.
R v A – Money Laundering
Defendant accused of money laundering the considerable proceeds of her convicted “contract killer” husband.
The original murder trial attracted nationwide media attention.
R v Sivaneswaran and others – Attempted Murder. Leading Counsel.
3½-month Tamil gangland attempted murder trial. The case involved complicated issues of disclosure regarding a prosecution informant.
Fraud
R v R and others (Operation Amazon) – Tax Fraud.
HMRC’s largest flag ship prosecution of an alleged conspiracy to cheat the Revenue. This vast and technically complex case focuses on the operation of a carbon-friendly investment scheme designed to promote and generate to trade in Carbon Emission Reduction Certificates under the Kyoto Protocol and UK Legislation.
The case is notable for its complex digital disclosure history which resulted in an important leading authority on digital disclosure and abuse of process principles: R v R and Ors (Practice Note 2016) – 1 WLR 1872.
R v Freeman and others – Data Protection Act Fraud (“Blagging Fraud”)
The first case of its kind, this Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA, now the National Crime Agency or NCA) case alleged fraud against a number of private investigators who obtained confidential information (banking, telephone etc) by false representation. Abuse of process argument relating to decision to prosecute under the Fraud Act rather than the Data Protection Act. Intense press interest including the BBC, and major broadsheets, not least because of the then current debate, including the Leveson enquiry, relating to the use of private investigators by News International.
This investigation gave rise to SOCA’s highly publicised “secret list” of high profile individuals and well known institutions that were, at one point, suspected of having used the services of such private investigators.
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R v McHugh and others – Advance Fee Fraud
An international, multi-million pound advance fee fraud, prosecuted by the SFO. An enormous amount of press interest in this case, not least as a result of the involvement of the self-styled “Lord” Davenport, a “flamboyant conman who boasted about mixing with rock stars and royalty at his London mansion.”
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R v F and another – Banking Fraud
Complex banking fraud and computer hacking case. Many thousands of parcels of personal bank account data were obtained through the use of sophisticated software (malware) programs. Bank accounts were subsequently ransacked through “blagging.”
R v T and others – Bank Fraud
Sophisticated multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud an invoice discounting company. The money was then laundered using a complex web of offshore companies and banks and recycled back into the UK through a number of sham companies. Significant case due to the co-accused’s previous multi-million pound High Court proceedings which pitted him against heavyweights Microsoft.
R v Reynolds and others – (Operation Lighthouse) Duty Evasion
A large-scale duty evasion case spanning years and involving a sophisticated, complex and multi-million pound conspiracy to import alcohol into the UK.