David Brock

Year of Call: 1984

David Brock has specialised in criminal work for over ten years, while continuing to undertake quasi-criminal and regulatory work. Serious crime forms a major part of his mainly defence-based practice, and he has appeared in numerous cases involving murder and the large-scale import and supply of drugs.

His career highlights include defending the ‘Stansted Hijacking’ trial at the Central Criminal Court, a ten-month murder and drugs trial in Preston, and a two-month ‘professional contract killer’ trial in Birmingham. In 2005 he led in a murder case in Winchester involving the defence of diminished responsibility arising from a frenzied knife attack by husband upon his wife, and in 2007 he led in highly-publicised manslaughter trial involving children ‘stoning’ to death a father playing cricket with his son.

David Brock frequently appears as a leading junior in fraud cases. Recent examples have involved VAT, company, Post Office, Revenue, employment and insurance fraud. For instance, in 2007 he led in Luton in a car ringing fraud lasting 12 weeks. In addition, he has substantial experience in confiscation and asset forfeiture cases arising from fraud and drug-related offences.

Throughout his career, David has appeared regularly in the Court of Appeal, and he is cited in celebrated authorities concerning ‘entrapment’, convictions of co-defendants going before the jury, commendations of witness by judges and others. On a number of occasions he has been instructed by the Registrar of Criminal Appeals to advise on the merits of fresh appeals against ‘old’ convictions where there is a suggestion of ‘new evidence’.

David has also appeared frequently in the Court of Appeal Civil Division, including recently in a case hinging on an insurance, negligence and trade description issue. His regular appearances in the Divisional Court include a recent rates appeal matter. David’s broad practice also spans gaming and licensing litigation, and he has appeared for animal welfare and representative organisations in relation to trade description, cruelty and fraudulent trading practices.

David was appointed a Recorder in 2002 and sits in crime throughout the South Eastern Circuit. He was recently added to the list of those recorders qualified to hear serious sex cases.