Date of Call: 1978
For over 20 years Nicholas has been defending those charged with serious crime. Nicholas has represented defendants charged with murder, serious sexual offences, serious drug conspiracies and serious fraud.
Some notable cases include an international counterfeit currency ring who were the subjects of a joint operation by the American Secret Service and the National Crime Squad (Panorama 20th June 2004). Nicholas was also involved in defending in an armed robbery, which at the time was the largest cash robbery in Western Europe (Regina -v- Huckerby & Others Manchester Crown Court). Nicholas also has successfully represented one of seven defendants charged with a murder, which took place at Hounslow West tube station (BBC News 12th September 2005).
In 2007 and 2008 Nicholas was involved in four major cases as a leading Junior. Regina -v- Lambert (Woodgreen Crown Court) was a case involving historic sexual offences against children. Regina –v- Thorpe & Other (Harrow Crown Court) was a lorry hijacking where the defence was a positive one that involved trying to prove that the prosecution witnesses were involved in N.T.E.C. fraud. Regina -v- Taylor & Other (Central Criminal Court) was a murder case involving two teenage gangs. Regina -v- Hussein & Others (Croydon Crown Court) was a staged accident fraud with the complainant being AXA Plc.
Earlier this year Regina -v- Oki & Others (Snaresbrook Crown Court) was a large-scale counterfeit currency conspiracy, which attracted national publicity in March 2009.
Nicholas has considerable appellate experience; Regina -v- Maxine Edwards 1996 (to criminal appeal reports page 345) is a case dealing with the relevance and admissibility of corruption by police officers. Nicholas also appeared in the Attorney Generals reference no. 7 of 2007 (Regina -v- Krivec 2007 E.W.C.A 922). This allows authority for the proposition that when a judge passes a lenient sentence, the judge should not be in fear of that sentence being referred by the Attorney General.