Carson Kaye

Carson Kaye’s specialist crime team is headed by four Directors, John Kaye, John Carson, Tana Adelmann and Ben Darabi who lead a fifteen strong team of lawyers.

The team led by the Directors also includes Piers Dresser who brings nearly two decades of experience to the table and rising stars such as, Sophie Clarke, Tilly Taylor and Rosie Stanley.

Founded by John Carson and John Kaye in 2014, the firm rapidly earned a reputation for handling cases which defined the most significant prevailing issues within the criminal justice system. Nationally recognised as a leader in EncroChat litigation arising from the largest ever UK police and National Crime Agency operation, Carson Kaye has been at the forefront of this wave of prosecutions.

The traditional heart of the firm’s work lies in general crime, consistently defending in high-profile cases concerning homicide, terrorism, commercial importation of illegal drugs and the most serious sexual offences. Held in industry wide high regard, the firm’s profile enables it to attract counsel of the highest standing to collaborate on cases of prominent significance.

Carson Kaye often acts for clients in high profile cases, examples of which include.

John Kaye, John Carson and Sophie Clarke represented our client at The Old Bailey concerning proceedings brought by the Crown Prosecution Service relating to conspiracy to murder. Following international law enforcement’s ‘hack’ of the encrypted mobile phone platform EncroChat, the National Crime Agency were able to track and arrest some 9,000 suspects. This is a leading case in EncroChat litigation as it involves messages sent from a foreign jurisdiction and legal challenges concerning the police intercepting messages, rather than receiving them once stored. There is potential for the messages to display that the NCA were in breach of s.56 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which prohibits the use of intercept evidence in legal proceedings. In order to argue this case, it has been necessary to analyse huge quantities of digital data and employ a deep understanding of the technical aspects of complex digital communications evidence.

Tana Adelmann represented our client who was charged in an 18-defendant case of conspiracy to commit dwelling burglaries in 2020 and 2021 stemming from a joint operation of the Metropolitan, Kent, Thames Valley and Hertfordshire Police and is proceeding at Maidstone Crown Court. The suspected conspirators are alleged to have stolen over £1.5 million worth of vehicles in 111 burglaries. The evidence against our client is largely circumstantial and relates to phone and cell site evidence. The jury had to be discharged in our client’s first trial following a Public Interest Immunity application and the retrial is due to take place in Summer 2025.

Ben Darabi and Sophie Clarke represented our client in matter that concerned the largest money laundering ring to be cracked by the National Crime Agency, involving an estimate £104 million of criminal proceeds. The sophisticated operation provided a laundering service to criminals of all types by employing cash mules to transport packages through UK airports. The large volumes of evidence included banking and credit card statements and data, false identities, surveillance evidence and travel records. In order to prepare our client’s defence, it was necessary to legitimise his own business dealings to explain his links to the money being moved as well as displace the allegations that his associations with the other defendants were criminal in nature. The gang were convicted after two stages of trial and await sentence.

Piers Desser represented our client in a case concerning a conspiracy to supply a large amount of cocaine across county lines and proceeds at Northampton Crown Court. Our client is alleged to have a leading role in the organised crime group behind the conspiracy, employing a large number of individuals to supply end-users in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Devon with illicit drugs. Threats of force and intimidation are part of the gang’s modus operandi and there are 12 defendants facing prosecution. Our client’s case is that he was a peripheral player in the conspiracy and denies involvement in the Devon enterprise. In order to execute these instructions, the defence team have mapped huge amounts of telecommunication and surveillance evidence in order to disentangle our client’s liability. The case is proceeding towards a contested hearing.

Carson Kaye’s offices are located at 15 Red Lion Square, London. WC1R 4QH