Overview

Samir Pasha is a highly experienced criminal defence barrister with a specialist practice spanning serious crime, regulatory matters, and motoring offences. With almost a decade of prior experience working across the legal profession—including at large corporate firms, high street practices, and as a civil servant for the Serious Fraud Office—Samir brings a unique perspective to criminal defence work, having operated on both sides of the investigative and prosecutorial process.

His experience at the SFO earned him a commendation from the Director for his investigative work, and this background in serious fraud and financial crime investigations informs his meticulous approach to case preparation and defence strategy.

Areas of Practice

Serious Crime

Samir has extensive experience defending clients charged with the most serious criminal offences, including:

• Murder and Violence: Currently instructed as junior counsel in a three-month multi-handed murder trial (led by a leading KC), and previously represented clients in complex violent prosecutions including revenge shootings and multi-handed cases.
• Sexual Offences: Successfully defending allegations ranging from child sexual assault to possession of indecent images, with notable acquittals in high-profile settings.
• Drug Offences: Handling cases from importation and supply of Class A drugs to county lines operations, with expertise in challenging cell-site evidence and expert testimony.
• Firearms Offences: Representing clients charged with possession of imitation firearms and offensive weapons.

Financial Crime & Regulatory

POCA and Financial Crime Investigations

Samir provides specialist representation and advice to clients facing complex financial crime investigations and proceedings. His experience encompasses HMRC investigations into VAT fraud and tax matters, where he advises and represents company directors, sole traders, and self-employed individuals throughout prosecution proceedings and investigations.

In POCA proceedings, Samir has a proven track record of successfully recovering seized assets for clients, including securing the return of a £20,000 cash seizure through meticulous financial analysis and comprehensive money trail evidence. He also represents clients before First-tier Tax Tribunals, challenging customs and excise civil evasion penalties and defending their interests against HMRC enforcement actions.

Samir’s approach combines thorough financial analysis with strategic advocacy to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients navigating these high-stakes proceedings.

Regulatory & Disciplinary

Samir has developed a strong practice advising and representing professionals in regulatory and disciplinary proceedings across national and international jurisdictions.

His recent work includes representing a landlord investigated by Lancashire Fire Services for potential criminal offences following a fire in a property under his ownership. The investigation focused on whether the landlord bore responsibility for safety failings that caused the fire. Following representation at a PACE interview and throughout the investigation, the Fire Services concluded the matter without pursuing prosecution.

Samir has been instructed to represent a doctor in professional disciplinary proceedings before the General Medical Council, and to advise and represent one of eight international cricket players charged by the International Cricket Council on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board with breaching the Anti-Corruption Code in relation to alleged match-fixing during the Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League 2021.

Motoring Offences

Samir has developed a particular specialism in motoring law, regularly representing clients across London and the Home Counties in:

• Exceptional Hardship arguments for clients facing totting-up disqualification
• Special Reasons cases
• Drink and drug driving offences
• Appeals against conviction and sentence
• TFL/Private Hire Vehicle licence appeals

His meticulous preparation and tailored approach has secured numerous successful outcomes, including preserving the livelihoods of business owners, professionals, and a well-known rap artist facing career-ending disqualifications.

Notable Cases

Murder & Serious Violence

• R v MN & Ors (Stafford Crown Court): Junior counsel in four-handed murder trial involving alleged revenge shooting of rapper
• R v TO & Ors (St Albans Crown Court): Secured unanimous Not Guilty verdict in affray case involving self-defence after six-day trial and four hours of jury deliberation
• R v JO (Maidstone Crown Court): Prosecution offered no evidence on aggravated burglary and robbery at knife point charges following strong defence case statement highlighting DNA transfer and identification issues
• R v AM & Ors (Aylesbury Crown Court): Prosecution formally offered no evidence against client charged with robbery two weeks before trial
• R v LM (Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court): Secured bail for international masters student after over a month in custody, then successfully negotiated prosecution offering no evidence on possession of imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (facing up to four years imprisonment)
• R v AA (Oxford Crown Court): Successfully appealed conviction for assault by beating, with appeal allowed after full-day trial on basis of insufficient evidence
• R v KD (Isleworth Crown Court): University student charged with knife possession at Notting Hill Carnival—prosecution offered no evidence following strong representations
• R v RMS (Willesden Magistrates Court): Client accused of threatening neighbour with butcher’s knife acquitted after tactful cross-examination exposed credibility issues and inconsistencies in prosecution evidence
• R v SK (Coventry Magistrates Court): Care worker from India accused of assaulting elderly resident—case dismissed at half-time due to inconsistent prosecution witness evidence
• R v SS (Ealing Magistrates Court): Sikh client acquitted of assaulting police officer during custody search after representations raised concerns about removal of turban during search procedure
• R v S (Croydon Magistrates Court): Successfully persuaded district judge that CCTV showed client was actual victim in racially aggravated assault case—prosecution offered no evidence
• R v ZK (Luton Magistrates Court): Client acquitted of ABH after powerful cross-examination demonstrated complainant was lying about who initiated violence

Sexual Offences

• R v AP (Harrow Crown Court): Client acquitted of sexually assaulting his four-year-old daughter after full trial and two days of jury deliberation
• R v VA (Harrow Crown Court): Prosecution offered no evidence on possession of 2 Category A videos received via WhatsApp after expert report demonstrated auto-download functionality meant recipient may not have viewed content
• R v FJ (Isleworth Crown Court): Client charged with sexual assault allegations in high-profile London department store—secured bail with stringent conditions through strong representations

Drugs

• R v JA (Snaresbrook Crown Court): Hung jury in £6 million cocaine conspiracy case involving 51kg of cocaine and complex cell-site analysis
• R v TMA (Northampton Crown Court): Prosecution offered no evidence on possession with intent to supply 120 wraps of cocaine after positive conclusive grounds decision on modern slavery
• R v CT (Isleworth Crown Court): Successfully dismissed charge involving alleged conspiracy to supply 2kg of Class A drugs through meticulous analysis of cell-site evidence
• R v JP (Isleworth Crown Court): Represented client charged with importation of 23kg of cannabis from Thailand at Heathrow—strong mitigation secured 15-month sentence taking into account cooperation
• R v MC (Isleworth Crown Court): Successfully argued majority of cannabis material was unsellable “stalks and stems” with no retail value, confirmed by independent expert
• R v JR (Reading Crown Court): Operation Yamata—client sentenced to 40 months for two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (reduced from 60 months after trial indication)
• R v RH (Portsmouth Crown Court): Operation Orochi county lines case—meticulous review of cell-site data reduced period of phone control from four months to four days, reducing sentence from 6.5 years to 5 years 2 months
• R v DT (Harrow Crown Court): Professional footballer charged with being concerned in supply of cocaine—successfully challenged prosecution’s basis from Significant Role to Lesser Role, securing 30-month sentence (reduced from 3 years 4 months)

Domestic Violence

• R v WR (Snaresbrook Crown Court): Prosecution offered no evidence on intentional strangulation, ABH, coercive control, and assault charges (relating to incidents since 2020) following strategic advice on disclosure—withdrawn 10 days before trial
• R v CW (Reading Crown Court): Conviction for double intentional strangulation and ABH quashed on appeal, resulting in 34-month prison sentence being overturned and client released
• R v MS (Isleworth Crown Court): Client acquitted of aggravated stalking (maximum 10 years imprisonment) after three-day trial and six hours of jury deliberation, convicted only of lesser stalking offence
• R v AR (Wood Green Crown Court): Prosecution offered no evidence on stalking and criminal damage charges when complainants failed to respond to witness summons
• R v JM (Isleworth Crown Court): Client charged with serious witness intimidation and stalking involving hundreds of messages—secured four-month suspended sentence after meticulous preparation, with sentencing judge commending advocacy
• R v FV (Westminster Magistrates Court): Successfully argued alleged stalking behaviour did not meet legal threshold and defeated application for Stalking Prevention Order

Other Notable Cases

• R v LG (Kingston Crown Court): Handling stolen goods case involving items taken from Damien Hirst’s studio—secured conditional discharge after successfully arguing items valued at £500 rather than initial £400,000 valuation

This case attracted media attention and was reported on a number of outlets.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/damien-hirst-london-kingston-crown-court-police-dna-b1255752.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24l5mdm2zmo

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15084485/Man-charged-stealing-400K-clothes-equipment-Damien-Hirst.html

• R v DG (Woolwich Crown Court): Conditional discharge in rare private prosecution by Royal Borough of Greenwich for unlawful eviction involving novel points of housing law after five-day trial
• R v JA (Snaresbrook Crown Court): Evasion of duty case involving importation of 160,780 cigarettes with £79,000 duty evaded—secured Community Order despite Sentencing Guidelines indicating custody
• R v BA (Southwark Crown Court): Client charged with theft and criminal damage by landlord—unanimous Not Guilty verdicts on both charges after robust cross-examination

Immigration Criminal Offences

Samir has handled important cases under new criminalised immigration legislation, including:

• Prosecutions under s40 Nationality and Borders Act 2022 for arriving without entry clearance
• Successfully mitigating in one of the first prosecutions of asylum seekers steering small boats, securing a suspended sentence

HMRC & Financial Crime

• Successfully recovered £20,000 seized cash for Chinese university student through detailed financial investigation and money trail evidence
• Representing company directors in VAT fraud prosecution involving alleged evasion of £205,000 VAT security sum
• First-tier Tax Tribunal representation in customs and excise civil evasion penalties totalling nearly £60,000

Direct Access

Samir accepts instructions on a direct access basis, allowing clients to instruct him without the need for a solicitor, which can significantly reduce legal costs whilst ensuring specialist advocacy and advice.

For instructions or enquiries, Samir is available on a direct access basis or through solicitors.