Oliver Shipley represented a 29-year-old defendant, with relevant previous convictions, facing two counts of being concerned in the supply of Heroin and Crack Cocaine dating back to June 2023.
The prosecution case as that plain clothed police officers spotted a male dealing drugs in the street. He was traced back to an address nearby in West Hull. Upon re-emerging from that address, he was arrested and found to be in possession of drugs. A key was seized, and police used their powers to enter the address quietly through the back door to arrest anyone left inside. Upon entering, the defendant was sat on the settee with a burner phone in his hand. A struggle was said to have ensued and PAVA spray used to successfully arrest the defendant and other persons present in the property. The defendant was said to have tried to remove the battery and the sim card from the phone as officers attempted an arrest. The phone was later found to contain messages conclusive of drug supply. Officers seized scales, clingfilm, machetes and other drug dealing phones from the property.
All other co-defendants pleaded guilty, with one co-defendant entering his plea in the course of the prosecution case. The defendant’s previous conviction for Class A drug supply was also put before the jury.
At trial, the defendant disputed the phone was his and that he was borrowing it to call a taxi to go and see a friend. Following a careful deconstruction of the prosecution evidence, and after less than 2 hours of jury deliberations over lunch, the defendant was unanimously acquitted of both counts.
Oliver was instructed by Mark East of John Robinson & Co Solicitors. He is recognized as a “concise advocate, unflappable, with good judgment” in the 2025 edition of Legal 500. See more on Oliver’s profile here.