Simon Phillips QC at Sheffield Crown Court

Simon Phillips QC prosecuted Shaun Stewart, who was convicted of the manslaughter of his son, Brent Campbell. The defendant and his son were both electrocuted whilst attempting to steal electricity cable from overhead power lines near Barnsley. The defendant sustained burn injuries; his son was killed by the 11,000 volt shock. The defendant dismissed his legal team during the trial, and then absconded. He was convicted by the jury and sentenced in his absence by the Recorder of Sheffield to 5 years’ imprisonment. The case represents a significant application of the crime of manslaughter involving the death of an accomplice to a homicide caused by an unlawful and dangerous act of attempt theft. Previously, comparable prosecutions have been confined to acts of gross negligence.

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• Daily Maill