At New Park Court Chambers, we do things a little differently. With a total of 74 barristers, including 13 King’s Counsel, our reach and influence stretches far beyond the bounds of our Circuit.
As a Tier 1 Set based in Leeds and Newcastle we are home to a number of high profile and nationally and internationally reputable Counsel.
Peter Wilcock QC’s practice encompasses criminal defence (including appeals against conviction / sentence and applications to the both the Criminal Cases Review Commission) as well as Inquests, regulatory and crime-related civil proceedings.
He has a particular interest in psychiatric issues and has sat as a Tribunal Judge in the MHRT for 13 years. Peter’s criminal work has encompassed the full range of serious offences from terrorism to organised crime and fraud.
Since taking silk in 2012 Peter has appeared in the Hillsborough Inquests (representing seven families), 15 murder trials, several large (and ongoing) fraud trials, the Birmingham riots trial (during which it was alleged the defendants attempted to shoot down a police helicopter), two cases of rape and child cruelty and an allegation of preparing for acts of terrorism. In addition, he has conducted a number of high-profile criminal appeals including the cases of Sam Hallam, Victor Nealon and Wang Yam.
As a junior, Peter appeared in many well-publicised successful appeals including Lorraine Harris, Suzanne Holdsworth and Ian Gay as well as a number of high-value fraud trials and high-profile terrorist trials including the liquid bombs airlines trial and Manchester / Afghanistan recruiting trial.
Peter is currently instructed in a number of ongoing large-scale fraud and murder trials listed for 2018. He is also representing a number of high-profile applicants whose cases are before the CCRC or the Court of Appeal.
Following the successful conclusion of the Hillsborough Inquests Peter has been instructed to advise in a number of ongoing Inquests and civil actions against the Police. He has a developing regulatory practice having recently acted in proceedings before the GMC and Traffic Commissioners.
Peter has also been called to the Bar in Northern Ireland.
He studied Law at the LSE where, following the completion of his degree, he was the General Secretary of the Student Union before joining Tooks Chambers where he practised for 24 years before joining Garden Court in 2013. Since 2004, Peter has been a part-time Tribunal Judge on the Mental Health Review Tribunal. He was appointed as an appraiser for Tribunals Service (Mental Health) in October 2009. He was a member of the 2010 Law Commission working party on “unfitness to plead – consultation paper No 197”.
Peter has provided Legal Advice in relation to Court room scenes for the BBC series Silent Witness and Rillington Place.
Peter’s criminal work has encompassed the full range of serious offences from fraud, to terrorism, organised crime and murder. He is recommended in both the Legal 500 and the Chambers UK Bar Guide for Crime in 2022.
Since taking silk in 2012 Peter has appeared in the Hillsborough Inquests (representing seven families), over 30 murder trials, several large (and ongoing) fraud trials, the Birmingham riots trial (during which it was alleged the defendants attempted to shoot down a police helicopter), two cases of rape and child cruelty and an allegation of preparing for acts of terrorism.
Represented Defendant accused, along with her son, of murder in the course of a postcode gang dispute. Proceedings are ongoing.
Represented 17-year-old Defendant accused of murder, along with 4 others, in the course of “tit for tat” attacks. Proceedings are ongoing.
Represented 17-year-old Defendant accused of murder, along with 3 others, of a “random” postcode attack in which a member of the public was stabbed to death. The case was reported in the BBC.
Represented 16-year-old Defendant accused of murder in the course of drug dealing.
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder. Prosecution case was that he was part of team responsible for the shooting of an innocent member of the public mistakenly targeted in the course of gang feud. The case was reported in the BBC.
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder during the course of a bungled burglary of a cannabis factory. The case was reported in the BBC.
Represented Defendant accused of murdering his drug dealer having previously sent a text to a friend stating: “Tonight I will commit a murder.”
A three-handed cut-throat case, in which the Defendants were all charged with attempted murder x 4, arson with intent to endanger life and reckless arson. D was prepared to plead guilty to reckless arson at the outset, as he was caught on CCTV setting light to a house in which a family were sleeping. However, the Crown would not accept such a plea. After a 6 week trial, he was acquitted of attempted murder and arson with intent and convicted of reckless arson only. The case was reported in the BBC.
Represented Defendant acquitted of “County Lines” dispute murder.
Represented Defendant accused of “family feud” murder.
Represented Defendant in retrial of UK’s largest immigration fraud and attempting to cheat HMRC of payroll tax in the region of £16.6 million. The case was reported in the Daily Mail.
Represented Defendant accused of murder.
Represented Defendant accused of murdering her husband. The case was reported by the national press including Mirror.
Represented Defendant acquitted of rape.
Represented Defendant in multi-handed trial of UK’s largest immigration fraud and attempting to cheat HMRC of payroll tax in the region of £16.6 million. All other defendants convicted. Jury could not agree on K.
Case reported in national press including Standard.
Represented Defendant in well-publicised prosecution for tax cheat.
Represented Defendant accused of knife murder. This case was reported by the BBC and the Daily Mail.
Represented Defendant acquitted of alleged conspiracy to murder in which victim was shot on his driveway. This case was reported by the BBC.
Represented Defendant accused of murder. This case was reported by the BBC.
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder the jury having been told of his conviction for attempting to murder the deceased who had consequently been in a coma for 10 years. Press report at Oxford Mail.
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder.
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder. See press reports on Court News.
Represented Defendant acquitted of large-scale immigration fraud.
Represented Defendant accused of murder outside nightclub. This case was reported by the BBC.
Represented Defendant accused of murder. This case was reported by the BBC.
Represented Defendant acquitted of murder.
Peter specialises in appeals against conviction/sentence and applications to both the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He has advised in around a dozen successful applications to the CCRC and conducted a number of high-profile criminal appeals including the cases of Sam Hallam, Victor Nealon, Wang Yam and Deborah Winzar. As a junior, Peter appeared in many well-publicised successful appeals including Lorraine Harris, Suzanne Holdsworth and Ian Gay.
Represented appellant in a high-profile appeal against conviction for murdering her paraplegic husband in 2000 by allegedly injecting him with insulin without his knowledge. The case involved detailed consideration of detailed medical evidence including evidence from specialists in spinal cord injury, chemical pathology, and endocrinology and has been reported in the national media and at (2021) 1 Cr App R 16.
Represented appellant in high-profile appeal against conviction for murder in controversial “secret” trial. This case was reported in Newsnight and the Guardian and is the subject of a book “Blood on the Page: A Murder, a Secret Trial, a Search for the Truth”.
Represented appellant in successful appeal against conviction for sexual offences.
Represented appellant in successful appeal – based on fresh DNA evidence – against his conviction for attempted rape. This case was covered by the BBC, the Guardian, and the Independent.
Represented appellant in against conviction for murder based on trial judge’s failure to leave the partial defence of provocation.
Represented appellant in appeal against conviction for soliciting to murder based on interplay between conduct of co-accused’s case and propriety of resulting summing-up.
Represented appellant in his successful appeal against conviction for murder following a CCRC referral. This case was covered by the BBC.
Represented appellant in his appeal against conviction for murdering his wife following a CCRC referral.
Peter represented seven families at the Hillsborough Inquests. Following the inquest’s successful conclusion, he has been instructed to advise in a number of ongoing inquests and civil actions against the police. He has a developing regulatory practice having recently acted in proceedings before the GMC and Traffic Commissioners.
Represented parents of man shot by Police after armed stand-off.
Peter represented seven families during the Hillsborough Inquests, in which the 96 people who died were found to have been unlawfully killed. His questioning at the inquest received widespread publicity. He led the families’ questioning extensively on the topics of stadium safety, police failings in controlling the build-up of supporters and police attempts to “cover-up” the disaster. This included questioning many of the senior officers involved in the disaster – including some of the match commanders (BBC 2nd October 2014), officers involved in the immediate police PR response to the disaster (Daily Mirror 20 April 2015), Sir Norman Bettison, former Chief Constable of Merseyside police (BBC 5th May 2015), junior police officers (Guardian 18 September 2014, ITV 22nd September 2014) and stadium engineers (BBC 4th June 2014).
Coroner’s inquest into death of patient detained under Mental Health Acts who was able to hang himself despite nominally being on five-minute observations. The jury returned a narrative verdict critical of the detaining authority.
Coroner’s inquest into death of 23-year-old prisoner, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in his teens, who died of smoke inhalation after setting fire to cardboard furniture in his cell. Jury verdict was critical of decision by prison staff to allow him access to lighting materials given his previous history of starting fires both during previous prison sentences and outside. Inquest also covered prison service policy in relation to use of cardboard furniture and inaction in relation to implementation of cell rescue equipment.
Coroner’s inquest into shootings at Turnmills nightclub in April 2003 raising issues of police response to information they had received in advance of the shootings. Jury found that that information was not “communicated effectively between the relevant parties”, and that better communication might “have led to a more proactive action plan”. This case was reported in the Guardian.
Since taking silk in 2012 Peter has appeared in several large-scale fraud trials.
He is presently instructed in proceedings which have been ongoing since February 2018. As a junior, he also appeared in a number of high-value fraud trials.
Represented acquitted defendant accused of conspiracy to rig tender for supply of over £1 million of copper cable to Thameslink project.
Represented Defendant acquitted of large-scale immigration fraud
Represented defendant acquitted of large-scale immigration fraud.
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