Thomas Duggan

Thomas defends and prosecutes in the full range of criminal matters in the Crown Court and in the Court of Appeal. His experience includes matters of homicide, rape, serious sexual offences, violence, firearms, and largescale drug trafficking conspiracies.

Thomas is a CPS Grade 3 and Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Panel advocate. He is also instructed in private prosecutions, and is able to advise at all stages of proceedings.

As well as his Crown Court work, Thomas has a very busy advisory practice. He is regularly instructed to provide a second opinion in potential appeals against sentence and conviction. Thomas provides early advice to instructing solicitors, including pre-charge advices and conferences. He understands the importance of early advice and strategic litigation planning.

Recent Cases:

• R v OJ – Prosecuting as led junior in three-week attempted murder of a child by a 14-year-old defendant.
• R v JK – Defending as led junior in manslaughter prosecution with complex medical / pathological evidence.
• R v AD – Defending in multi-week multi-handed attempted murder and firearms trial.
• Operation Guru – Defending in multi-week prosecution following the importation of Class A drugs from South America.
• Operation Cyrillic– Defending in in multi-week, multi-handed conspiracy to import Class A drugs into the prison estate.
• R v ET – Prosecuting historic rape and indecent assault of children under the Sexual Offences Act 1956.
• R v DD – Defending in sexsomnia / non-insane automatism rape trial
• R v OJ – Defending. Insanity defence successfully argued in response to allegations of very serious violence.
• A Council v AD et al – Prosecuting multi-week, multi-handed conspiracy to possess criminal property, fraud, and breach of Tobacco Regulations.
• R v AA – Defending in five-day rape trial.
• R v KD – Defending in six-day rape of a child trial with s.28 procedure.
• Operation Nellynite – Defending in multi-week, multi-defendant firearms conspiracy.
• Operation Amalfi – Defending in complex and long running conspiracy to convey prohibited items into prison.
• The Insolvency Service v HR – Prosecuting a complex fraud by false representation.
• R v TP – Defending a vulnerable client in a multi-week, multi-handed armed robbery.
• R v JT – Defending in conspiracy to supply of drugs and possession of firearms trial. Modern slavery and duress successfully argued.
• R v JJ – Defending in large production of firearms conspiracy.
• R v JN – Defending. Sentence of conditional discharge imposed after involvement in £120,000 money laundering arrangement.
• WMF&RA V MM et al – Defending a director in high profile prosecution for breach of duty resulting in largescale property damage.
• R v JG – Instructed to defend in a grave sexual assault matter.
• RSPCA v MM – Defending in a long-running animal welfare trial involving the death of domestic animals.
• R v AI – Defending in multi-week sexual assault of a child family members trial.
• R v HD – Defending in sexual communication of child trial.
• R v EE – Prosecuting sexual assault of a child within a school,
• R v RB – Defending. Historic sexual activity with a child family member.
• Operation Charldene – Defending in £1.14 million robbery trial.
• Operation Mable – Defending in long running Class A drugs trial.
• R v SS – Thomas was instructed to advise on appealing historic rape conviction.
• R v ER – Thomas was instructed to advise on appealing historic human trafficking sentence.
• R v II – Thomas was instructed to advise on appealing IPP sentence.

Reported Cases:

• R v Richards [2025] EWCA Crim 437 – Thomas was instructed to appeal an IPP sentence imposed in 2007.

• R v Dyrma [2022] EWCA Crim 1481 – Successful appeal against sentence in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division.

Thomas has a busy regulatory practice. He prosecutes and defends in a variety of regulatory cases. He is instructed to advise on pre-charge issues in matters of complex Trading Standards and in private prosecutions. Thomas accepts instructions to advise and defend directors accused of regulatory crime.

Thomas is regularly instructed in prosecutions brought by the Security Industry Authority, the RSPCA, the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, and local authorities.

Thomas has experience defending and prosecuting in cases involving trading standards, consumer protection, licensing, environmental, health and safety, fire safety regulations, animal welfare matters, defrauding creditors, cheating the public purse, and alleged offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, and the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015.

Thomas also defends individuals alleged to have breached High Court injunctions, such as the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, and Walsall car cruising injunctions.

Recent cases:

• SIA v JG – Defending a director of a SIA regulated entity for fraud and licencing offences.
• RSPCA v MM – Defending in a long-running animal welfare trial involving the death of domestic animals.
• WMF&RA V MM et al – Defending a director in high profile prosecution for breach of duty resulting in largescale property damage.
• A Council v JJ – Defending alleged breach of Birmingham’s car cursing injunction in the High Court.
• A Council v AD et al – Prosecuting multi-week, multi-handed conspiracy to possess criminal property, fraud, and breach of Tobacco Regulations
• A Council v AD et al – Defending in multi-handed conspiracy to possess criminal property following breach of Tobacco Regulations. The case involved largescale importation of illegal cigarettes and tobacco products.
• A Council v AH et al – Prosecuting complex trading standards offences.
• Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy v AA – Prosecuting complex fraud resulting from mispayments under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and for offences under the Companies Act 2006.
• Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy v RN et al – Instructed to provide pre-charge advice in complex multi-defendant conspiracy resulting in charges of fraudulent trading and cheating the public purse being pursued
• CV v FT – Private prosecution. Instructed to advice on viability of private prosecution of former employees for conspiracy to commit fraud.