Julian Richards

Julian Richards has been instructed in numerous large-scale drugs, money laundering and firearms conspiracy work stemming from the EncroChat hack. He has become a key thought leader in EncroChat matters.

Julian’s has worked with leading counsel to challenge the admissibility of evidence obtained as a result of law enforcement agencies seeking to rely on material from the EncroChat hack in court.

Julian also represents a number of defendants involved in ongoing proceedings currently awaiting trial, including in cases where issue is being taken with EncroChat evidence.

Julian Richards has been instructed in numerous large-scale drugs, money laundering and firearms conspiracy work stemming from the Encrochat hack. He has become a key thought leader in Encrochat matters.

Julian Richards’ Encrochat Cases

R v ES (Operation Rockrose) – proceedings before Birmingham Crown Court in which Julian represented one of three defendants accused of conspiracy to murder.

R v DS (Operation Olympia) – proceedings before Chester Crown Court of numerous defendants in respect of a large-scale conspiracy to supply class A drugs nationally.

R v SS – Julian represented a Company Director in proceedings before Teesside Crown Court in which he was said to have conspired to manufacture amphetamine with a value of in excess of £5 million (Operation Balance). Julian also represented the same defendant in ongoing proceedings before Liverpool Crown Court relating to a conspiracy to manufacture amphetamine with a view to it being supplied nationally (Operation Joyfully).

R v KS (Operation Somersault) – proceedings before Oxford Crown Court where Julian represented a defendant accused of playing a management role within a drugs conspiracy described by the NCA as being the largest Encrochat case in the South East,

R v LM (Operation Mirrorline) – proceedings before Nottingham Crown Court in which a defendant is accused of conspiring to supply multiple kilos of cocaine and the supply of automatic weapons with intent to endanger life.

R v JP (Operation Venetic) – proceedings before Hull Crown Court where Julian represents a former professional international footballer accused of importing over 100kg cocaine into the UK.

R v SW (Operation Aquarium) –proceedings before Liverpool Crown Court relating to the large-scale supply of cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis throughout the UK following on from the extradition of the defendant from Spain.

R v UM (Operation Edithall) –proceedings before Leeds Crown Court involving 17 defendants in which Julian represents the alleged head of an OCG who is said to have run a conspiracy to supply cocaine nationally from prison.

R v DC (Operation Leadpool) – proceedings before Exeter Crown Court in which Julian represents a defendant accused of conspiring to supply various class A and B drugs.

R v RM (Operation Easlearm) – proceedings before Leeds Crown Court in which Julian represents a defendant accused of conspiring to supply class A drugs within West Yorkshire and the surrounding counties.

R v YM (Operation Venetic) – proceedings before Liverpool Crown Court of a man accused of obtaining a gun and ammunition in an ongoing gangland dispute whilst being involved in a class A drugs conspiracy.

R v PM & Others (Operation Callisto) – proceedings before Derby Crown Court of a 100+kg drugs conspiracy. The group were also prosecuted for a money laundering conspiracy which involved over £18 million being laundered in a 3-month period.

R v PS & Others (Operation Celtic) – proceedings before Luton Crown Court in which Julian represents the alleged head of the UK arm of an international OCG involved in the worldwide supply of cocaine.

Julian has extensive experience in fraud and complex fraud cases. Julian frequently defends directors and business professionals facing prosecution by HMRC, the SFO and the FCA. He regularly defends clients who have been prosecuted for multi-million-pound frauds

His ability to strategically identify the issues in technical and complicated cases makes him a standout solicitor in this field. The Legal 500 (2023) describe Julian as “a standout tactician in serious crime, rightly enjoys an excellent reputation and is sought out for the most serious and complex cases”.

Julian Richards’ Fraud Cases

R v S & R (Operation Venture) – prosecution before Southwark Crown Court for bribery act offences in the motor sports industry. Both the individual and the Company of which he was the Managing Director were acquitted of all charges after 18 months of Court proceedings and a 5-year investigation prior to that. This marked the first ever acquittal of a corporate defendant for a section 7 offence.

R v OV (Operation Dacca) – prosecution before Southwark Crown Court for multi-million pound Gift Aid fraud.

R v SR (Operation Tidworth) – prosecution before Southwark Crown Court for multi-million pound “boiler room” fraud.

R v KP (Operation Twostroke)– £17.5 million fraud in respect of the illegal importation of cigarettes prosecuted at Wolverhampton crown Court.

R v MZ (Operation Alloa) – HMRC prosecution before Reading Crown Court of a group alleged to have laundered £25 million to a series of Dubai based companies as part of a sophisticated “MTIC” (missing trader) fraud.

R v PH (Operation Brightly) –proceedings before Isleworth Crown Court in which a group is alleged to have laundered money to Dubai through couriers travelling there with suitcases full of cash. The value of cash laundered in this way is said to exceed £100 million.

FH & MH –very high profile HMRC investigation into a £132 million tax planning fraud. After a seven-year investigation, HMRC decided not to bring charges following on from a claim for Judicial Review brought before the High Court relating to failings in the way that HMRC handled legally privileged material.

R v FM (Operation Hesperus) – proceedings before Luton Crown Court in which a struck off solicitor was accused of making fraudulent applications under an immigration amnesty available to residents of Grenfell Tower at the time of the fire.

“Julian Richards is one of the smartest men I know, his strategy when dealing with complex legal cases is impeccable and produces results that are in my opinion unrivalled.”

(Legal 500, 2021)

“Julian Richards [is] highly regarded and ‘extremely good at mastering large and complex cases, with good advocacy skills and exceptional client care’…”

(Legal 500, 2018)

Whilst much of Julian’s recent work involves “Encrochat”, he has significant experience of dealing with other, more traditional, multi-defendant drug conspiracies. His attention to detail, and ability to digest large quantities of evidence, is invaluable. Julian has particular expertise in phone and cell site evidence which typically plays a fundamental role in cases of this type. His experience means that he has a unique understanding of the drugs trade which is often relied upon to successfully counter conclusions of prosecution experts as to the quantities of drugs and the roles that they seek to attribute to defendants.

R v KU (Operation Diesel) – national conspiracy to supply cocaine of importation level purity before Birmingham Crown Court.

R v RS – large scale conspiracy heard before Liverpool Crown Court involving 13 defendants. The case involved the supply of high quantities of heroin and cocaine and the production of TFMPP on an industrial scale.

R v PW (Operation Maximus)– 8 defendants prosecuted before Carlisle Crown Court for conspiring to supply cannabis in the largest cannabis factory ever found in the UK.

R v AG (Operation Bowhill)– proceedings before Lewes Crown Court involving multiple defendants accused of exporting class A drugs to Australia and the USA using the DHL courier service.

R v MH (Operation Wallace)– proceedings before Guildford Crown Court involving numerous defendants alleged to have imported cocaine directly from Colombia which resulted in the seizure of 1 ton of cocaine in Spain.

R v JP (Operation Façade) – proceedings before Birmingham Crown Court involving a substantial surveillance operation in which Julian represented the alleged head of an OCG responsible for the supply of multiple kilos of cocaine. The defendant was extradited from Spain having absconded from the UK.

R v JM (Operation Tequila) – proceedings before Nottingham Crown Court as part of an investigation into the nationwide supply of cocaine and heroin involving two OCGs based in Manchester and Nottinghamshire respectively.

R v RB (Operation Matrix) – proceedings before Carlisle Crown Court relating to a national conspiracy to supply class A drugs which resulted in the seizure of 50kg cocaine from a vehicle driven by a courier, described as the biggest cocaine conspiracy (with a value of £53 million) ever prosecuted in Cumbria.

R v MIA (Operation Rolling) – proceedings before Derby Crown Court involving 14 defendants accused of conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin.

R v DF (Operation Karma) – proceedings before Lincoln Crown Court in which Julian represented one of nine defendants being prosecuted as part of an investigation into a conspiracy to transport drugs from Liverpool to Lincolnshire for onwards supply.  The case was classified as a VHCC with over 150,000 pages of evidence being served.

Homicide Solicitor

R v OS (Operation Valley) – representation of a law student in proceedings before Exeter Crown Court in which he was accused of murdering two elderly people for financial gain.

R v EJ –representation of a mother accused of repeatedly stabbing her son.

R v IS –representation of a young man accused of attacking a cyclist and kicking him to the head causing his death.

R v CW (Operation Kavas) – representation of a man convicted of murder whilst represented by other solicitors. The defendant instructed a new legal team that successfully appealed his conviction on the basis that “loss of control” manslaughter had not been left to the jury.

R v MC (Operation Quote) – representation of a man accused of killing his brother-in-law with a “wheelie bin”.

R v FW (Operation Stratton) – representation of one of three “hitmen” accused of conspiracy to murder before Norwich Crown Court. The prosecution case was that a wealthy businessman commissioned the “hit” using a group of men recruited from outside of the area. The victim was shot with a sawn-off shotgun at point blank range.

Serious Sexual Offences Solicitor

R v MH (Operation Bullfinch) – Asian sex gang case tried before the Old Bailey.

R v MI (Operation Silk) – Asian sex gang case where Julian represented a defendant charged with conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to commit indecent assault.

R v PM – successful defence of a “celebrity” chef accused of sexual assault.

Syed v DPP [2010] EWHC 81 (Admin) – a successful appeal by way of case in which the High Court quashed a decision made by the Magistrates about the scope of the powers of the police to enter premises without a warrant under s.17 PACE 1984. It is cited in many legal texts as one of the leading authorities on the limits of police powers to enter premises without a warrant.

R v MC – representation of a school caretaker who conducted a letter bombing campaign against various agencies with links to the government, including the DVLA, Forensic Science Service and Capita, as a protest against the “surveillance society”.

R v PJ (Operation Sterling)– representation of a defendant accused of human trafficking and modern slavery.

R v JA (Operation Amherst) – representation of a company director in proceedings before Maidstone Crown Court. The defendant was accused of being part of a group that chartered yachts and transported refugees from “the Jungle” in Calais to the UK for humanitarian reasons.

R v JS (Operation Jackknife) – the defendant was prosecuted for numerous offences as part of a six-month long crime spree. This included burgling items belonging to the Queen from the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket. Most significantly, he was alleged to be the head of a group that carried out numerous cash machine blowouts through the use of explosives. The defendant had previously received a sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in a shooting. In light of his pleas to the explosives charges, and his previous conviction, the Court was obliged to impose a life sentence unless it considered it to be unjust in all of the circumstances. The Court was persuaded to impose a determinate sentence.

JJS – ongoing investigation into an Ultra High Net Worth individual accused of modern slavery and human trafficking, involving multiple jurisdictions.

R v JS (Operation Johna) – ongoing proceedings before Oxford Crown Court relating to the burglary of Blenheim Palace in which, “America”, a “gold toilet” valued at £4.8 million made by the artist, Maurizio Cattelan, was stolen and subsequently disposed of.