Notable Cases
2021 – R v K – Will represented the second defendant in a 13 defendant firearm and drug importation conspiracy (trial of 4 due to Covid). Acquitted on one conspiracy but convicted on a second linked one. At sentence the prosecution submitted 20 year starting point, sentence passed after mitigation was 8 years, the Attorney General then tried to argued at the Court of Appeal that it was unduly lenient but this was successfully resisted
2021 – R v W– Already on an IPP for a like offence W robbed a shop with an imitation firearm using a high level of violence – armed robbery and GBH trial – flying squad investigation
2021 – R v M – kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual assault trial – fake taxi case – historic allegation with complainant giving evidence from Spain
2021 – R v B – Attempted rape trial – unusual case where neither defendant nor complainant purported to have memory of offence due to drink
2021 – R v G – Sexual assault on child under 13. Step-brother against step-sister. Tape recorded cross-examination case
2021 – R v O – 11 night-time residential burglaries – some involving non-violent confrontation with the homeowners. Modern slavery defence pursued – the prosecution ‘offered no evidence’ just before the trial
2021 – R v B – Class A drugs supply sentence appealed to the Court of Appeal. Dramatic reduction in sentence from 38 months imprisonment to a Community Order. “We consider that there is merit in the submissions which Mr Paynter has put before the Court, and for which we are grateful.” – Court of Appeal
2020 – R v E – Conspiracy to supply class A trial. Youth, modern slavery defence. Hung Jury. Crown offered no evidence at re-trial after further review pursued
2020 – R v A – Arson with intent trial – A walked into a town hall, poured petrol over himself, produced lighter and threatened to set himself and building on fire and threatened staff
2020 – R v J – Car ‘ringing’. Large investigation focused on theft and disposal of high value vehicles by exploiting their security weaknesses (keyfobs)
2020 – R v A – Sexual assault trial where A was an Uber driver
2019 – R v Z – Multi-million pound OCG importation of untaxed cigarettes conspiracy trial
2019 – R v C – Administering poison – Unusual case of husband poisoning wife’s salad with sleeping pills so he could access her phone
2018 – R v J – 11 defendant conspiracy to commit GBH trial – J was one of a number said to have invaded rival gang territory in East London with weapons and intent on attacking other gang
2018 – R v C – 9 defendant West London violent disorder – C said to be part of a gang defending territory from another gang – Will conducted cross-examination of a police expert on drill music and other gang aspects
2017 – R v D – Widely reported violent disorder where a group were said to have attacked an asylum seeker on a Croydon estate
2017 – R v M – Two-month trial involving importation of untaxed cigarettes – Will demonstrated HMRC had failed in their investigative duties
2016 – R v A – 9 defendant immigration visa points fraud conspiracy trial
2016 – R v R – Sexual assault allegation against husband by his ex-wife. Will successfully deployed open-source social media posted by the complainant to demonstrate her account was not credible
2015 – R v O – Will represented one of five defendants in a Flying Squad robbery case said to have targeted a businessman leaving a bank. Although his client was convicted he was successful in persuading the Judge to imposed a suspended custodial sentence
2015 – R v B – Will represented B who was accused of ‘glassing’ another customer in a pub who had been giving his girlfriend unwanted attention. Will successfully demonstrated that a very close analysis of the CCTV showed B had acted in lawful self-defence
2014 – R v O – Led junior on a murder – stabbing outside nightclub. The case involved DNA, blood spatter, pathology reports, toxicology reports, CCTV, phone analysis.
2013 – R v A – Will represented a woman accused of two allegations of arson with intent. She was found not guilty of both after Will successfully deployed a defence expert to challenge two LFB expert witnesses who had said the fires were deliberate and not coincidental
2013 – R v O – Will represented two separate defendants in linked conspiracy trials as part of a major investigation into corrupt PCSOs – both were acquitted
2012 – R v R – London riot case – the “Lisson Grove” trial
2012 – R v D – QPR football violence case – it was successfully argued at trial that police disclosure failures were so serious that the defendant could not receive a fair trial and the charges were dismissed as an ‘abuse of process’
2012 – R v W – Successful duress defence in a case of alleged drug dealing
Education and Professional Qualifications
Will was called to the Bar in 2002
Member Associations
Member of the Criminal Bar Association
PRIVACY NOTICE
