Jonathan Walker

Jonathan is now viewed as a senior member of Fountain Chambers and has gained valuable experience at all levels in his 21 years of practice

Jonathan is an experienced advocate who specialises in all levels of criminal defence and prosecution work. He undertakes a broad spectrum of criminal work with a particular emphasis on serious violence (including manslaughter and murder) and drug trafficking offences. Jonathan has extensive experience in cases involving allegations of fraud, money laundering, attempted murder and drug supply.

Jonathan has appeared in large-scale complex trials and is skilled at absorbing, analysing and processing complicated concepts and legal scenarios in order to effectively deploy the necessary facts before a jury.

He has defended in prosecutions brought by Trading Standards and Work and Pensions Departments and he has also conducted a significant number of confiscation proceedings, many involving complex financial transactions, difficult issues relating to property and over-zealous prosecutors seeking significant orders. Jonathan’s ability of this area has led to a great deal of success, both in the Crown Court and advising on appeal against orders imposed in cases he did not act in originally. With considerable experience of the Proceeds of Crime Act, Jonathan is presently instructed in a number of cases involving the proliferation of ‘hidden assets’.

Recent cases have included the prosecution of a multi-handed drug supply chain in Darlington which involved anonymous witness evidence and an allegation of kidnapping involving three defendants acting in a vendetta style attack. Jonathan represented one of a pair of Durham Constabulary Firearms Enquiry Officers charged with Misconduct in a Public Office through the sale and distribution of firearms throughout the region. Recent homicide cases have involved a case of torture and murder of a 3-year-old girl by her mother and step-father.

Jonathan, who is a CPS Grade 4 prosecutor has gained valuable experience at all levels of the criminal jurisdiction and has acted in the High Court and the Courts Martial Centre at Catterick and Colchester.

Jonathan is approved to prosecute rapes and serious sexual offences on the CPS Advocates Panel.

In addition Jonathan has considerable experience of the following:

• Local government prosecutions (including benefit fraud, Trademarks Act, Consumer Protection)
• All areas of taxi licensing law
• Shotgun license appeals
• Police disciplinary hearings and reviews

Jonathan Walker is a specialist advocate in regulatory crime including Health and Safety and Environmental Law. He has been involved in a number of notable high profile cases in both areas of law including:

R (EA) v Allensway, Almond and Ors [2015 – 2018] in which he acted for one of the defendants in a multi-handed case described as ‘one of the largest prosecutions in the North-east undertaken by the Environment Agency’. This highly complex case involved the illegal depositing of waste and various challenges to the legality of the prosecution’s actions led to the dramatic collapse of the case.

R (HSE) v Sembcorp Ltd, CIS(N) & Ors (2016)
Representing CIS(N), a local North-east firm, in a prosecution arising from a serious, life-changing, accident which occurred when pressure testing a boiler. Systems and equipment failures meant that a number of other people besides the injured person were also exposed to the risk of serious injury. The defendants also included the specialist contractors. The case raised interesting questions about the recognised methods of pressure testing boilers and whether new technology means that it is reasonably practicable to approach the whole subject in a completely different way. The case is also likely to be an early example of a very large company being sentenced under the new Sentencing Council Guideline.

Mr. Walker has been involved in successfully prosecuting a number of food safety cases on behalf of local trading standards departments including Stockton Borough Council TS v M & M Foods (2015) [unregulated sale and supply of kebab meat] and Middlesbrough Borough Council TS v Khan’s Tandoori (2008) [offences under food hygiene regulations].

R v Sharif – Multi-defendant rape and drug supply allegations.

R v Maiden – Multi-complainant rape allegations.

R v Bowes – Multiple rapes by defendant with previous serious sexual allegations

R v Bussey – Historic rape allegations

R v McKenzie-Seaton – Murder of a 3 year old child

R v Cobain – Firearms

R v Ross – Kidnapping

R v Noble and Others – Drug supply chain

R v Arthur Page – Death by Dangerous driving involving defence of sleep apnoea