Paul Rooney

Paul began his career at the bar as a pupil, then tenant for 6 years at the national and internationally renowned criminal and regulatory set, QEB Hollis Whiteman Chambers in London, before moving back to his native North East.

Whilst at QEBHW, Paul was involved in a number high profile and complex cases e.g. Levi Bellfield, Mark Dixie, Raoul Moat, Rebecca Leighton

Since returning to the North-East Paul has acted for, or is currently instructed by, both the prosecution and defence in relation to some of the most serious and high-profile criminal cases in the North East of England.

Paul has established himself as one of the most sought-after leading juniors for both the prosecution and defence.

Paul accepts privately funded work both through an instructing solicitor as well as via direct access. Such instructions are across a gambit of disciplines including crime, trading standards, health and safety, regulatory, inquests, road traffic, and public law.

R v Gilmore Causing death by careless driving- Defence.- Acquitted 

Paul was instructed from the point of charge; he advised on the importance of instructing a collision reconstruction expert as well as a neuropsychiatrist to deal with memory loss as a result of the collision. During the trial Paul successfully advanced the defendant had suffered retrograde amnesia and had no memory of approximately 10 seconds prior to the collision. Defendant was acquitted following a five-day trial.

R v Neill – Causing or allowing serious injury to a child. Defence

R v Mahdi- COACD- Attempted Murder. Paul was instructed to conduct the appeal having not been involved in the trial. Sentence of 24 years reduced to 18 years following Paul’s submissions.

R v Stockton – Murder of a child- Defence 

R v Jones – Multi handed Murder – Defence – Only D acquitted of both Murder and Manslaughter

R v Hall- Murder of a child- Defence – Succeeded in having the defendant (mother of the victim) released on bail and following legal argument had the case discontinued.

R v Curry – Murder -Defence

R v Hobson & others- Aggravated Burglary and S18- Prosecution- Leading junior – Victim paralysed from the neck down. All defendants found guilty and sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment.

R v C- Attempted Murder- Defence- Defendant was 14 years old

R V Finn & others- Attempted Murder- Prosecution Leading Junior– Drive by shooting. All three defendant’s convicted.

R v Robinson – Defence. Christina Robinson murdered her 3-year-old son in November 2022. The child died of a cardiorespiratory arrest as a result of cranial subdural bleeding.  She is also charged with child cruelty. She submerged her son into a bath of scalding water as well as striking him with a bamboo cane

R v Cardinale- Murder – Prosecution. Andrea Cardinale bludgeoned and stabbed to death two of his friends who lived in the same house as him. Cardinale was convicted of Manslaughter due to diminished responsibility, he was made subject to a S37 order with restrictions imposed under S41.

R v Mahmood – Cruelty to Vulnerable Adults – Defence- Panorama undercover reporter case. Healthcare worker at Whorlton Hall hospital acquitted of charges relating to the alleged ill-treatment of patients.

R v X – Court of Appeal – Prosecution Successfully argued that a sentence of 9 years on a guilty plea to conspiracy to supply class A drugs was not manifestly excessive.

R v X – Murder of a youth- Defence One of 10 juvenile defendants charged with murder. X was 14-year-old and required the services of an intermediary throughout the trial. 

R v Black – Court of Appeal – Defence Sentence for PWITS A. Sentence of 28 months quashed and replaced with a 20-month suspended sentence order. Reported by Crimeline.

R v Vassallo – Leading junior – Defence. Only defendant to be acquitted in a 10-handed conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Mr Vassallo was No.3 on the indictment and described as having a significant role.

Operation Eastmain – Leading Junior – Prosecution. Conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs. Two separate trials containing a total of 13 defendants. Sentences ranging from 11 years to 6 years imposed.

Inquest – Junior alone Paul represented a nurse at an inquest where a patient choked to death. Following cross examination by Paul of the pathologist it was established the nurse had not been negligent.

Inquest – Junior alone Paul represented a Nursing Home at an inquest where a service user had slipped from a sitting position in a wheel chair and was strangulated by the safety belt fitted to the wheel chair. Following Paul’s cross examination of the wheel chair manufacturer, the Nursing Home did not face any criticism by the coroner.