George Hazel-Owram

Serious Fraud

• Operation Bryson (Ongoing, Leeds Crown Court)
  Instructed as a led junior for the prosecution in a case where the defendants are charged with a multi- million pound conspiracy to defraud.
  
• Operation Noil (Ongoing, Newcastle Crown Court)
  Currently instructed in a multi-handed case involving the smuggling of extremely large quantities of tobacco and cigarettes.
• R v S (Ongoing, Sheffield Crown Court)
  Instructed in a multi-handed case to defend a man chargred with the fraudulent evasion of duty.
• Operation Juniper (2019, Bradford Crown Court)
  Successful prosecution of ten defendants charged with a multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud.
• R v Jabbi (2017, Leeds Crown Court) 
  Instructed to defend the principal defendant in a multi-handed immigration fraud.
• Operation Dougal (2014-2018, Teesside Crown Court)
  Instructed by National Trading Standards as a led junior for the prosecution in a multi-million pound conspiracy to defraud.
• R v Williamson (2017, Bristol Crown Court) 
  Successful defence of a lady charged with a multi-million pound VAT fraud committed over a sustained period of time.
• Operation Cleo 2 (2014-2018, Teesside Crown Court)
  Instructed by National Trading Standards in a multi-million pound internet fraud.
• Operation Circus (2016, Leeds Crown Court) 
  Led junior for the principal defendant in a multi-million pound ponzi fraud.
• Operation Decree 13 (2015, Wood Green Crown Court)
  Defence of a man charged with making false VAT repayment claims and evasion of income tax.
• Operation Bamburgh Durham (2015, Teesside Crown Court)
  Led Junior for one of the principal defendants in a conspiracy to defraud. This case involved one of the largest ever mortgage frauds in the North of England. 
• Operation Badger (2014, Portsmouth Crown Court) 
  Led junior in the successful prosecution of a large scale conspiracy to defraud. The case involved a sophisticated scheme to defraud the British Government and the European Union of grant funding. 

Criminal Law

Organised Crime – homicide, firearms and drugs:

•  R v M (2019, Teesside Crown Court)
  Successful defence of a man charged with the murder of his mother. The case involved complex psychiatric evidence.
•  R v I (2018, Teesside Crown Court)
  Defence of a man charged with murder.
•  Operation Fencestoke (2018, Leeds Crown Court)
  Successful prosecution of ten defendants charged with a conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
• Operation Fernbourne (2016-2017, Leeds Crown Court) 
  Successful prosecution of eight defendants charged with a conspiracy to supply class A drugs and money laundering offences.
• R v Hayder (2016, Bradford Crown Court)
  Successful defence of a man charged with possessing an imitation firearm.
• Operation Empirelake (2016, Leeds Crown Court)
  Led junior for the prosecution in a 16 handed drugs conspiracy.  The case involved a great deal of surveillance and telephone evidence
• Operation Dayton (2015, Sheffield Crown Court)
  Led junior for the Prosecution in a multi-handed, cut throat, gang murder.  The case involved expert DNA evidence, ballistics evidence and numerous legal arguments regarding multiple hearsay.
• R v J (2015, Bradford Crown Court)
  Represented a defendant charged with possession of a firearm with intent to danger life.  The defendant was acquitted.
• R v R (2015, Sheffield Crown Court)
  Successful prosecution of a defendant charged with an offence under section 21 of the Firearms Act 1968.
• Operation Yates 2 (2014/2015, Warwick Crown Court)
  Junior for the prosecution in a large scale conspiracy to launder money and a conspiracy to supply class A drugs.  The case involved a great deal of expert evidence regarding the contamination of bank notes with heroin.  The defendants were convicted after trial.

Violent Crime:

• R v Adams (2016, Leeds Crown Court)
  Successful defence of a man charged with kidnap.
• R v Simpson (2016, Lincoln Crown Court)
  Successful defence of a man charged with two robberies and offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
• R v Macfarlane (2016, Leeds Crown Court)
  Successful defence of a man charged with causing grievous body harm with intent.  The case against this defendant turned on identification evidence from various police officers.  A successful application was made to exclude all of the evidence against this defendant due to significant breaches of the PACE codes.
• R v Turner (2015, Leeds Crown Court)
  Successful prosecution of a defendant who had carried out a sophisticated and well planned robbery of commercial premises.
• R -v- Christoforou (2015, Bradford Crown Court)
  Successful prosecution of a defendant charged with a violent robbery in the home.  The case focused on expert footwear evidence.
• R v Tyers (2014, Teesside Crown Court)
  Successfully represented the defendant in a seven day blackmail trial.  The defendant was acquitted on all four counts of blackmail.
• R v Devlin (2014, Teesside Crown Court)
  Represented a defendant charged with wounding with intent, affray and possession of an offensive weapon.  This case involved a racially motivated attack with a samurai sword.  The case received coverage in national newspapers.
• R v G (2015, Leeds Youth Court)
  Represented a defendant who had pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as whether life was endangered.  Successfully obtained a referral order as opposed to an immediate custodial penalty.

Sexual Offences:

•  R v W (2019, Teesside Crown Court)
  Successful defence of a man charged with extremely serious child sexual offences.
•  R v F (2017, Teesside Crown Court)
  Successful defence of an army officer charged with sexual assault.
• R v Hanson (2015, Leeds Crown Court)
  Successful prosecution of a man charged with multiple counts of sexual activity with a child family member.
• R v D (2015, Liverpool Crown Court)
  Represented a defendant charged with indecent exposure.

Proceeds of Crime Act Proceedings

George has a thorough knowledge of the law on confiscation proceedings.

• Operation Obey 2 (2016, Leeds Crown Court)
  Confiscation proceedings following a multi-million pound drug conspiracy.  The case involved issues regarding the extent of various third party interests in various properties.
• R v Graham (2015, Teesside Crown Court)
  Representation of a defendant in a three day final hearing.  The case involved arguments regarding abuse of process and the time limit for commencing proceedings under the CJA 1988.
• R v A (York Crown Court)
  Represented the defendant in a case where a confiscation order had already been made. The defendant had paid all the money owed under the order. The Crown then applied to vary the available amount. This application was successfully opposed. 
• R v O (2014, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court)
  Acted for the defendant throughout the course of the confiscation proceedings. The benefit figure in this case was contested. Dealt with various issues relating to the value of drugs and whether the value of the drugs should be apportioned between defendants for the purposes of determining the benefit figure. Successfully negotiated a settlement that involved no finding of hidden assets.
• Operation Vetchball 2, R v Singh-Kunoor and others (2014, Birmingham Crown Court)
  Appeared on behalf of HMRC in the confiscation proceedings relating to this case.  Three defendants had been convicted of a multi-million pound conspiracy to evade excise duty payable on alcoholic drinks.  Dealt with issues relating to the ownership of property and whether a property could be held on constructive trust for a defendant. 
• R v B (2014, York Crown Court)
  Acted for the defendant at a complex final confiscation hearing. Successfully negotiated the benefit figure in this case down from £100,000 to £9000. Persuaded the Crown that numerous cash deposits were from a legitimate source and thus successfully rebutted the statutory assumptions under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. 
• R v Lockett (2015, Preston Crown Court)
  Acted for the defendant and successfully reduced the benefit figure from £130,000 to £30,000. The case involved two bank accounts registered in the defendant’s name. However, the accounts were operated and controlled by a co-defendant. The question was whether the money passing through the account could be said to form part of this defendant’s benefit figure. The case involved a consideration of Court of Appeal authorities such as May, Sharma and Allpress.

Prison Law

George has been instructed to appear at Parole Board hearings for prisoners serving indeterminate sentences and those prisoners who have been recalled for breaching licence conditions. He also has experience in representing prisoners at adjudication hearings. 

Regulatory

George represents and advises a variety of different professionals (including teachers, doctors and nurses) involved in disciplinary proceedings. He has particular expertise in representing teachers charged with serious misconduct who appear before the National College for Teaching and Leadership.

• Nursing and Midwifery Council -v- Mihailova (2015, Stratford Place, London)
  Defence of a nurse against whom numerous allegations regarding her fitness to practice had been made.
• National College for Teaching and Leadership v L (2015)
  Successful defence of a teacher charged with various allegations regarding his communication with a 15 year old girl.

George Hazel-Owram Privacy Policy