Tom Crowther KC

Year of call: 1993

King's Counsel:

Tom Crowther KC is a senior criminal silk instructed in the most serious and complex
criminal cases. His practice focuses on homicide, large-scale conspiracies, serious sexual
offences and Very High Cost Cases, often involving vulnerable defendants, expert evidence
and substantial evidential complexity.

A former Circuit Judge and Judicial College tutor for long and complex cases, Tom brings a
strong judicial perspective to his advocacy. He is known for his calm, disciplined approach,
forensic handling of expert and technical evidence, and sound strategic judgment in cases of
exceptional scale and sensitivity.

Tom has nationally recognised expertise in matters concerning child sexual exploitation
(CSE). He chaired the Independent Inquiry into Telford Child Sexual
Exploitation (2019–2022), examining systemic failures by public bodies and safeguarding
agencies. In 2025, he was appointed by Government to develop and oversee a national
framework for locally led, victim-centred inquiries into child sexual exploitation. This work
informs his criminal and regulatory practice in cases involving exploitation, grooming and
institutional failure.

He is also regularly invited to contribute to national policy and public debate in this field and
has given oral evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on issues relating to child
sexual exploitation and safeguarding, reflecting his standing and experience at a national
level.

In addition to his core criminal practice, Tom undertakes significant regulatory and corporate
crime work, advising and acting in proceedings involving public bodies and major
organisations.

Crime

Homicide

Tom Crowther KC is regularly instructed in homicide cases of the utmost seriousness and complexity. He has extensive experience defending allegations of murder and manslaughter involving disputed expert evidence and difficult questions of fitness to plead, causation and culpability.

He has particular expertise in cases engaging mental disorder, exploitation and vulnerability, including modern slavery and diminished responsibility.

Recent homicide work includes:

R v Huntley – Defence in a nationally prominent murder case arising from the fatal shooting of Joanne Penney. The case required detailed forensic analysis of ballistic and firearms evidence and concluded by plea following consideration of expert material.
R v Rashid – Defence in a murder prosecution founded on allegations of gang activity and joint enterprise. Tom successfully challenged the admissibility and probative value of drill lyrics, including material naming the defendant, and rebutted the Metropolitan Police’s reliance on a purported “super-recogniser” through facial mapping and expert analysis.
R v Galek – Defence in a complex murder trial involving an alternative suspect case and highly prejudicial bad character evidence. Following two jury disagreements, the defendant was ultimately acquitted.
R v Liversidge – Defence in a murder case in which modern slavery, exploitation and vulnerability were central to issues of culpability and sentence.
R v Hassani – Defence in proceedings arising from the alleged murder of Ibrahim Yassin in Cardiff. Public reporting indicates that the case raises issues of mental disorder and diminished responsibility.

Very High Cost Cases (VHCC)

Tom Crowther KC has extensive experience acting in Very High Cost Cases, including some of the largest and most complex criminal prosecutions brought in recent years. He is regularly instructed in multi-defendant conspiracies and large-scale frauds involving prolonged investigations and exceptional volumes of material. He is particularly experienced in managing very large disclosure exercises, including encrypted communications, international evidence and financial records running into hundreds of thousands of pages or many gigabytes, and in maintaining strategic focus in cases of exceptional scale.

His VHCC experience includes:

Operation Venetic / Operation Green – Defence in a Very High Cost drugs conspiracy described at the time of conviction as the largest of its kind in the UK, involving sophisticated international offending and extensive encrypted communications across multiple jurisdictions.
R v G – Defence in a large-scale, document-heavy fraud prosecution arising from long-term dishonesty within a solicitors’ practice, involving historic accounting records and disclosure running to hundreds of thousands of pages.
Operation Vermont– Defence in a substantial and complex prosecution involving extensive documentary, financial and digital evidence and a prolonged investigation.

Background

Tom Crowther KC was called to the Bar in 1993 and took silk in 2013. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed as a Circuit Judge, sitting on the Wales Circuit and trying serious criminal cases including sexual offences and complex fraud. During his time on the bench he was appointed as a Judicial College tutor for long and complex cases and for serious sexual offences.

He returned to full-time practice at the Bar in 2018. Alongside his advocacy, Tom has held a range of judicial and quasi-judicial roles, including sitting as a Recorder, serving as an associate judge in the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus, and acting as a fee-paid Immigration Judge. Tom plays an active role in professional regulation and governance. He has been a chair member of the Disciplinary Pool of the Council of the Inns of Court since 2020 and has twice served as an elected member of the Bar Council. He is a member of the Criminal Bar Association. His international experience includes advisory and speaking work for CIVIPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on matters including money laundering, trafficking and disclosure.