Roderick James and Alexandra Monaghan secure acquittal in £multi-million conspiracy trial.

Crucible’s Roderick James and Alexandra Monaghan were instructed to represent SH, accused of being part of an organised crime group responsible for planning, committing and overseeing some 20 thefts and commercial burglaries. These offences were charged together as two overarching conspiracies to steal and burgle, said to have been in operation for a period of two years. SH was accused of being the individual responsible for the onward sale of the items stolen, alleged to have a total value of approximately £4 million.

The case involved over 20,000 pages of evidence, including complex financial evidence relied on by the Crown as showing the movement of substantial, unexplained sums through SH’s accounts during the conspiracy period. Cross-examination of the prosecution’s financial investigator over several days of evidence resulted in the jury being expressly directed that for all but two transactions, the financial evidence did not support the prosecution case.

The case against SH included telephone material, including calls, messaging and cell site data. SH gave evidence across four days, producing a comprehensive defence bundle to support his oral evidence.

The trial commenced on 17 February 2025 and concluded on 1 May 2025, with the jury returning unanimous not guilty verdicts on all counts in a matter of hours.

Roderick and Alexandra were instructed by Abubakar Muhammad of BD Solicitors.