Ranked in The Legal 500 (2024) for Crime.
“Andrew is always thoroughly prepared and gets to the key issues in a case very quickly. He is always prepared to pursue a challenging legal argument.” – The Legal 500 (2024)
“A very reliable barrister. He creates a good impression with clients and is quick to identify the issues in a case. He is a very safe pair of hands.” – The Legal 500 2023
“Andrew Petterson is instructed in cases involving historic sexual offences, serious violence and large-scale drugs conspiracies.” – The Legal 500 2022
“A go-to for appeals against sentences.” – The Legal 500 2021
Andrew has developed a practice specialising in serious crime. He prosecutes and defends in equal measure and is regularly instructed in cases alleging serious violence, sexual offences, drug trafficking and fraud.
Andrew frequently appears on behalf of the CPS and is a Grade 4 Prosecutor. He is also a member of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Panel. He has extensive experience of prosecuting on behalf of Local Authorities, including the prosecution of regulatory matters. Andrew has also prosecuted on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
A hard-working, highly regarded advocate with a growing reputation for producing well-structured submissions, he is personable and accessible.
Known for his ability to communicate well with lay clients, Andrew has represented defendants with serious mental health and capacity issues.
Cases
SERIOUS CRIME
R v Woodwardsmith (2020): York Crown Court. Defendant pled guilty to making a hoax bomb phone call to the police. A psychiatric report was obtained on the Defendant and she received a suspended prison sentence with supervision.
https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/crime/woman-whose-bomb-hoax-shutdown-raf-fylingdales-spared-jail-1342973
R v Kerry (2019): Leeds Crown Court. Case concerned a group of individuals stealing high end motor vehicles. Defendants were not forensically linked to the thefts or burglaries, however, some defendants posted photographs of their gains to an Instagram account.
Defendant originally faced an indictment alleging 11 different counts. 6 of those counts were subject to a successful application to dismiss.
Operation Gale Park (2019): Leeds Crown Court. Multi Kilogram conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine throughout West Yorkshire. 5 week trial at Leeds Crown Court.
R v H (2019): Instructed in defence of 16 year old accused of a single punch manslaughter. Neuropathologists instructed.
Operation Renard (2018): Preston Crown Court – Conspiracy to produce and distribute 10s of kilograms of cannabis throughout the North West of England.
R v Alsarayefi (2018): Manchester Crown Court – Alleged attempted murder. Instructed for defence without a leader. Acquitted of attempted murder.
Operation Fairemere (2018): Leeds Crown Court – Instructed on behalf of Defence in gangland shooting that took place in Huddersfield.
Operation Fiveward (2018): Bradford Crown Court – Drugs conspiracy – 10s of kilograms of cocaine and heroin from South Yorkshire to West Yorkshire.
R v A (2017-2018): Manchester Crown Court. 3 month trial. Drugs importation conspiracy from Amsterdam into UK involving in excess of 400kgs of illicit drugs.
R v H (2017): Bradford Crown Court – gangland shooting in Huddersfield night club.
R v W (2017): Operation Pretty. Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in Southampton by Defendants from Liverpool. The Prosecution case was that approximately 10kgs of Class Drugs were supplied in the course of the conspiracy.
R v H (2017): Shooting in a night club in Huddersfield with handgun. The case involved over 100 hours of CCTV footage and considerable analysis of phone data.
R v Henriques (2016): Conspiracy to commit robbery. Professionally planned armed robbery of victim in their multi-million-pound home of in excess of £500,000 of jewelry.
R v Price and others (2016): Conspiracy to ram raid multiple cash machines throughout the UK and then launder the proceeds of the conspiracy.
R v Haque and others (2013): Defence Counsel for Defendant accused of armed robbery.
R v Parkinson and others (2012): Junior Counsel for the prosecution of four defendants including two serving police officers for Conspiracy to Cause Misconduct in Public Office.
R v Bayfield (2012): successful prosecution of retired Police Officer for Data Protection Act offences committed whilst serving as a police officer.
R v Parker and others (2012): represented Defendant in a conspiracy to supply million cocaine at a regional level with cocaine being brought from Merseyside into West Yorkshire.
R v Brett (2011): conspiracy to supply in excess of one million pounds of cocaine from Merseyside into the North East of England. Andrew represented first Defendant on the indictment as junior counsel.
SEXUAL OFFENCES
R v SR (2020): Leeds Crown Court. Instructed to defend client who faces allegations of sexual assault. Prosecution offered no evidence in relation to the sexual assault when the matter was listed for trial following the cross examination of the complainant in the section 28 procedure.
R v R (2018): York Crown Court. Secured acquittal of Defendant alleged to have sexually abused his 9 year old daughter.
R v E (2018): Leicester Crown Court. Historical allegations of sexual offences committed by primary school teacher upon a pupil.
R v R (2017): Historical sexual abuse of multiple child complainants.
R v F (2016): Sexual offences committed against child complainant. Successful submission of no case to answer at the conclusion of the prosecution case.
R v C (2015): Historical sexual offences perpetrated against children.
R v Grigg (2011): represented Defendant with Noonan’s syndrome. The Defendant had repeatedly raped his younger half-brother in the family home.
FRAUD
R v Whitaker (2018): Leeds Crown Court – Defendants were managers of law firms and claim management companies. Originally alleged to have stolen thousands of pounds of clients’ monies. Defendant received a suspended sentence.
Operation Harpseal (2018): Leicester Crown Court- Multi million pound VAT fraud
conspiracy.
Operation Fig (2016): Multi-million-pound fraud perpetrated by a law firm specialising in immigration law. Perpetrated against the Home Office. The Defendant represented Andrew was the only Defendant to avoid a conviction.
R v French and others (2013): Junior Counsel for the Defence in an international multimillion-
pound advance fee fraud involving complex jurisdictional issues.
COURT OF APPEAL
R v H (2020): EWCA Crim 2391 – Successful appeal secured against the acquittal of his client on seven counts of historic sexual assault, dating back to the 1980s. https://www.exchangechambers.co.uk/acquittal-secured-in-historic-sexual-assault-trial/
R v David Benjamin Isles (2019): EWCA Crim 605 – Successful appeal against sentence of Defendant was originally sentenced to 4 years and 6 months’ who had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
R v A (2018): Court of Appeal – Successfully resisted application on behalf of the Attorney General to appeal the sentence.
R v Harriott (2017): EWCA Crim 1742 – Opposing Attorney General’s reference in relation to a sentence for a firearm’s offence.
R v Hanrahan (2017): EWCA 1256 – Opposing Attorney General’s reference against a sentence for a conspiracy to burgle.
R v C (2016): successful appeal against sentence of Defendant convicted of historical sexual offences. The sentence of imprisonment was overturned and a community order was imposed.
R v H (2015): successful appeal against conviction of sexual assault regarding issues of bad character and identification.
R v Vo (2013): appeal against conviction in relation to points of law regarding bad character evidence and hearsay.
R v Harrop (2012): successful appeal against imposition of indeterminate sentence for public protection.
R v Gash (2012): successful appeal against sentence at the Court of Appeal for an offence of theft.
Contact Andrew’s clerks
Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202
Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203
