Christopher Dunn

Year of call:

1996

Education:

1991 - Newcastle Polytechnic, BSc (Hons) in Sociology (2:2)

1993 - Newcastle University, MA in Legal Studies (distinction)

1994 - University of Northumbria, Legal Practice Course

1995 - Newcastle University, LLM by Research (distinction)

1996 - Inns of Court School of Law, BVC (‘competent’)

Career:

1987 - Production Manager, JC Wire & Tube Ltd

1988 - Demolition engineer, Shepherds Demolition Services, Newcastle

1995 - Part-time teaching criminal law at Newcastle University Law School

1996 - Sovereign Chambers, 46 Park Place, Leeds

2015 - Sovereign Chambers becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

2015 - RASSO panel Grade 4 Prosecutor

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit

Christopher Dunn has defended and prosecuted a wide range of serious criminal cases in the Crown Court and Higher Courts for over 27 years. Christopher is a Grade 4 prosecutor and is on the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) panel for the Crown Prosecution Service.

Christopher is known for his robust yet surgical approach to advocacy with a down to earth attitude always with a reassuring presence for vulnerable witnesses and defendants.

Christopher has extensive experience of preparing large, serious and multi-handed cases, including advising on preparing defence and prosecution cases pre-charge, drafting complex legal
arguments as well as advices on appeal against sentence and
conviction and drafting respondent’s notes for the Court of Appeal
Criminal Division.

Christopher has a specialist professional interest in motor
manslaughter cases, and fatalities arising out of driving offences.
Christopher is a police trained driver and rider and holds the highest
civilian qualification in the United Kingdom for driving cars and
riding motorcycles and is an examiner and assessor for IAM
RoadSmart. Christopher has defended and prosecuted in numerous cases where drivers have been charged with causing death or
serious injury by the standard of their driving. Christopher has also
prosecuted for the Independent Office of Police Conduct in relation
to a serving police officer who’s standard of on duty driving caused
serious injury to members of the public.

Christopher appears for either side in serious criminal cases involving murder, rape, firearms and conspiracies

Notable cases

  • R v Nazir Ahmed and others (2023) – junior counsel in Court of
    Appeal Criminal Division in landmark decision as to the correct
    approach to sentencing an adult for an offence committed when the
    defendant was a child.
  • R v Waqas Iqbal (2023) – represented the defendant in the second
    car that did not come into contact with any other vehicle. The
    defendant was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving
    on the basis that his driving, encouraged the lead vehicle to drive
    dangerously, thereby contributing to the death.
  • R v Ian Neale (2023) – defending on duty ambulance man who was
    accused of rape of a patient.
  • R v Isa Uzain (2023) – prosecuted driver who caused the death of
    two other road users by dangerous driving.
  • R v Curtis Turpin and another (2022) – Junior counsel defending the
    second defendant in a joint murder.
  • R v Benjamin Mills (2022) – prosecuted Leeds gunman who shot at
    shopkeeper in armed robbery and was jailed for 25 years.
  • R v Amir Raheem (2020) – Successful prosecution leading to sentence of 16 years for man who stabbed victim with a flick knife in broad daylight. For media coverage click here
  • R v KW [2018] – prosecuted a trans-gender prisoner who sexually assaulted two inmates at a women’s jail. See media coverage: Sky News, The Telegraph , BBC

Contact Christopher’s clerks

Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202

Gina Hawkins on 0113 213 5205

Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203

Hannah Dempsey on 0113 213 5211

Lucy Finney on 0113 213 5220