Since qualifying as a solicitor in 1997Duncan has acquired a wealth of experience and knowledge across all aspects of criminal practice. As a duty solicitor since 1999 he has expertise in and understanding of the investigations stage of a case and the importance of this for the proceedings stage. Working as a criminal solicitor and head of a criminal department means he has invaluable experience of criminal litigation. One of the first solicitors in the northeast to qualify as a higher rights advocate he specialised in Crown Court matters before being called to the Bar in 2006. Since being called he has acted as sole counsel in many serious cases including rape, serious sexual assault both recent and non-recent, S18 wounding, conspiracy to supply class A drugs, breaches of the Companies Act and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He has been instructed as junior counsel in several cases of murder. He has conducted several serious cases involving difficult defendants as court appointed counsel.
Notable cases:
R v CM secured a sentence of 8 months imprisonment on two counts of S18, injuries inflicted with a speeding motor car.
R vBB S18 wounding with very serious injury, no evidence offered.
R v BM a seven- count indictment alleging serious sexual assault, false imprisonment, criminal damage, S47 assault, witness intimidation and pervert the course of justice.
R v MB non recent sexual offences dating to 1964/5 involving issues of doli incapax, hearsay and issues under the 1956 Act.
R v CD Non recent allegation of rape arising when all parties where still children, involved old social media posts and collusion between witnesses.
R v RR Involved serious sexual assaults upon partner, limited pleas were accepted by the Crown, the sentence was successfully appealed as being manifestly excessive, the Court of Appeal described the case as “unusual” and “unique”
R v JM A non-recent allegation of rape of a child, the defendant had previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault and been sentenced, involved issues of autre fois acquit and admissibility of third -party material.
R v RE + 10, a conspiracy to supply class A drugs, involved use of encrypted Blackberry to bring wholesale quantities of drugs into Teesside.
R v AW Conspiracy to cause criminal damage involving the use of specially adapted vehicles to ram premises and the discharge of shotguns to enforce drug debts.
R v TK Murder, as junior to Richard Wright KC the defendant pleaded guilty but was allowed to vacate his plea he then ran the defence of diminished responsibility and was convicted.
R v AD A company director accused of multiple counts of setting up shell companies and defrauding investors.