Jon Harley

Jon is an experienced criminal practitioner who prosecutes and defends cases across the criminal spectrum, from homicide and serious sexual offences to large-scale drugs conspiracies and high-value fraud. He is a CPS Grade 4 prosecutor and is a member of both the RASSO and Specialist Fraud panels.

Jon also has a wealth of experience in the Courts Martial, having represented service men and women from all branches of the armed forces, both in the UK and abroad, since 2010.

Notable Cases

2026

Op Idea 23 – Prosecuting a Teesside University Student for the importation of over 1m illegal cigarettes and the evasion of over £350,000 of excise duty. Instructed by CPS SEOCID.

R v H – Led Junior prosecuting a 4-month rape and s.18 trial at Newcastle Crown Court. The case was the largest ever prosecution for the deliberate transmission of HIV. Instructed by CPS Complex Case Unit.

2025

Op Dalesway 22 – Led Junior prosecuting an 18-handed Child Sexual Exploitation case at Bradford Crown Court, which required four separate trials held over the course of 8 months. Instructed by CPS OCSAU.

Op Urbain II – Led Junior prosecuting a three-handed Child Sexual Exploitation case before Sheffield Crown Court, held over two trials lasting 6 weeks. Part of Operation Stovewood, the largest ever investigation into child sexual exploitation. Instructed by CPS OCSAU.

R v B&N – Prosecuting a two-handed attempted murder in the context of a drugs dispute.

2024

Op Dalesway 17 – Disclosure junior in an 8-handed Child Sexual exploitation prosecution at Bradford Crown Court.

R v L – Prosecuting an allegation of attempted murder in the context of a street brawl.

R v B&B – Prosecuting a two-handed attempted murder in the context of a gang dispute.

2023

Op Safeway – Led Junior prosecuting a three-handed Ponzi fraud worth over £4m before Lincoln Crown Court.

R v C – Prosecuting a youth aged 16 years old for the rape of a 13-year-old.

2022

R v B – Acting for the lead defendant in a Health and Safety Executive prosecution at Newcastle Crown Court. The case involved what was described by the prosecution expert as the “worst case of uncontrolled asbestos exposure” he’d ever seen.

R v T – Prosecuting a 65-year-old male for the kidnap, grooming and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in care.

2021

R v A – Defending one of three defendants charged with people trafficking, in a 5-week trial at Harrow Crown Court. The case involved allegations that the defendants were running an operation to transport migrants over the English Channel on inflatable boats.

Career details

Notable Cases

Life Imprisonment for Deliberate Transmission of HIV – Kama Melly KC and Jon Harley prosecute

Paul Abrahams and Jon Harley secure convictions in Operation Stovewood

Kama Melly KC and Jon Harley secure convictions in largest prosecution for deliberate infliction of HIV

Eight men jailed in Keighley sexual exploitation case – Kama Melly KC, Katie Duffy and Jon Harley prosecute

Jon Harley

Career details

Notable Cases

Contact Jon Harley's clerks:

Dan Foulger

Claire Gibson

Emma Gibson

Kate Ingledew

Harry Dixon-Sanderson

Dan Foulger

Claire Gibson

Emma Gibson

Kate Ingledew

Harry Dixon-Sanderson

Latest from Jon Harley

Life Imprisonment for Deliberate Transmission of HIV – Kama Melly KC and Jon Harley prosecute

Paul Abrahams and Jon Harley secure convictions in Operation Stovewood

Kama Melly KC and Jon Harley secure convictions in largest prosecution for deliberate infliction of HIV

Eight men jailed in Keighley sexual exploitation case – Kama Melly KC, Katie Duffy and Jon Harley prosecute