Criminal law
The criminal law department within Bone and Payne is located at our Llandudno
office, but we are always happy to see clients at one of our other offices if
that is more convenient.
We can help with a wide range of offences and we have the expertise to protect
your interests in any investigation by the police, Crown Prosecution Service,
Serious Fraud Office and many other regulatory bodies. The range of work we
cover includes every type of offence known to the criminal law but in
particular offences involving road traffic matters.
We have a contract with the Legal Services Commission to carry out publicly
funded work in criminal matters. This means that if you cannot afford to pay
privately for our work, you may be eligible for public funding. We can advise
you about that, and help you submit the appropriate forms.
We provide clients with a comprehensive and, we hope, thoroughly professional
service, whether in the police station, the magistrates court, or the crown
court, whatever that allegation may be. We have solicitors on both the court
and duty solicitor panel.
Our team
Huw’s general experience and knowledge in criminal law is highlighted in his profile.
Within his practising career Huw has dealt with almost every type of criminal
and has conducted numerous trials in magistrates courts across the country, as
well as, more latterly, conducting his own advocacy in the crown court.
He has recently developed an interest in the defence of serious fraud matters,
which has included the successful defence of a client in a case described at
the time as the “largest fraud enquiry ever conducted by the North Wales police”.
This has led him to take a consultancy with Quinn Melville, a firm of specialist
fraud lawyers in Liverpool. He has recently completed the defence of a client
implicated in a VAT carousel fraud involving alleged losses to the Revenue of
almost £100,000,000, and lasting over five years. He has also been appointed as a
category A fraud specialist by the Legal Services Commission.
In addition to this, Huw has also acted for many clients charged with a wide
variety of motoring offences. He has had conduct of numerous cases relating to
offences of speeding, careless and dangerous driving, driving with excess
alcohol, driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs, and being in charge of a
motor vehicle when over the prescribed limit.
Many of these cases have involved the need to pursue detailed points of law and
procedure on behalf of clients, and a significant number of those cases have
resulted in the acquittal of the client in respect of the offence alleged.
Such is his growing reputation in this field that he has, for example, had
conduct of a motoring offence on behalf of a chief officer of police who had
special responsibility for traffic matters nationally.
Since Gwyndaf joined the practice in 2002 he has acquired considerable
experience as a criminal lawyer. This led to his accreditation as a duty
solicitor in 2005 (one of the first to be accredited in North Wales under the
new scheme operated by the Legal Services Commission).
He has also had conduct of almost every type of criminal case that is referred
to the practice, and has dealt with numerous trials in the magistrates court.
Gwyndaf has developed a particular interest in road traffic law in recent times,
and has considerable experience of dealing with technical defences in relation
to excess alcohol matters.
His painstaking and detailed approach to cases conducted on behalf of his
clients can often enable a highly successful outcome to be achieved.
Gwyndaf also has the ability to conduct work through the medium of Welsh if that
is of assistance to the client.
Huw and Gwyndaf have both qualified to present their client’s cases in the Crown court
Bryn has considerable experience as a criminal lawyer and is a fully accredited
duty solicitor, having fulfilled that role for well over ten years.
His main focus is now the provision of advice and assistance to clients detained
at the police station, with a view to ensuring that any responses provided by
our clients to police questioning is given in a manner that preserves, as much
as possible, the interests of the client in the context of the enquiry being
pursued.
Bryn’s conduct of police station work has, in recent years, embraced almost every
type of criminal case including, in recent times, a case involving an
allegation of murder, and also a very complex and serious case of sexual abuse
of children.
Advice work at the police station is particularly crucial, since any comments
made by a suspect at that time can have significant implications for the future
conduct of the case, either in terms of whether the client is charged with an
offence, or where that happens, whether any defence to the allegation has been
suitably preserved.
There is little doubt that, in recent years, the police on a national basis have
pursued the enforcement of road traffic legislation in a much increased and
vigorous fashion.
This has involved, amongst other things, the introduction and use of advanced
technology. Such technology includes, for example, the various speed
enforcement cameras and detection devices, the implementation of which has
created a vast upsurge in the prosecution, in particular, of speeding offences.
Whatever one’s views upon this development, there is no doubt that far more motorists are
experiencing the impact of this campaign, and the penalties which flow from
such motoring convictions can often have a profound effect upon the lives of
those who are prosecuted, including, in many cases, damage to careers and loss
of employment.
Our detailed experience and expertise in dealing with motoring cases enables us
to assist clients who face alleged motoring offences, and where appropriate, we
are able to present effective and successful defences to charges, thus enabling
clients to retain their licenses and, in relevant circumstances, their careers.
In those cases where the evidence against the client is overwhelming, and a
guilty plea must follow, we are also experienced in presenting the maximum
mitigation for those offences, in order to minimise the impact on the client.
If you need help on any motoring matter, we would be happy to discuss your
concerns and advise you appropriately.
If you have been the victim of a crime you may be eligible for compensation from
the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. Our solicitors can advise you about
this and help you with your application.
