Alistair Haggerty

Alistair joined the Crime Team as a tenant in October 2014, following a successful pupillage under the supervision of Charles Thomas. He is a CPS Grade 2 panel advocate, and also prosecutes on behalf of the Welfare, Rural and Health Division, UK Border Agency and the Home Office. Alistair is also frequently instructed to represent defendants in Crown Court and Youth Court trials, and represent prisoners at parole board hearings.

Alistair has been instructed in a range of cases, including serious violence, fraud, drugs, arson, sexual offences, aggravated burglary, robbery, firearms, public order offences and domestic assaults. He has been praised, by judges and instructing solicitors, for his ability with vulnerable complainants and defendants, and young witnesses. He also has experience of representing individuals with mental health difficulties and working with intermediaries.

In addition, Alistair has been instructed, by both individuals and companies, in a variety of driving matters. These include causing death by careless driving, dangerous driving, and driving whilst under the influence of drink and drugs. He is also experienced in successfully advancing exceptional hardship arguments and special reasons for individuals at risk of losing their licences due to the accumulation of penalty points.

Prior to commencing pupilage, Alistair worked in Mississippi for six months, where he assisted lawyers representing individuals on Death Row. His work included drafting a petition for clemency to the state governor and investigating pathology reports on shaken baby deaths.

Alistair is a dynamic, meticulous and committed advocate. Whether prosecuting or defending, he thrives on the opportunity to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

RECENT CASES

• HSE v Valero Energy Ltd & B&A Contracts Ltd (2018) currently being led by Andrew Langdon QC and James Bennett in this prosecution for health and safety offences arising out of an explosion at an oil refinery in which four people were killed.
• R v C & Others (2018) currently instructed to represent one of the defendants in a case concerning large-scale public disorder and violence amongst football fans.
• R v M (2018) prosecution of a defendant accused of setting fire to a charity shop directly below an occupied flat, causing extensive damage. The defendant was found guilty of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered following a trial.
• R v D & D (2018) prosecution of two defendants for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
• R v D (2017) prosecution of a defendant who, whilst staying in a care home, had locked a fellow resident in her room and gouged her eye, causing permanent blindness.
• R v R (2017) defended a client accused of multiple breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sexually grooming a teenage girl.
• R v H (2017) defended a young man accused of supplying cocaine. The defendant was stopped and searched by police, and found to be in possession of a cigarette box containing numerous individual wraps of Class A drugs. The defendant asserted that he did not know what was in the box, and was found not guilty following a trial.
• R v H (2017) defended a woman with a long history of severe psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia for wounding her disabled partner.
• R v B & D (2017) prosecution ofaviolent robbery on an elderly victim. Both defendants were convicted following a trial.
• R v M (2016) defended a man who ran a clothing business and had sold t-shirts online, over a four-year period, in breach of trademark regulations.
• R v C & Others (2016) prosecution junior in a multi-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine.
• R v S (2016) appeared before the Court of Appeal for the respondent in this appeal against conviction, relating to historic offences of domestic violence. The court found in favour of the respondent and dismissed the appeal.
• R v B (2016) successfully defended a man, with a history of mental health problems and alcoholism, in his trial for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.
• R v S (2016) prosecution of a man accused of sexually assaulting a family friend in her home.
• R v W (2015) successful prosecution of a £500,000 fraud committed by the defendant against her employer.  
• R v J & Others (2015) represented one of the defendants in a five-handed Youth Court trial, concerning allegations of affray and inflicting grievous bodily harm. The client was acquitted. 
• R v S (2015) prosecuted a defendant who had committed a number of serious historic assaults on his wife. The case involved the admission of unusual bad character evidence relating to an incident overseas. The defendant was convicted of all counts by the jury.
• R v M (2014) successful prosecution of a violent robbery in which the victim, who was heavily intoxicated at the time, was stabbed.

Alistair has a developing regulatory practice. He has represented individuals in cases concerning intellectual property and trademark regulations, and has been instructed in cases arising out of alleged health and safety breaches.

He is currently being led by Andrew Langdon QC and James Bennett as part of the prosecution team in HSE v Valero Energy Ltd and B&A Contracts Ltd. The case involves two defendants, including a large multinational oil company, who are being prosecuted for health and safety breaches after four employees were killed, and one very seriously injured, following an explosion at an oil refinery. Alistair has been instructed as disclosure counsel, in a case involving several hundred thousand pages of evidence and unused material, much of which is highly technical and complex.

Alistair is instructed in inquest hearings. He is familiar with the issues raised at such hearings, and is sensitive to the needs and concerns of the parties involved. He recently represented the insurance company at a hearing arising from a fatal road traffic collision.