Tom Little’s practice focuses heavily on criminal, fraud and regulatory cases. He is ranked as a Leading Junior for Fraud in Chambers UK and the Legal 500. He is also listed as a Leading Junior in Crime in the Legal 500. 



In criminal and fraud matters Tom both prosecutes and defends. He has undertaken two cases for the SFO both of which resulted in convictions against all the Defendants and he is currently instructed by the SFO in the investigation of a multi-million asset stripping fraud. Tom is a Grade 4 prosecutor (on both the CPS fraud and rape lists) and is also on the B Panel of the Attorney General's List of Prosecuting Counsel. He prosecutes fraud cases for the RCPO, the DTI, the CPS and the DWP. Tom has particular expertise in relation to restraint, asset recovery and confiscation proceedings. He is Security Cleared and Developed Vetted and has significant experience of PII and the disclosure of material of the highest sensitivity. Tom is regularly instructed in complex criminal cases involving huge volumes of telephone and cell site evidence.



Tom has experience of appearing before the Case Standards Tribunal instructed by the T Sols as well as appearing in MTIC cases in the VAT Tribunal.



Tom represents the Metropolitan Police in relation to civil actions against the Police and applications for ASBOs, SOPOs, cash seizures and closure orders.



He has appeared in and advised on a large number of Judicial review cases linked to criminal investigations and in particular relating to the execution of search warrants. In these cases he has represented the SFO, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the CPS.



Tom was appointed by the Lord Chancellor to sit on the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee in 2004 and was therefore responsible for the introduction of the Criminal Procedure Rules which came in to force on 4th April 2005. The Lord Chancellor reappointed Tom to the Committee for a further period of 4 years in 2007.



Testimonials



Recommended in Fraud: Criminal for being "intelligent, sensible, hard-working and always good with detail - a good choice for large paper cases." Chambers and Partners Clients' Guide 2010



Recommended in Crime for his work in the "harrowing 'caustic soda' rape trial R v McMorris, Brew and Muaimba." Legal 500 Clients' Guide 2009 Edition



Recommended in Fraud: Crime for his "cross examination skills." Legal 500 Clients' Guide 2009 Edition



Recommended for being "particularly strong for cases requiring well-considered  cross examination of robust prosecution witnesses, and a keen eye on documentary evidence." Legal 500 Clients' Guide 2008 Edition

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Cases

Fraud

R v Bestel (2010) Prosecuting multi-million pound mortgage fraud for CPS Fraud Prosecution Service.



R v McKinley & McKinley (2010) Prosecuting £17 million false invoice fraud.



R v Kogoro and others (2009) Prosecuted for the CPS Fraud Prosecution Service a sophisticated conspiracy to defraud senior executives at Norwich Union of their life assurance policies as well as an associated multi million pound fraud on Barclays Bank.



R v Wilkinson (2008) Prosecuted doctor for fraud on the NHS.



R v Wood (2007) Defended in case involving alleged long running tax fraud by haulage business.



R v Newton and Walker (2006-2007) Prosecuted serious and complex insurance fraud for the SFO relating to the defrauding of hundreds of small businesses predominantly in Northern Ireland.



R v Collins (2005) Prosecuted accountant for tax fraud for the RCPO.



R v Beer & Morrow (2004-2005) Prosecuted large and complex construction industry fraud and tax fraud for the RCPO.



R v Damon-Aspen (2003-2004) Prosecuted high profile and significant insurance fraud for the SFO relating to Lloyds of London and Iron Trades.



General Crime

R v H (2010) Prosecuted murder by 15 years old boy of his best friend following insults being traded on Facebook and Facebook Livechat.



R v Rainsford & Others (2009) Prosecuted eight defendant conspiracy to rob relating to smash and grab jewellery robbery.



R v McMorris & Others (2008) Prosecuted seven defendants for gang rape of a 16 year old girl who was nearly burnt to death with caustic soda.



R v Langley & Others (2008) Defended as a Leading Junior in a large conspiracy to disguise criminal property including covert surveillance and probe evidence.



R v Khalisadar & Others (2008 - 2009) Prosecuted a nine Defendant case involving a knife-point stranger rape and a sophisticated conspiracy to pervert the course of justice linked to the East London Mosque. Much of the investigation was undertaken by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command. The case involved a wealth of complex expert evidence as well as a number of novel Human Rights arguments.



R v Harirbafan (2007) Prosecuted drug money laundering case involving complex expert and international evidence.



R v Pisarski & Others (2006) Defended in case involving torture, kidnap and false imprisonment.



R v Russell & Others (2004-2006)  [2006] EWCA Crim 470. Prosecuted attempted murder of police officer whilst on duty, as well as an associated conspiracy to pervert the course of justice which involved a second shooting.  Defendant received a 25 and a half year prison sentence.



Regulatory

RG v Secretary of State (2010) Tom will represent the Secretary of State in the Care Standards Tribunal in a hearing relating to a care worker who made allegedly false allegations of rape against a teenage boy. 



JL v Secretary of State (2010) Appeared for the Secretary of State in hearing relating to misrepresentations made in relation to employment history by applicant who intended to work with children.



JVS v Secretary of State (2008) Represented the Secretary of State in a Care Standards Tribunal in final hearing relating to allegations of rape and indecent assault on a severely autistic woman.



Police Law

The London Borough of Lewisham v D & Others (2010) Appeared on behalf of the police in two separate applications relating to the use of and disclosure of DNA between family and criminal proceedings and vice versa.



Met Police v Persons Unknown (2007) Represented police in an application for a closure order of the Rastafarian Temple.

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Interests

Tom enjoys playing and watching all sports.  He has a particular interest in cricket which he still plays both at club level and also the occasional Chambers game.  In addition to rugby and football (he is a devoted Super Norwich fan) he loves National Hunt Racing and every March he makes the annual pilgrimage to Cheltenham for the Festival.

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