Jake Carr

Jake is a diligent and well-regarded junior practising in criminal defence and family law. Jake joined Chambers following the successful completion of his pupillage, during which time he established a strong common law practice. He is commended by professional and lay clients alike for his conscientious, detail-oriented and focussed advocacy and for the proactive attitude with which he engages his cases.

Jake appears regularly in the Crown Court, Magistrates’ Court and Youth Court, often in matters that exceed his year of call. These include allegations of violent offences (ranging from common assault to GBH), drug offences, fraud offences, sexual offences and POCA proceedings. Jake is regularly instructed to advise on grounds of appeal, and has appeared in the Court of Appeal. Jake has also established a strong practice in protest law, regularly defending in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.

Jake accepts instructions to represent clients in the Family Court in a range of proceedings. He represents in private and public law, at any stage in proceedings. Jake has received praise for the approachable manner in which he guides clients through the proceedings whilst remaining a tenacious and reliable presence in court.

Jake has experience in disciplinary matters, including MHPS proceedings.

Prior Experience

Jake worked as a paralegal at a Band 1 criminal law firm, where he gained experience in preparing for criminal proceedings, drafting legal documents (including POCA statements and defence statements) and in litigation generally. During this time, Jake also became an Accredited Police Station Representative.

Education

2017 – BPTC – University of Law, Very Competent

2016 – GDL – BPP, Commendation

2015 – BA (Hons) – English Language & Literature – King’s College London

Notable Cases

• R v LG – Woolwich Crown Court (2021) – Represented a defendant accused of committing assault occasioning ABH against his ex-partner, who in turn had assaulted his current partner. The incident was caught on CCTV.
• R v FZ & Others – High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court (2021) – 2-day trial representing three out of six defendants who had been protesting HS2 by living in treehouses suspended 60 feet above the ground. All defendants acquitted following extensive cross-examination of police officers after it was found that the arrests were not necessary.
• R v RH – Snaresbrook Crown Court (2021) – Defendant accused of possessing class A controlled substances with intent to supply. Multiple wraps found beneath the gearbox of a rented car. Defendant maintained that they were for his own personal use.
• R v YO – Bexley Magistrates’ Court (2021) – Defendant charged with assaulting emergency worker following a police chase. Defendant wrongly accused of having disposed of controlled substances during a police chase. When police caught up with him, he was punched in the face with the butt of the taser gun being carried by the officer. His personality changed drastically and instructions were difficult to obtain. Defendant ultimately found not guilty.
• R v SB; R v CG – Southwark Crown Court (2021) – Represented two defendants for appeals against convictions they had received in the Magistrates’ Court for wilfully obstructing a highway during a protest. Both appeals allowed and convictions quashed.
• R v ZE & Others – Highbury Corner Youth Court (2021) – 4-day trial representing one of three defendants charged with a knife-point robbery. The trial involved cross-examining young people (both complainants and co-defendants), some of whom had severe learning difficulties.
• R v JH – Stratford Magistrates’ Court (2020) – Secured an acquittal for a Defendant who was alleged to have attended his child’s school and used threatening words and behaviour towards his ex-partner.
• R v JS – Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court (2020) – Prosecution offered no evidence on the day of trial in a case of theft from a shop and criminal damage following submissions relating to disclosure. The defendant was absent.
• R v DF – Wood Green Crown Court (2020) – Mitigated on behalf of a defendant who had accepted breaching two separate suspended sentence orders by committing theft from a shop and criminal damage. Persuaded the court to allow both suspended sentence orders to continue and secured the defendant’s immediate release from custody.
• R v AL – Bexley Magistrates’ Court (2019) – Secured a suspended sentence in a case of assault occasioning actual bodily harm where the defendant was found to have assaulted his partner with two young children in the house.
• R v CT – Aylesbury Crown Court (2019) – Secured an acquittal, following an argument of abuse of process, wherein a defendant was alleged to have possessed a mobile phone in prison.
• R v AAM – Stratford Magistrates’ Court (2019) – Made a successful submission of no case to answer following cross-examination of a complainant in an allegation of domestic assault.
• R v DL – Horsham Magistrates’ Court (2019) – Represented a vulnerable defendant who was accused, with two co-defendants, of having assaulted a trans person by beating. Made a successful submission of no case to answer following the close of the Crown’s case.