Profile description
Chris Aspinall practises almost exclusively in criminal law, and only defends. He is a plain speaking counsel who quickly forms a no-nonsense rapport with his clients. Significant Cases Crime R v L – Armed robbery of shops with the co-accused; evidence centred upon DNA and CCTV. R v N – The defendant in a rape and sexual assault case was not identified until a DNA hit four years after the incident. Acquitted of one of the offences after a jury trial. R v W – A youth of good character was charged with attempted GBH, having entered a property with a firearm and shot at the complainant while inside. R v B – A couple was charged with the assault of their next-door neighbour, perverting the course of justice, and witness intimidation. Convicted after trial; sentence successfully appealed at Court of Appeal. R v D – Defendant (one of five) was charged with assisting an offender in a case of attempted murder. This was one of the first cases to use downloaded data from in-car navigation systems to track people’s movements. R v B – The only one of multiple defendants to be acquitted by the jury after a multi-week trial for group rape. R v Clark – The defendant was charged with murder after the fatal stabbing of their father. There were elements of mental health issues. R v Horner – The defendant was charged with murder after a fatal stabbing in Sheffield city centre. R v F – A historical racist murder dating back to 1987, where the defendant was charged after a single witness came forward nearly 20 years later and later acquitted at trial. R v D – A multi-handed, multiple Section-18 offence in Oxford, where one victim was left paralysed and bedridden. Successfully sought acquittal for the client while the co-accused was convicted. R v W & W – Represented both defendants in a Section 20 wounding allegation, whereby it was alleged the defendants attacked the victim with a machete. Successfully sought an acquittal. R v B – The defendant was alleged to have raped a 13-year-old complainant multiple times. After a twoweek trial, the defendant was acquitted. R v D – Historical allegations of systematic sexual abuse within a family setting. The defendant was acquitted after trial. R v H – Allegations of rape and sexual abuse of children. The defendant was charged with 22 counts. R v D – The defendant was charged with the rape of their daughter, which resulted in a 14-year sentence and a further 10-year extension under the 1956 Act. R v Manning – Appealed sentence in the Court of Appeal for possession of a ‘stun gun’. The case has subsequently been referred to as guidance over the term seriousness. Prison law Chris appears before the Parole Board and has done so since he was a solicitor.
