Harry O’Sullivan

Crime Barrister

Harry is regularly instructed to appear in the Crown Court in London and the South-Eastern circuit. He is appointed to the Crown Prosecution Service advocate panel scheme at grade 2. He has experience in private prosecutions.

As the author of Banks on Sentence, Harry has specialist knowledge of complex sentencing legislation and procedure and is happy to accept instructions to advise on appeal against sentence on a direct access basis.

Harry’s experience also extends to representing parties in regulatory appeals to the magistrates’ court and in matters of prison law before the Parole Board.

Notable Cases

• Operation Alatyr – Central Criminal Court – 2020-ongoing. Harry is currently instructed as junior prosecution counsel in a seven-handed case involving the seizure of significant quantities of class A and B drugs.
• R v PS – Norwich Crown Court – December 2020. Secured a suspended sentence for a client convicted of possession of a bladed article.
• R v MK– Southwark Crown Court – December 2020. Secured conviction for offensive weapon offence.
• R v SL – Wood Green Crown Court – July 2020. Represented a vulnerable defendant throughout proceedings serious sexual offences against a child.
• Central Bedfordshire Council v GD – Luton Crown Court – November 2019. Prosecution on behalf of local authority trading standards involving a substantial fraud committed against a small business.
• R v Craftsman Q – Bulford Military Court Centre – August 2019. Represented a defendant before the Court Martial for ABH charges.
• R v PS – Norwich Crown Court – July 2019. Prosecution for possession of a bladed article in prison.
• R v CH – Basildon Crown Court – June 2019. Prosecution resulting in convictions for possession of machetes in a public place.
• R v AM – Woolwich Crown Court – April 2019. Trial for possession of bladed article.
• R v LM – Lewes Crown Court – April 2019. Successful appeal against sentence for breaches of restraining order resulting in the sentence length being significantly reduced.
• R v S and others – St Albans Crown Court – March 2019. Multi-handed conspiracy to supply class A drugs. CPS offered no evidence against client after serving an application to dismiss charges for lack of evidence.
• Central Bedfordshire Council v M – Luton magistrates’ court – March 2019. Represented the local authority in appeal by a homeowner against a statutory nuisance abatement notice (smoke pollution), resulting in the appeal being dismissed and the notice upheld.
• R v M – St Albans Crown Court – January 2019. Negotiated a plea to assault PC being accepted by the Crown in circumstances where the defendant had been charged with attempted GBH.
• R v D – Chelmsford Crown Court – November 2018. Secured a suspended sentence following a guilty plea to high-value dwelling burglary.
• R v Fusilier JT – Bulford Military Court Centre – October 2018. Obtained a service supervision and punishment order following a plea to an Armed Forces Act offence at Court Martial.

Publications

• R v D [2019] Crim LR 436 – concerning the definition of a folding pocketknife for the purposes of Criminal Justice Act 1988 s 139.
• ‘When is a residential address a dwelling for the purposes of sentencing?’ (2017) 2 (Aug) Sentencing News 6-9.
• ‘The Sentencing Code’ (2017) 181 (29) Criminal Law & Justice Weekly
• ‘Time For A Code: Reform of Sentencing Law in England and Wales’ European Journal of Law Reform (2017) 19)4) – with Professor David Ormerod QC