Peter Coombe

Criminal Barrister

Year of Call
1993

peter.coombe@walnuthouse.co.uk

Criminal Law

Murder, manslaughter and non-fatal violence

Overview

Peter is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempt murder and other cases of serious violence. As well as appearing on his own in such cases, he has also acted as the junior to Queen’s Counsel and as the leading junior where two junior barristers have been instructed.

R v Henney & others (2017 Exeter CC)
Peter was junior counsel for the Crown in this seven-handed conspiracy to murder. The defendants were part of an organised crime group who attacked a member of a rival gang. The case rested largely upon forensic evidence, telephone and cell site analysis and CCTV.

R v Grant (2017 Exeter CC)
Peter was instructed to prosecute this case of attempt murder. The defendant lay in wait for the victim outside his home. When the victim and his partner parked up the defendant stabbed him repeatedly as he got out of the car. During the trial the defendant sought to blame the victim’s partner for the attack.

Operation Greengrass (2018 Exeter CC)
This is an ongoing fifteen handed case of violent disorder. The case revolves around a clash between supporters of two rival football teams. Peter is instructed to prosecute.

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Serious sexual offences

Overview

Peter regularly defends and prosecutes allegations of rape, child abuse and all other types of sexual offences. He is on the the CPS list as a specialist rape and serious sexual offences Advocate. He has completed the training on questioning vulnerable witnesses.

R v Bertram (2015 Truro CC)
Cold case stranger rape dating back to the early 1980’s, which Peter was instructed to prosecute. The victim was attacked and raped in her home by a man wearing a motorcycle helmet. During the original investigation the defendant was a suspect, but his then partner provided him with an alibi. There was insufficient evidence to pursue the matter. The defendant subsequently murdered his partner for which he received a life sentence, but had been released on licence by the time of the trial. In 2014 the police came across some of the samples of semen staining obtained during the original investigation. Developments in DNA profiling meant a prosecution could be brought. The defendant contested the case, now claiming the sexual intercourse had been consensual. He was convicted.

R v David Wall (2016 and 2017 Plymouth CC).
Peter was instructed to prosecute in two lengthy trials for historic sexual abuse. The defendant used his position as a a leader in the Boys Brigade to sexually abuse a number of cadets in the Brigade during the 1980s and 1990s. The victims were pre-pubescent and pubescent boys. The defendant was ultimately convicted of almost all the allegations.

R v F (2016)
Peter prosecuted this defendant for offences of multiple rapes of his former wife and two of his children. There was a very substantial body of third party material to be considered, because of extensive involvement by outside agencies with the family. The defendant was convicted of all counts.

R v Matthews (2017 Maidstone CC)
Peter represented this defendant, who was indicted with multiple offences of historic child abuse. Many of his victims were members of the Sea Cadets. The defendant had been an officer in that organisation.

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Driving Deaths and Motor manslaughter

Overview

Peter appears both for the defence and the prosecution in cases involving death and serious injury caused by driving.

R v Chun (2016 Truro CC)
Peter was instructed as junior counsel for the defence in this case of causing death by dangerous driving. The defendant was a coach driver. He crashed his coach when he had a large number of senior citizens on board, killing and injuring a number of them. At the time he was making a phone call on a hands free device. The case rested largely upon experts in a number of different fields and involved a substantial body of technical evidence.

R v Finlay, Breen and Wheeler (2016 Taunton CC)
Peter was instructed to prosecute this case of causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and perverting the course of justice. The elderly victim was hit by a vehicle late at night as he was crossing the road to a shop close to his home. He died almost instantaneously. There were no eye witnesses to the collision and the vehicle made off from the scene. Subsequently the defendants went to great lengths to cover up the crime, including destroying the car. After a very extensive investigation the police were able to identify the first defendant as the driver, who was assisted in his attempt to pervert the course of justice by his two co-defendants.

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Drugs Offences

Overview

Peter is regularly instructed in cases involving Organised Crime Groups supplying substantial quantities of Class A and Class B.

R v Smith & others (2015 Exeter CC)
Peter was junior counsel for the Prosecution. There were twenty defendants who were part of a conspiracy to supply Class A drugs over a period of a year from Liverpool to the West Country. The total value of the drugs transported was estimated to be worth over five million pounds. All defendants were ultimately convicted.

R v Barzegar & others (2016-2017 Truro CC)
Peter was instructed to prosecute this case which involved the supply of heroin and crack cocaine from London to Cornwall. There were a total of seventeen defendants. Apart from two defendants against whom the charges were dropped at an early stage, all the accused were convicted.

Operation Corinth (2017-2018 Exeter CC)
This is an ongoing case involving ten defendants engaged in the supply of wholesale quantities of cannabis. Peter is instructed for the Prosecution.

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Biographical and Other Information

Prosecution
Peter is instructed in all areas of general criminal work both for the Prosecution and the Defence. He has substantial experience in fraud, confiscation, dishonesty offences and cases of general violence.
Grade 4
Peter is a Grade 4 prosecutor on the Advocates Panel. He is a member of the Western Circuit. He graduated with a 2.1 in Jurisprudence from New College, Oxford in 1991 and attended Bar School in 1992-1993.

Criminal Law team members

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Lee Bremridge

Year Of Call : 2003; Head of Chambers

Lee Bremridge is Head of Chambers at Walnut House and a criminal barrister experienced in all areas of complex and serious crime. Lee is known for dealing with serious cases, defending and prosecuting in equal measure.

lee.bremridge@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Simon Laws KC

Year Of Call : 1991

In May 2021, Simon Laws KC was instructed to represent the victims in a trial in The Hague in which the former President of Kosovo and three others are being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The proceedings are ongoing and Mr Laws is therefore currently unable to accept other instructions.

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Paul Cavin KC

Year Of Call : 1995; Door Tenant

Paul is a Door Tenant of Walnut House, with family connections to the South West. He is also Head of Chambers at 2 Harcourt Buildings in London. Paul specialises in homicide, fraud, corporate crime – particularly bribery and corruption but also money laundering, cyber crime, and proceeds of crime.
He is regularly instructed by the CPS and the SFO and was on the Attorney General’s Criminal List for many years. Before his call to the bar he trained as a solicitor at a city firm (where he gained experience in all aspects of commercial law before qualifying in the commercial litigation/fraud group). He is a member of the Private Prosecutors’ Association and the Fraud Lawyers Association.

paul.cavin@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Adrian Chaplin

Year Of Call : 1990

Adrian is a highly effective and sought-after advocate with extensive experience of heavy-weight and sensitive cases before a broad range of courts and tribunals.
He advises in criminal, misconduct, regulatory and coroner’s court work. He is experienced in appeal cases and judicial review.

adrian.chaplin@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Simon Burns

Year Of Call : 1992

Simon Burns is a specialist in criminal law undertaking prosecution and defence work.

simon.burns@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Peter Coombe

Year Of Call : 1993

Peter is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and other cases of serious violence.

peter.coombe@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Heather Hope

Year Of Call : 1993

Heather was called in 1993 and after having practiced in a leading criminal set in London for 22yrs, moved to the South West in 2015. Heather has prosecuted and defended in large-scale drug cases, gang violence and firearms cases along with rape and serious sexual offences. Heather has also defended and prosecuted as a led junior in murder trials at the Central Criminal Court and as leading junior counsel in numerous trials more recently. Grade 4 and RASSO panel Counsel.

heather.hope@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Mary McCarthy

Year Of Call : 1994

Mary is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, rape and fraud.

“She’s an extremely good advocate, brilliant at cross-examination and very good tactically; she knows how to destroy the opposition.”
Chambers and Partners 2018

mary.mccarthy@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Kelly Scrivener

Year Of Call : 2001

Kelly appears for both the Prosecution and Defence in all matters before the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division).

kelly.scrivener@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Bathsheba Cassel

Year Of Call : 2005

Bathsheba is a criminal barrister with a wealth of experience across all areas of complex and serious crime.

bathsheba.cassel@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Joss Ticehurst

Year Of Call : 2006

Joss Ticehurst is instructed to defend and prosecute in cases involving the most serious criminal offences in the Crown Court, particularly those relating to allegations of rape, attempted murder, multi-defendant cases involving drugs and murder, and multi-defendant cases of fraud and drug conspiracies.

joss.ticehurst@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Dan Pawson-Pounds

Year Of Call : 2007; Head of Crime / Deputy HoC

Dan has wide experience in all aspects of criminal law, quasi-criminal regulatory law, corporate investigations and international war crimes. He specialises in business crime, criminal law, terrorism and private prosecutions, both in court and in an advisory role.

Legal 500 2025 – Leading Junior Tier 1
Chambers & Partners 2024 – Band 3
Recorder (Crown Court) 2023

dan.pawson-pounds@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Will Parkhill

Year Of Call : 2015

Defends serious crime.

will.parkhill@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Brian FitzHerbert

Year Of Call : 2008

Brian prosecutes and defends in all areas of criminal law. His practice encompasses murder, manslaughter, sexual offences, serious violence and organised crime. He is a Grade Four advocate on the Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel and is also on the RASSO and Serious Crime Panels.

brian.fitzherbert@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Felicity Payne

Year Of Call : 2010

Felicity is a common law barrister with an established and varied practice in all aspects of criminal and civil law. Felicity is thorough, practical and robust in her approach, whilst remaining personable.

felicity.payne@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Frederick Hookway

Year Of Call : 2011 (Door Tenant)

Frederick is a door tenant at Walnut House and lives in the South West. We are happy to accept instructions on his behalf for any matters that are relevant to the Western Circuit. His main Chambers is 5 King’s Bench Walk in London and his full profile can be found through their site.

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Evie Dean

Year Of Call : 2019

Evie accepts instructions in both criminal and family law. She regularly appears in the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts where she prosecutes and defends in all stages of proceedings. She also acts for parents in both private and care proceedings from application stage through to contested interim and final hearings.

Since joining Walnut House after successfully completing a twelve-month pupillage in chambers, Evie has continued to enjoy a busy and varied practice. She has been complimented on her pragmatic and personable manner with her clients.

evie.dean@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Zoe Kuyken

Year Of Call : 2021

Zoe joined chambers after successfully completing a 12 month pupillage in 2022.

Zoe accepts instructions in criminal and family law.

zoe.kuyken@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Azzam Bhatti

Year Of Call : 2017

Azzam has a mixed Civil, Criminal and Family practice at Walnut House.

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Lee Bremridge (2003; Head of Chambers)
Simon Laws KC (1991)
Paul Cavin KC (1995; Door Tenant)
Adrian Chaplin (1990)
Simon Burns (1992)
Peter Coombe (1993)
Heather Hope (1993)
Mary McCarthy (1994)
Kelly Scrivener (2001)
Bathsheba Cassel (2005)
Joss Ticehurst (2006)
Dan Pawson-Pounds (2007; Head of Crime / Deputy HoC)
Will Parkhill (2015)
Brian FitzHerbert (2008)
Felicity Payne (2010)
Frederick Hookway (2011 (Door Tenant))
Evie Dean (2019)
Zoe Kuyken (2021)
Azzam Bhatti (2017)