Graeme Simpson

Instructed by both prosecution and defence in the most serious criminal matters, Graeme has defended cases of murder, manslaughter and attempted murder without Leading Counsel and has frequently led for both the prosecution and defence.

Graeme is regularly instructed in cases concerning allegations of homicide, serious allegations of violence and public disorder, sexual offences, drug conspiracies and fraud – many of those cases involving organised criminal activity.

Graeme prosecutes at ‘Level 4’ and is included on the CPS panel of advocates dealing with rape and other serious sexual offences.  He has extensive experience in dealing with young and vulnerable witnesses, and defendants. When defending, Graeme has cross-examined child witnesses as young as 6 years old. He also has substantial experience in dealing with PII and disclosure issues which arise in such cases.

Graeme is frequently instructed to defend in privately funded cases and encourages the use of fixed or capped fees to provide certainty of costs for clients.

He welcomes receiving instructions at an early stage in proceedings and is happy to engage with pro-active case management, including providing advice on the gathering of evidence and the merits of instructing experts in appropriate cases.

Recent notable cases

• Drug related kidnap and torture, defendant acquitted
• Provided tactical advice in a kidnapping case which led to the acquittal of all 10 defendants
• Multi-million pound fraud, defendant acquitted following submission at the end of the prosecution case
• Human trafficking
• Represented one of two defendants in relation to a sadistic murder with sexual overtones
• Group attack murder
• Represented a defendant charged with murder, deliberate driving at the victim : case resolved on a guilty plea to manslaughter
• Single punch manslaughter
• Represented a defendant charged with manslaughter following an altercation with an elderly man, acquitted following a successful application to dismiss
• A defendant charged with sexual assault of his two young sons, acquitted following submission at the end of the prosecution case