Convictions for multiple attempted murders following violent rampage at Central Middlesex Hospital

On 21 June 2023, a maintenance worker at Central Middlesex Hospital, named Matteo Bottarelli, carried out a spree of unprovoked and savage attacks against his colleagues.

The violence began when Bottarelli armed himself with a mattock – a tool similar to a large pickaxe. He was seen on CCTV approaching his first victim from behind, with the mattock raised above his head, ready to strike. Fortunately, the victim turned around, causing Bottarelli to pause before running off to the staff canteen.

On arriving at the canteen Bottarelli put the mattock down and approached his second victim from behind. He pulled the victim’s head back and cut his throat with a surgical scalpel.

Bottarelli then went up to an office on the first floor of the hospital, where he found his line manager. He struck him to the skull at least twice with the mattock, causing multiple skull fractures and resulting in the herniation of the brain through the fracture site.

At his trial Bottarelli was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. Sentencing was adjourned until 30 April 2024.

Thom Dyke, led by Sean Larkin KC of QEB Hollis Whiteman, acted on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Press Coverage: Daily Mail, BBC News, Independent, and The Guardian.

Carry On Trafficking

Claire-Harden Frost and Thom Dyke secured the convictions of three bungling conspirators who were involved in a potentially life-threatening conspiracy to bring illegal immigrants to the UK.  Henry Dunn, Christian King, and James Davis were all convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court after two trials which took place in March and September.

Under cover of darkness on 6 November 2017, King and Davis attempted to launch a RHIB (Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat) from Dymchurch Beach in Kent.  As the hapless duo tried to unhook their boat from the trailer, they became stuck in the sand and had to abandon their 4X4 to the rising tide.

Davis was eventually able to launch the RHIB and piloted it overnight to France where he collected four Vietnamese youths.  The court heard evidence that the RHIB was wholly unsuitable to undertake such a dangerous journey, at night, across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.  Despite Mr Davis having brought protective clothing for himself the Vietnamese youths were left to shiver in jeans and t-shirts, without even a life jacket for safety.  The RHIB was not fitted with appropriate navigation lights and did not have a radio in the event of an emergency.

Despite the danger, Davis landed the RHIB on Folkestone Beach in the early hours of 7 November 2017, where the sodden youths were shepherded into a waiting vehicle, bound for an uncertain fate.

Fortunately, the conspirators’ activities hadn’t gone unnoticed by the authorities and they were subsequently arrested.  Davis initially denied any involvement telling the police he had been fishing.  It was a lie maintained by King at his trial.  He denied any knowledge of the plan to bring the youths to the UK and maintained he had simply been helping his friend Davis by launching the RHIB so Davis could indulge in a spot of night fishing in the Channel, despite not having any sea fishing equipment.  Dunn was linked to the offence after police analysed the phones of the other.  Dunn and King were organisers of the conspiracy and that all three expected to profit from this endeavour.

Sadly, recent years have seen a rise in the commission of this kind of offence as increasingly desperate and dangerous attempts are made by individuals to enter the UK.  The men convicted of this offence took advantage of the vulnerability of four young people who had no legal right to enter the UK.  The three conspirators were remanded into custody and will be sentenced on 11 October 2019.

Claire and Thom were instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit.

Thom secures acquittal in £0.5m fraud trial

Thom acted for the defendant, TG, in a complex fraud trial involving alleged losses of nearly half a million pounds.  TG was found not guilty by the jury after the three week trial at Guildford Crown Court.

The prosecution alleged that TG had moved in with his elderly mother following the death of his father.  He was said to have set out to systematically defraud her of her life savings by obtaining a power of attorney over her financial affairs.  Nearly half a million pounds was taken from her savings, with hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent on expensive renovation and building work.  Large sums were withdrawn in cash without any account of where they were spent.

The case involved a three-day cross-examination of the central prosecution witness in the case and presentation of complex financial evidence to the jury.  TG was acquitted of all charges.  Thom was instructed by Harrington Myers Solicitors.