Coming to the Bar in the early 1970’s from a solidly working class background was something of a challenge. Obtaining pupillage was difficult and involved knocking on a lot of doors in hope rather than expectation. One learns that stamina and persistence are necessary qualities. However after making some progress, enjoying each stage of ones career is an essential ingredient of practice at the criminal bar. “You need to be able to understand that there are usually two sides to every story”.

Mr Coffey is one of the eminent London criminal silks and is instructed consistently in the most high profile and complex cases in the field of crime.

As a Treasury Counsel prosecutor recently  said: "John Coffey Q.C... he's the silk I definitely do not want on the other side..."

 Notable Cases 2010

R v Oldfield and Ors - 8 week multi-handed murder trial at Luton Crown Court - Reported in the press as the 'Headless corpse in the blue lagoon' case. Victim tortured and treated as a slave by a dysfunctional family who deposited his dismembered body in the local fishing lake. Please follow links for full details:  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8588274.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/26/family-jailed-blue-lagoon-murder-michael-gilbert

R v Ling - 2 week murder trial at the Central Criminal Court. The victim was a Horticultural expert with a colourful romantic life murdered by one of her lovers. Please follow links for details:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7271476/Gardener-Peter-Ling-guilty-of-murdering-lover-after-finding-out-she-had-another-man.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/8506312.stm   

Notable Cases 2009

R v Philip and Anr - 5 week double murder by arson at Central Criminal Court

R v W - Successful defence of a Foster Carer alleged to have groomed and raped a 13 year old - 11 weeks  

R v Wabara - Successful defence in a 5 week double shooting murder trial at Central Criminal Court

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7955088.stm

http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=10856

R v Gurung - successful defence of Gurkha in 5 week multihanded murder trial at Central Criminal Court

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2050594_four_men_cleared_of_esher_waiter_murder

Notable Cases 2008

R v White - defence of accused originally convicted of murder in 2001. Represented the defendant in Court of Appeal where the conviction was quashed and successful defence at re-trial

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7789973.stmhttp://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/Man-cleared-of-Rachel-murder.4807331.jp

R v Lawrence & Ors - Brief for first defendant in three handed murder trial at Central Criminal Court. The defendants and the victim were members of the travellers community.

R v Joseph Chin - Brief for the first defendant in a multi-handed six week murder trial at the Central Criminal Court. Client was a 16 year old boy charged with the murder of a 14 year old school boy in Islington. Case attracted much publicity as one of the current spate of knife crime trials. Included admissibility of bad character

http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2008/081508/inews081508_01.html

R v Matthew Clarke - Instructed on behalf of the defence, Defendants plea to manslaughter accepted by the Crown in relation to an allegation of the murder of the defendants mother. Issues included the accused's mental illness

http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/Former-teacher-who-killed-his.5122764.jp

R v Kenneth Osei-Bonsu - Defending an accused charged with murder at the Central Criminal Court. Jury were unable to agree on a verdict and the case proceeded to a re-trial. Issues included the admissibility of Low Copy DNA.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7609076.stm http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/whereilive/localheadlines/3660065.Burglar_found_guilty_of_murder/

R v Zoe Langrish - Trial at Central Criminal Court of defendant charged with assisting an offender and doing acts tending to pervert the course of justice by disposing of the murder weapon. Issues included bad character of the deceased and the accused

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7687584.stm http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/3724230.Barnet_man_guilty_of__ruthless__murder/

R v Maqbool Hussain & Ors - Five month election fraud trial at Kings Lynn Crown Court. Prosecution alleged a conspiracy to defraud relating to the misuse of the system for postal voting in the Peterborough local elections 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7335364.stm http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/poorer_voters_wanted_to_get_rid_of_ex_mayor_1_91894