Profile
Simon Denison KC has over 30 years’ experience at the Criminal Bar. After building a successful defence practice he moved increasingly into prosecution work. In 2001 he was appointed as Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court, in 2007 as Senior Treasury Counsel, and in 2009 as Queens Counsel. In 2018 he was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court.
“Modest and restrained in his delivery but a man with a killer punch in court.” – Chambers & Partners
“Simon is one of the Bar’s class acts. He prosecutes cases of the utmost gravity with a fairness that makes him an extremely difficult opponent. His advocacy is also second-to-none.” – Legal 500
“Effective and understated, he is a calm but deadly opponent.” – Chambers & Partners
“Supremely effective” Chambers & Partners
He has prosecuted and defended in the full range of serious criminal cases, including murder, manslaughter, firearms, gang related offences, robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking, serious sexual offences, drugs, fraud, corruption, cases involving issues of national security and terrorism, and cases involving highly sensitive issues of disclosure. He has advised and appeared on behalf of the Attorney General in the Court of Appeal in many cases of unduly lenient sentences and of discrete issues of law.
Expertise
R v John Henry Sayers and others (2018), the prosecution of a ride-by shooting of a doorman outside a nightclub in Newcastle that led to a two-and-a-half year police investigation and the most substantial disclosure exercise ever undertaken by Northumbria police. The ten-week trial of four defendants required a protected jury.
R v William Smith and others (2019), the prosecution for murder of a drugs related arson attack on a house in south London in which one victim was killed and two others were seriously injured. The eleven-week trial involved six defendants and cut-throat defences.
R v Kevin Leathers (2019), the prosecution for manslaughter and Health and Safety at Work Act offences of the owner of a scaffolding company whose employee fell from an unprotected roof and died.
R v Flanagan and Salmond (2019), the prosecution for murder, preventing a lawful burial and fraud of a drug-addicted couple who had befriended and then murdered a homeless woman, disposed of her body so that it was never found, and then claimed her benefit payments for themselves.
R v Brewster and others (2020), the prosecution for murder of four defendants in which the victim was attacked and stabbed at a drill music video shoot at a flat in Euston.
R v Joel Ellis (2020), the prosecution for murder and arson being reckless as to whether lives would be endangered of a man who was suffering from mental illness that led him to set fire to the flat in which he lived with his mother. His mother was killed and he suffered serious injuries.
- Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court (2001)
- Senior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court (2007)
- Queen’s Counsel (2009)
- Recorder of the Crown Court
- SFO KC Panel
- Security Cleared
- Member of the South Eastern Circuit
- Member of the Criminal Bar Association
- Member of the Fraud Lawyers Association
- Member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
- Member of the British Association for Sport and Law
- Tonbridge School
- St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge, LLM (Hons), Law
To view Simon Denison KC’s Privacy Notice, please click here.
Recognition
Specialist Areas
Notable cases
R v Adam Khan
Manslaughter arising out of the fatal shooting of a man in a flat in Westminster
R v Kirk Wright
Murder case following the attack of a man on a London bus who later died of his injuries
R v Mark Croxson
Death following savage beating of 51 year old victim sparked by an argument
R v Dixon, Sayers and McDougall
Trial of three men accused of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life
R v O. Johnson (& five others)
Murder of a 41 year old father following the victim apprehending the defendant when stealing cannabis crop from the victim’s home
R v Emma Hall and five others
A murder of an 18 year-old boy believed by the defendant and others to have sexually assaulted her sister.
R v Anthony McKenzie and three others
A murder by shooting of a man in a drugs-related turf war.
R v Craig Smith and three others
A drugs-related kidnap and murder.
R v Carlton McKay
A murder and wounding by stabbing of two men outside a London pub.
R v Akeem Salako and three others
A robbery and murder in a small London park of a man who was celebrating his 30th birthday.
R v Anthony Small and three others
A revenge murder by shooting of a man who was believed to have robbed a drugs dealer.
R v Christopher Newton
The murder of an elderly lady in unprovoked drunken violence.
R v Moise Avorgah and three others
The gang-related murder by stabbing of a trainee footballer.
R v Leon Dunkley and three others
The murder by shooting of an innocent 16 year-old girl in a gang feud, and related firearms offences.
