Profile
With 35 years of trial experience, including seven years as Senior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court, Timothy is widely recognised as one of the leading silks at the criminal bar.
Timothy is instructed for individuals as well as corporates in all areas of criminal litigation, but with a particular emphasis on financial and business crime, as well as cases with parallel civil and regulatory proceedings. His background of leading prosecutions at the highest level is often called upon in cases where sensitive engagement with domestic and international prosecuting authorities and departments of state becomes necessary.
Timothy has never sought inclusion in any legal journal and relies on the judgment of his peers and his reputation for delivering results.
Expertise
Timothy has prosecuted notable cases on behalf of the SFO, OFT (now the CMA) and HMRC and secured the first convictions under the Bribery Act 2010 for the SFO (R v West and Whale [2016] EWCA Crim 742.
He has a substantial advisory practice which includes advising Magic Circle and leading US firms. He was instructed as specialist counsel to advise corporates by Skadden Arps in a multi jurisdiction corruption litigation; Addleshaw Goddard to advise on an Insider dealing allegation; Freshfields for a complex HMRC banking investigation and Arnold and Porter to give strategic advice relevant to multi-national clients on compliance and anti-corruption issues.
Timothy also advises individuals cradle to grave in a range of asset protection matters including confiscation, asset security litigation, restraint orders and search and seizure. He advises on novel points of law including LLP and sanctions. Recent instructions include from Enyo Law in an Eastern Bloc asset protection and sanctions case and from Sonn Macmillan Walker in ongoing fraud based and environmental litigation.
Regularly instructed in guideline and notable cases involving sensitive allegations where reputation management is required in addition to litigation, Timothy acted in a leading case on reasonable belief in consent (MAB v The Queen [2013] EWCA Crim 3), and the guideline case on arranging child sex offences (Privett and others [2020] EWCA Crim 557).
Over the last two decades, Timothy has appeared in many of the most newsworthy cases including the conspiracy to steal £26million from the celebrities Tamara Ecclestone and Frank Lampard, (R v Maltese and others; (www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59037924)), the prosecution of a special forces soldier at first instance and on appeal (R v Danny Nightingale; (www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23450909)) and the first trial by judge alone in 400 years (R v Twomey and Others [2011] 1 Cr App R 29 CA (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/mar/31/jury-less-trial-guilty-heathrow-robbery)).
During his time at Senior Treasury Counsel, Timothy directly advised the Attorney General, Solicitor General and DPP on homicide and serious crime issues of national importance, including deaths in custody, police killings, assisted suicide and medical negligence. Since then, he has received regular instructions to defend in murder cases. Representative examples of homicide cases are serial killing (‘Tony Montana’ murder – www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-475349;), killings by medical professionals, nurse Ledesma, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4034672); Surgeon Khan,www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news-doctor-killed-dad-four-lethal-22990279), killings involving police and armed forces: PC Brehmer ULS appeal, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-56454792, [2021] EWCA Crim.390, Gang and Contract killings, Lee McKnight murder 2021 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-57121072.)
- Senior Treasury Counsel 2014 -2020
- Williams Review on Medical Manslaughter Steering Committee 2019
To view Timothy Cray KC’s Privacy Notice, please click here.
Notable cases
R v Twomey, Blake, Hibberd and Cameron
The first trial by a judge sitting alone: an armed robbery worth £1.75 million from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport in 2004.
Serious Fraud Office v BAE
Members of chambers acted on both side of this lengthy SFO investigation into BAE’s global business affairs, including the public law...
R v Twomey and Others
The first trial by a judge sitting alone in 400 years.
R v Alexander and Others
The ‘Shadowline’ conspiracy.
R v Thomas and Alexander
Homophobic killing in Trafalgar Square.
R v Ulcay
Instructed by the Bar Council to represent professional interests of the Bar in appellate proceedings determining the status of cab rank...
Related news
Timothy Cray QC prosecutes Manchester City football player Benjamin Mendy.
The trial of Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy begins at Chester Crown Court today. Timothy Cray QC is instructed by the CPS to prosecute Mendy and his co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, who...
Duncan Penny QC, Tim Cray QC and Peter Ratliff in five-time killer murder trial
Duncan Penny QC, Tim Cray QC and Peter Ratliff were instructed in the trial of Mane Driza, who was accused of murdering Stefan Bledar Mone in 1999. At the time of the killing Mane Driza had committed...
