About Ian Harris

Ian Harris is the Head of the Wessex Complex Casework Unit for the Crown Prosecution Service.

After a period in private practice Ian joined the Crown Prosecution Service as a Crown Prosecutor in Guildford in 1991, later transferring to Chichester and then Portsmouth.  He became a Higher Court Advocate in 1997, making numerous appearances at Crown Courts in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire before becoming a full-time Crown Court trial advocate in 2004.  Ian was appointed Head of the CPS Portsmouth Trials Unit in 2005, before becoming Head of the Complex Casework Unit in 2009.

As Head of the Complex Casework Unit, Ian is responsible for a team of highly experienced lawyers and paralegal staff who are engaged in the prosecution of the most complex and voluminous criminal casework throughout Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, principally involving organised crime, large-scale frauds and offences with a cross-border or international element

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Ian Harris, Head of Complex Casework UnitComplex Casework Unit (CCU), CPS Wessex

Ian Harris, Head of CCU

Welcome to the Complex Casework Unit. 

There are four lawyers including myself working in the Complex Casework Unit.  The types of cases that we do are the Complex Cases, these include;

  • Serious/ complex animal rights extremism;
  • Hate related murders;
  • Large scale child abuse, abduction, multi generational victims;
  • Sensitive, serious or complex cases of major media interest
    and many more.

One of our more recent cases is the prosecution of Richard Elmes who was found guilty of the manslaughter of his long time friend Adrian Cooksey. Richard Elmes lied under oath when he was the witness during the first trial for the manslaughter of Adrian Cooksey.

Previous Cases prosecuted by the CCU

  • 2001 - Operation Gloucester.  An attempted murder and rape case featured on BBCs  Anatomy of a Crime;
  • 2005 - Prosecuting counsel in R-v-Bain, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division);
  • 2008 - Operations, Mango, Larch and Ryan.  A prosecution under s.114 Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001;
  • Operations Sash and Romsey.  The successful dismantling and imprisonment of a Sussex-based organised crime group following a fatal arson attack in Portsmouth;
  • Operation Scarlet.  The prosecution of a major cannabis distribution network resulting in a £3million confiscation order;
  • Operation Beck.  The successful prosecution of Roger Kearney for the murder of Paula Poolton.