West Midlands Crown Advocates
Paul Reid, Sector Crown Prosecutor, West Midlands Crown Advocates Department
Solicitor 1987 -
Paul was admitted as a solicitor in 1987. He worked in private practice for four years before joining the CPS in 1991. He qualified as a Crown Advocate in 2001. He became District Crown Prosecutor for the Walsall Magistrates Unit from 2003, and in 2006 he was appointed to the role of District Crown Prosecutor for the Wolverhampton Crown Court Trials Unit. In 2011 he moved to the centralised Crown Advocates Unit based at Birmingham. He leads this Team and regularly appears as an advocate in Crown Court. He has conducted a number of trials and acted as a Junior in three murder trials.
Peter Grieves-Smith, Principal Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 1989
Barrister
Peter was called to the Bar in 1989 and from 1990 until 2006 he was a tenant at the Chambers of Roy Amlot QC at 6 King's Bench Walk, Temple, and London.
In 2006 he joined the Organised Crime Division of the CPS as a Principal Crown Advocate prosecuting highly complex cases which were investigated by the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Peter then moved to Birmingham CPS in 2008 as Principal Crown Advocate and prosecutes murders, attempted murder and other serious & complex offences.
Read more about Peter Grieves-Smith
Shenaz Muzaffer, Senior Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 2002
Barrister
Shenaz obtained a first-class honours degree in Law from the University of Nottingham in 2001, and was called to the Bar in 2002. Shenaz was a tenant at 3 Fountain Court Chambers in Birmingham from 2002 to 2006, before moving to Number 5 Chambers in Birmingham.
Shenaz joined the CPS as a Senior Crown Advocate in 2008. She is a specialist rape prosecutor, and is highly experienced in prosecuting cases concerning sexual abuse, child cruelty, and historic sexual allegations.
She has extensive experience in dealing with child witnesses and vulnerable witnesses. In addition, Shenaz also prosecutes murders, attempted murders, complex frauds, and serious drugs offences.
Shenaz is involved as a tutor for in-house advocacy training and mentoring.
Emma Cutts, Senior Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 1998
Barrister
Emma was called to the Bar in 1998 and successfully completed pupillage in Leicester. In 2002, Emma moved to Chambers in Nottingham where she predominantly prosecuted on behalf of local CPS prosecution areas. She was involved in a number of high profile murder cases as junior and was also Counsel in R-v-Wallace.
In 2008, she joined the CPS as a Senior Crown Advocate. Since joining the Service, she has been involved in a number of complex cases including fraud, sexual assaults and historic rape cases.
Emma is also involved in advocacy training and mentoring.
Nigel Wilkins, Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 1974
Barrister
Nigel was called to the Bar in Feb 1974. Pupillage was undertaken in London. He worked as Magistrates' Clerk until 1985 when he took employment with West Midlands Prosecuting Solicitors' Department.
Nigel joined the CPS in 1986 and started as a Crown Prosecutor in Coventry/Solihull/ Sutton Coldfield Branch. He worked in Birmingham as a Senior Crown Prosecutor from 1988 to1992. He later returned to the Coventry Branch as its Team Leader.
Nigel has held the posts of District Crown Prosecutor for the Criminal Justice Unit in Coventry and the Crown Advocate team in Coventry. He joined the Birmingham Crown Advocates Department in January 2010.
Alistair Redford, Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 1995
Barrister
Alistair was called to the Bar in 1995. After he successfully completed his pupillage, he practised in criminal defence in London. He moved to Victoria Chambers in Birmingham before joining the CPS as a Senior Crown Prosecutor in 2003 and then the Crown Advocate Department in 2007. Alistair has advised, prepared and conducted a full range of prosecution cases including several high profile media interest cases.
Christopher Lester, Crown Advocate
Solicitor since 2001
Chris trained and qualified as a solicitor in the South East of England where he worked in private practice as a criminal defence solicitor.
He joined the CPS in the West Midlands in 2003 and has been involved in a advising and prosecuting the full range of criminal offences.
He joined the Crown Advocates Department in 2007.
Read more about Christopher Lester
Jason Pegg, Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 1994
Barrister
Jason was called to the bar in 1994 and spent time in chambers in Canterbury, Kent before being commissioned as an Army officer.
During his nine and half years in the military Jason prosecuted at a large number of courts-martial and standing civilian courts prosecuting a diverse and often challenging variety of cases.
Jason spent five years serving with the Royal Marine Commandos. During that time he developed a thorough knowledge of the Law of Armed Conflict and international law serving on operations in Kosovo, Indian Ocean and the first war-fighting operation in Afghanistan.
Harinderpal Singh Dhami, Crown Advocate
Solicitor since 1997
Paul qualified as a Solicitor in Birmingham and then moved to work in private practice as a criminal defence Solicitor in Yorkshire for nine years. His caseload included dealing with a variety of offences in the magistrates' and Crown Court, including murder, money laundering and drugs conspiracy. Paul then accepted Partnership and obtained the Law Society's Solicitor Advocate qualification.
He returned to the West Midlands in 2005 as Department Head with a national firm specialising in Trade Union work.
Paul then joined the CPS in 2006 and has since prosecuted a wide variety of cases in the Youth, magistrates' and Crown Court across the region.
Mohammed Hafeez, Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 2011
Barrister
Mohammed joined the CPS Crown Advocates Department in 2009 and has been prosecuting a wide range of offences in the Crown Court including violent offences, supplying of drugs, dishonesty offences and public order matters. Mohammed received high recognition for taking over from his leader and successfully prosecuting a complex historic sexual abuse trial involving a Catholic Priest.
He has appeared as Junior on some high profile cases including a complex manslaughter and an attempted murder case. He is currently being led on the biggest ever NHS dental fraud case.
Mohammed is a specialist in honour, disability and hate crimes. He is also a specialist domestic violence prosecutor.
Aliya Rashid, Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 1994
Barrister
Aliya was called to the Bar in 1994 and she practised in London chambers for two years and specialised in Crime and family law. As well as her practise, she lectured at the University of South Bank and taught on the HND Business law, LL.B (Hons) Property & Trusts, English Legal Systems and the MSc in Charity law.
Aliya joined the CPS in 1998 and has worked at both the Coventry and Birmingham offices. She was the hate crime specialist in Coventry until 2005 and more recently has become a specialist in honour crimes and forced marriages.
Charles Gardner, Crown Advocate
Solicitor since 1971
Charles for the first 28 years of his professional career worked in private practice as a solicitor in Birmingham specialising in criminal defence work. He became a partner in a local firm before practising on his own.
He joined the CPS in 2000 and remained prosecuting cases in the West Midlands region. He has been involved in advising the police on all aspects of criminal offences, prosecuting cases in both the Youth and magistrates' courts.
He joined the Crown Advocates Department in 2009 and has been prosecuting cases since in the Crown Court.
He is an accredited trainer in the CPS and has tutored on numerous internal advocacy courses.
Rhydian James, Crown Advocate
Solicitor since 1996
Rhydian qualified as a Solicitor in the Magistrates' Court Service in Greater Manchester.
As a Solicitor he moved into criminal defence work in private practice for large specialist defence firms. His first job involved working in the Moss side area in Manchester where he defended cases of murder and other gang related offences including kidnapping, firearms offences and drugs.
Rhydian return to the West Midlands and joined the CPS in 2000 as a Senior Crown Prosecutor.
Theresa Thorp, Crown Advocate
Year of Call: 2003 (South Africa)
Solicitor (UK) since 2007
Theresa completed her BA LLB at the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1999. Whilst studying, she was the Student Convenor of the University of Cape Town's Legal Aid Clinic which provides legal assistance to indigent persons.
Theresa subsequently lectured in Commercial Law, Contract and Administrative Law at the Cape Technikon and University of the Western Cape between 2000 and 2002.
