Herc Ashworth
| Called: | 2005 (Head of Crime) |
| Qualifications: | LLB Hons (Exon); MA Roman Myth & History |
Contact & Clerk
Email: hercashworth@colletonchambers.co.uk
Clerk:
Crime: Josh Warren
joshuawarren@colletonchambers.co.uk
Profile
Herc is Head of the Crime team and practises predominantly on the Western Circuit. He specialises in Criminal law and regulatory matters.
Crime & Regulatory
Crime
Herc undertakes both criminal prosecution and defence work. He is a CPS Grade 3 prosecutor and on the rape and serious sexual offences panel. Herc regularly appears in the Crown Court and he also appears in the Magistrates’ Court, Youth Court and Court of Appeal. Herc has experience in cases involving:
- Murder and manslaughter as a led junior;
- Offences of serious violence, including section 18 GBH;
- Domestic violence, including strangulation, threats to kill and controlling and coercive behaviour;
- Drug supply offences, including multi-defendant drug conspiracies;
- Sexual offences including rape and child sex offences;
- Child cruelty and neglect;
- Offences of dishonesty including robbery, aggravated burglary and blackmail;
- Weapons and firearms offences;
- Arson with intent to endanger life;
- Public disorder offences; including multi-defendant affrays;
- Motoring Offences, including causing serious injury by dangerous driving;
- Confiscation proceedings.
Herc’s experience includes cases involving children, vulnerable individuals and defendants with mental health issues.
During Herc’s early years in Chambers he also undertook work in family law, which provides him with insight where family court proceedings and disclosure impact on criminal cases.
Examples of Herc’s cases in the Crown Court include:
- Murder prosecution of two defendants who killed a man in a street attack in Plymouth.
- Murder prosecution of a defendant with psychiatric issues who killed his mother.
- Prosecution of section 18 GBH involving the use of a car as a weapon to inflict life-changing permanent injuries.
- Defence of section 18 involving throwing a man off a bridge.
- Defence of a youth with psychiatric issues charged with section 18 wounding of his father and step-brother.
- Defence of aggravated burglary where the charge was dismissed following successful application to exclude identification evidence at trial.
- Defence of burglary and successfully opposing application to extent custody time-limit based on delay due to unavailability of prosecution counsel and court resources.
- Prosecution of racially aggravated assault concerning a joint vigilante attack, the motive for which was linked to a high-profile murder.
- Prosecution of a six-handed class A drug supply conspiracy involving the distribution of over 200 kilograms of Cocaine and collection of over £2 million of cash.
- Prosecution of a four-handed county lines Cocaine and Heroin supply operation involving modern slavery.
- Prosecution of an NHS trainee surgeon for misusing patient records.
- Prosecution of a retired police officer for sexual assault of his niece.
- Prosecution of defendant for sexual activity with a child resulting in pregnancy.
- Defence of a Turkish national charged with attempting to arrive in the UK without valid entry clearance.
And in the Court of Appeal:
- Representing a sub-postmaster before the full court, obtaining an extension of time of over 8 years and having his conviction for false accounting quashed on account of problems with the Horizon system.
- Advising and drafting in appeals against convictions for murder, s.18 GBH and robbery.
Regulatory
Herc has a background of working in civil law prior to joining Chambers and he draws upon this in his regulatory practice, in which he has acted for and defended against Police authorities, the RSPCA, Trading Standards and a number of Local Authorities in relation to:
- Fraudulent Trading.
- Animal Welfare.
- Dangerous Dogs.
- Education.
Cases include:
- Junior counsel representing a defendant in a Trading Standards prosecution for multiple counts of fraud, fraudulent trading, being an unapproved person giving financial advice, and transferring criminal property in relation to a business providing solar panels.
- Defence of a Trading Standards prosecution against a builder in relation to 17 incidents of alleged fraudulent trading in the provision of construction services.
Interests
Herc enjoys football, surfing and walking his dogs in the countryside.
Memberships
Western Circuit
CALL
2005 Inner Temple
BSB Register
The Bar Standards Board Barristers’ register (BSB register) shows the barristers who hold a current practising certificate and whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings. A link to the BSB register is here.