Bachelor degree, Chemistry and Physics, (Trinity College, Dublin)
Master of Science Degree, Forensic Science (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow)
GDL, College of Law, Chester
BPTC, Very Competent (Placed Third)
Blackstone entrance exhibition scholarship (Middle Temple)
The Head of Law School Commendation for First Place in ADR (BPTC, MMU)
Best presentation at Royal Society of Chemistry Conference 2006 ‘Advances in Forensic Science’
Blackstone entrance exhibition scholarship (Middle Temple)
The Head of Law School Commendation for First Place in ADR (BPTC, MMU)
Neil Ronan’s practice encompasses all areas of criminal law, and he is regularly instructed for both the Prosecution and Defence. He is an experienced advocate; both in advancing complex legal argument and putting his client’s case.
Prior to his practice at the bar he spent 12 years as a forensic scientist and expert witness. In that time, he investigated over 30 homicide cases and had ownership of opinion evidence from crime scene to court room on hundreds of serious criminal cases.
He has particular expertise in matters of arson, cases involving trace evidence and is the only barrister in practice who is also an expert on drug traces on banknotes.
Neil is accordingly uniquely positioned to assist in cases involving complex scientific evidence and has been involved in advising on a number of appeals. Given his experience of homicide investigation Mr Ronan also accepts instruction in coronial matters.
Prior to joining Chambers, Neil undertook pupillage with Peter Du Feu and practiced on the south eastern circuit. In his first six he also managed his own caseload as a caseworker which means he knows exactly what a litigator has to face juggling multiple cases.
Between his work as a forensic scientist and pupil he was a legal executive with an award winning Personal Injury firm in Wilmslow. He also practiced as a county court advocate dealing with landlord and tenant and contract disputes.
Crown Court
R v W – Chester Crown Court 2016
Instructed to defend in a case of multiple indecent images including extreme pornography
R v DS – Stafford Crown Court 2016
Instructed to defend in a case of multiple counts of arson reckless to endangering life and assault which occurred in prison.
R v F – Manchester Crown Court 2016
Instructed to defend in a multihanded conspiracy to cause £250,000 worth of criminal damage
R v B – Oxford Crown Court 2015
Instructed to defend a young client in a case of assault and affray involving 6 people and a firearm; successfully made submission of no case to answer.
R v T – Reading Crown Court 2015
Instructed to defend a client in a case of burglary with the trial run in his absence.
R v K – Bournemouth Crown Court 2015
Successfully defended a woman charged with dwelling burglary, criminal damage and harassing her ex-partner though she admitted being in the property and damaging the items at that time.
R v W – Chester Crown Court 2016
Instructed to defend in a matter of harassment of multiple complainants, assault and theft.
Magistrates and Youth Court
Neil has represented both individuals and companies at trial in the magistrates’ courts the length and breadth of the country; and has successfully defended in such matters as drink driving and s172 failure to notify offences.
His decade of experience as a forensic scientist assists greatly in understanding the evidence which is necessary to prove/disprove drink driving offences.
He also has experience of dealing with criminal matters in the youth court and examining young and vulnerable witnesses generally.
R v K – Bolton Magistrates’ Court 2016
Successfully defended a nurse charged with assaulting a patient in A & E. The incident was caught on CCTV and the Doctor and receptionist present gave evidence against the defendant.
R v S – Manchester Magistrates’ Court 2016
Successfully defended a man charged with assaulting his partner and step daughter late at night in the family home.
R v D – Oxford Magistrates’ Court 2015
Successfully defended a man charged with assaulting his teenage girlfriend in a hotel room when her father was present outside the door of the room.
R v H Ltd – Birkenhead Magistrates’ Court 2016
Successfully defended a company charged with failure to notify who was driving when its truck was speeding.
R v M – Oxford Magistrates’ Court 2015
Successfully defended a step father charged with breaching a non-molestation order by his two step daughters.
R v Woodward Sheffield Crown Court 2016
Successfully defended in a three week trial stemming from the violent disorder that ensued during the Rotherham race riots. The case entailed highly involved legal arguments to succesfully exclude aspects of the CCTV footage the Crown sought to rely on. {Rotherham Advertiser}
Father jailed for having police baton while on suspended sentence
(The Oxford Times)
Officers prise apart weeping drug dealing couple as one is led to the cells
(Oxford Mail)
Alcoholic went on crime spree after court spared him prison
(Witney Gazette)
A Holiday from Domestic Costs Issues
(Solicitors Journal, 3 February 2015)
Toothpick Test turns Cellphones into a Drug Dealer’s Worst Enemy
(New Scientist)
Forensic Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry of Packaging Tapes on Drug Wraps
(The Analyst)
Peter Glenser QC successfully prosecuted Northumbrian Water for polluting a watercourse in a case brought by the Environment Agency at Durham Crown Court. Northumbrian Water pleaded guilty just before the trial was due to start on Monday…
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