Ben Jones acted for D who appeared at the Crown Court charged with money laundering.

 

D was stopped by the police driving a vehicle. The vehicle passenger footwell contained a black bin liner. The contents of which revealed two plastic boxes containing £133,000. The prosecution case was that this sum was criminal property, namely the concealment (the evidence showing it had previously been buried), and thereafter possession when it was moved in the vehicle.They therefore charged the defendant with money laundering. Not guilty pleas were entered and the matter proceeded to trial.

 

A successful application of no case to answer was made at the conclusion of the prosecution case. Not guilty verdicts were therefore recorded.  The judge did not accept that the circumstances in which the property was handled give rise to the irresistible inference that the money can only be derived from crime.

 

Following persuasive submissions the Judge agreed that there was nothing suspicious in the way the cash was being transported. The prosecution submission that the sheer quantity of cash led to an inference of guilt was described by the Judge as “a fallacious submission”.

 

Sarah Barlow of Exchange Chambers was instructed as counsel for D.

 

 

Case represented by Ben Jones, Opus Law.