Roderick Hunt

Rod has extensive experience and expertise in all major areas of criminal law

He regularly acts on behalf of Local Authority and Government Agencies. He is also highly experienced in Court Martial cases.

His main areas of expertise include Murder, Manslaughter, Rape, Informant and Undercover Cases, Drug Trafficking, Child Abuse and Serious Violent Offences, including false memory symptoms and satanic abuse. He has also dealt with Youth Justice and Public Interest immunity cases.

Advocacy experience has been gained in the Crown Court, Divisional Court and Court of Appeal. Rod has always been based in the North of England both in industry and at the bar.

Rod defended “Britain’s most wanted man” in the James Allen double murder trial, and on a lighter note “Yob admits attacking women with fake phallus“

In 2017, he defended Kenneth Hugill, an 83 year old farmer charged with GBH after he shot a convicted burglar that he thought was stealing diesel from his isolated farm. Mr Hugill was acquitted, the jury taking only 24 minutes to return their not guilty verdict. Media coverage can be found here.

He also represented Michael Dunn, Teesside Crown Court, convicted and sentenced to 27 years imprisonment for serious sexual offences against young girls and concealing a 14 year old victim in a space behind his fridge, camouflaged with a false wall and was guarded by German Shepherd dogs. Media coverage of the matter can be found here.

Rod represented an aristocrat, who caused a three-car crash on a busy road was cleared of dangerous driving. Lady Susan Zetland, 77, of Aske Hall, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, tried to cross the A66 at the Hargill junction on 4 July. She had admitted careless driving, but denied being dangerous and was cleared of the offence by a jury at Teesside Crown Court. Media coverage of the matter can he found here

In the matter of R -v- Michael Gilbert – under cross-examination from Rod, an instructor for Arriva said having a bus in “drive” instead of neutral at a stand would not be a fail on a test for a public service vehicle licence resulted in the Crown offering no evidence on charges of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The defendant entered pleas to the lesser charges of causing death by careless driving and careless driving. Media coverage of the proceedings can be found here

Other cases

False memory syndrome and hypnosis in historic sex abuse

Lip reading and covert surveillance in prison in murder

Human rights and covert surveillance by police in court premises

Satanic abuse and witchcraft allegations made against parents which led to an “Orkney” style prosecution which closed down an entire section of a north east town

National paedophile ring operating out of a care home for disturbed children

Murder by juveniles incorporating necrophilia

Serial poisoning by wife of successive husbands

Murder by policeman of own wife

Murder by children

Drug dealing by policeman

Rapes by children upon adults

Rapes of children by children

Rapes of adults including extreme violence, group sex and high media profile rape with campaign group attached

Murders of spouses, neighbours and strangers

Two cases linked to Irish terrorism which entailed security issues at the highest level

Drug dealing involving seizures at over £1,000,000 including importation from the USA

Defence in Hunting Act protest involving direct attack on Prime Minister’s car

Court Martials of Colonel in military intelligence

Court Martial of RSM accused of serial sexual abuse of young recruits

Innumerable cases of armed robbery, section 18 violence etc

Industrial fraud involving sums in excess of £1,000,000

Notable Cases

R -v- Ashleigh Naylor

The Defendant, a prison nurse, represented by Rod, avoided an immediate custodial sentence having admitted to being in a relationship with an inmate. Media coverage of the matter can be found here.

R -v- Sam Houlihan

The Defendant was shot by armed police officers after refusing requests to put down what emerged was an imitation air pistol, while sitting in a taxi boxed in by police vehicles. Media coverage of the matter can be found here.

R -v- Joan Johnson

The 60 year old Defendant was charged with attempted Murder having stabbed her husband after a row. She denied that charge and pleaded to a lessor charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Media coverage of the matter can be found here.