Michael Fitton QC
Degree: MA (Oxon)
Year of call and Inn: 1991; Gray’s Inn
Appointments: QC 2006; Recorder 2000 (Crown Court); Legal Member of the MHRT (Wales).
Professional Membership: Western Circuit; CBA
Practice:
Michael Fitton is Head of Albion Chambers. He is a specialist in criminal law, and undertakes prosecution and defence work across the Western Circuit and beyond. Michael has extensive experience of serious crime in particular homicide and fraud. He has particular interest in cases involving complex forensic issues, ‘gross negligence’ manslaughter, and psychiatric issues relating to witnesses and defendants.
He joined Albion Chambers in 1991, after ten years practice as a solicitor, including six years as a partner in a Bristol law firm, conducting legal aid work.
Current cases include:
Prosecutions for murder; defence for murder.
Recent cases of interest:
Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice: R v H: Swansea Crown Court: defence of a former police officer in South Wales arising from the Lynette White murder enquiry in 1988;
Murder: R v Vice – 2011: prosecution arising from fatal stabbing in Patchway;
Murder: R v Langmead – 2011: prosecution for double murder in Barnstaple; complex forensic and circumstantial evidence;
Attempt Murder: R v Parsons – 2011: prosecution for attempted murder, rape, arson and aggravated burglary;
Manslaughter (gross negligence): R v Mingo and Hodge – 2010: prosecution arising from the installation of a defective flue system to a boiler at a hotel;
Murder: Appeal against conviction – R v Shale [2009] All ER (D) 106: respondent to CCRC appeal based on new evidence from co-defendant;
Murder: R v AB – 2008: defence of a young female with ADHD charged with killing at St. Paul’s Festival 2007;
Murder: R v Pritchard and Others– 2008: defence of a young man charged with murder arising from a shooting in Club UK night-club in Bristol; issues of witness anonymity reported as: R v Mayers, Glasgow and Others [2008] EWCA Crim 2989;
Murder: R v Powell 2007: defence of man aged 88 years for killing his wife; issues of capacity and diminished responsibility;
Murder: R v Vinkenbrink 2006: defence of mother charged with killing her teenage daughter in 2006; defence of insanity;
Rape: R v Tift – 2010: defence of multiple historic rape allegations;
Rape: R v Lewis – 2009: defence of Bristol police officer charged with rape whilst on police duty. Appeal against sentence 2010 EWCA Crim 579 No 2009/06032/A6;
Rape: R v H – 2008: defence on charges of escape from psychiatric unit, and rape; originally represented on murder charge, when he was a 12 year old boy with Asperger’s syndrome who killed baby brother; issues of mental capacity and fitness to plead;
Fraud: R v Welsh and Others – 2008: prosecution of five defendants in a diving business near Plymouth for fraud on NHS; instructed by Fraud Prosecution Service, London;
Conspiracy: R v Johnson – 2008: defence in conspiracies to burgle; appeal from terminating ruling reported as O, J and S, R v [2008] EWCA Crim 463.
Recommendations:
“He ticks all the boxes for advocacy and courtroom presence”
Chambers and Partners 2012
Band 1 for Western Circuit Silks
“leading criminal silk”
Legal 500 2011
“highly organised and authoritative in court.” “His word carries real weight with clients,”
Chambers and Partners 2011
“heavyweight leader in serious fraud and criminal trials”
Legal 500 2010
“A top choice for heavyweight criminal matters.” “He combines many years’ experience as a solicitor with his experience as an advocate, making him a user-friendly silk.”
Chambers and Partners 2010
Albion Chambers, Broad Street, Bristol BS1 1DR
T: 0117 927 2144
F: 0117 926 2569
michael.fittonqc@albionchambers.co.uk
Clerk: Bonnie Colbeck
T 0117 311 0301
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