Don Ramble

Overview

The majority of Don’s practice has involved prosecuting serious and organised crime and substantial fraud. He regularly prosecutes lengthy, complex, multi-defendant cases for the South East Complex Casework Unit and has also established himself as an expert on disclosure issues.

Don was Disclosure Counsel in the prosecution of Andrew Coulson, Rebekah Brooks and others for illegal “phone hacking” at The News of the World in what the press (National and International) described as “The Trial of the Century”. Previously, he acted in a similar role in the prosecution of Levi Bellfield for the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler. This case stemmed from one of Britain’s largest ever murder enquiries and was the biggest operation of its kind in the history of Surrey Police.

Don has successfully prosecuted numerous multi-kilo Class A drug conspiracy cases arising out of Operation Venetic, relying on evidence obtained from the encrypted communications platform EncroChat.

Don is currently acting as First-Junior Counsel to a long-running and complex public inquiry.

Additional Information

Don Ramble and Narita Bahra QC co-authored: 'Tackling Disclosure in the Criminal Courts – A Practitioner’s Guide.’ Published in September 2019.

Don has lectured to solicitors and fellow members of the Bar on disclosure.

Professional panel appointments

Don is a Level 4 Advocate on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Panel of Approved Counsel.

Asset Forfeiture, Confiscation & Civil Fraud

Don has extensive experience of the areas of law that arise in confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

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Business Crime & Financial Regulation

Throughout his career Don has regularly been instructed to prosecute fraud cases, including serious prosecutions relating to money laundering and fraudulent trading.

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Criminal Prosecutions - Private & Public

Don is a Grade 4 CPS prosecutor and has extensive experience in the Crown Court in cases relating to murder, serious assaults, fraud, organised crime, drugs, public order offences and people trafficking.

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Inquests & Inquiries

Don accepts instructions in relation to public inquiries and inquests.

He is currently acting as First-Junior Counsel to a long-running and complex public inquiry.

Don has particular experience in drafting detailed Rule 9 requests for evidence, making Restriction Order applications as well as all aspects of privacy redaction work.

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Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association.
South Eastern Circuit.
Kent Bar Mess.
Cybercrime Practitioners Association.

Cases of Note

R v Brown

Don successfully prosecuted Brown for causing Grievous Bodily Harm with intent to a Prison Guard. The attack included throwing boiling water over the victim. At the time of the offence, the defendant was serving a prison sentence for Robbery in which he had tasered his victim in the face. Brown was sentenced to life imprisonment following a successful trial which relied, in particular, on CCTV footage taken from inside the prison.

R v Kitrys

Don Ramble successfully prosecuted Kitrys for attempted murder leading to a 25-year extended sentence.

R v Nicholl

Prosecution of Nicholls: dealing tens of kilograms of Class A drugs leading to a 16-year sentence. Encrypted EncroChat messages obtained by the NCA following a joint operation between French and Dutch police.

R v Breaker

Secured a conviction for attempted murder of a man who attacked his wife with a hammer and kitchen knife. Trial turned on Ring doorbell footage. Defendant was sentenced to 30 years in custody.

R v Dalton

Obtained a confiscation order in excess of £3.4 million against a defendant convicted of a complex VAT fraud.

R v Colin Gale & Stewart Robertson (Crown Court)

Led Junior Counsel in the prosecution of Colin Gale for the killing of bomb disposal expert Mark Manning. Gale was also convicted, along with his co-defendant Stewart Robertson, of preventing the lawful burial of his victim’s body.

R v Matthew Daley (Crown Court)

Led Junior Counsel in the prosecution of Matthew Daley for killing Donald Lock.

R v Jonathan Cudworth (Crown Court)

Led Junior Counsel in the prosecution of Jonathan Cudworth for killing Mariola Cudworth.

R v Ash-Smith (Crown Court)

Disclosure Counsel in the prosecution of Colin Ash-Smith for the murder of Claire Tiltman.

R v Coulson and others (Crown Court)

Disclosure Counsel in the prosecution of Andrew Coulson, Rebekah Brooks and others for illegal ‘Phone Hacking’ at The News of the World.

R v Bellfield (Crown Court)

Disclosure Counsel in the prosecution of Levi Bellfield for the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler.

R v Obisesan (Crown Court)

A prosecution on behalf of the South East Complex Casework Unit. This fraud case involved false loan applications and the laundering of funds through some 22 financial accounts. Just short of £1 million, £918,256, passed through accounts controlled by Mr Obisesan during the period which was the subject of the indictment.

R v Blomfield (Crown Court)

Prosecution of a man charged under section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968. The defendant had forced his way into a millionaire’s residence and terrorised the cleaner and owner’s young son.

R v Anderson (Crown Court)

Trial at the Old Bailey of a man who repeatedly stabbed his victim.

R v Zekari (Crown Court)

Prosecution of a “trusted courier” charged under section 327(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 with concealing criminal property, namely £1,403,080 in cash.

R v Stephen Court, Nicola Puttick, Vincent Robinson, Martyn Dolphin, Kevin Court, Fatiha Court, David Kemp (Crown Court)

This £3.8 million VAT fraud was one of the largest fraud investigations ever carried out by the Kent Police. It involved multiple false identities and the use of numerous corporate and other trading entities. The defendants laundered the proceeds and transferred much of it out of the jurisdiction to France, Spain and Morocco. Following conviction, confiscation orders totalling in excess of £1.1 million were obtained.

R v Williams, Newman and Newman (Crown Court)

Led in a case involving three defendants charged with conspiracy to control the activities of prostitutes for gain.

R v Hunter (Crown Court)

Prosecution of a man who attacked his victim with a hammer causing a fractured skull.

R v Jarvis and Evans (Crown Court)

Led in a complex case relating to a conspiracy to defraud creditors in the car industry.

R v Shilling, Shilling, Langley, McClune, Shaw and Smith Crown Court)

Led in an organised crime case concerning a conspiracy to disguise criminal property, namely stolen machinery, plant and commercial vehicles.

R v Selling and Brockwell (Crown Court)

Prosecution of two men charged with possession with intent to supply the equivalent of 7 kilograms of cocaine at 100% purity, with an estimated value of between £1.5 and £2.5 million. A confiscation order was later made against the main defendant in the sum of £470,000.

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