John Hurlock successfully represents former International footballer in money-laundering trial

John Hurlock, instructed by Clarke Kiernan LLP, successfully represented a former international and Premier League footballer who faced trial at Norwich Crown Court on charges of money laundering. 

John’s client faced trial for possessing cash and using his bank accounts to transfer substantial sums of money which the prosecution alleged to be the proceeds of crime.   Although he did accept that he had sold nitrous oxide (and pleaded guilty to a separate charge relating to this), John’s client disputed that the bank debits and cash going through his various bank accounts were the proceeds of crime. 

At trial, John highlighted the police’s lack of proper investigation into the alleged unexplained third-party debits and produced evidence showing his client’s various legitimate sources of income.   Following a detailed analysis of the Police’s download from his client’s mobile phone, John was able to demonstrate that over half of the allegedly criminal monies could be shown to come from innocent transactions.   

Having heard the evidence, the jury unanimously acquitted John’s client.