Yvonne Coen QC and Luke Blackburn successfully defend dot.com millionaire

21 May 2009

A 7 BR team recently successfully defended David Atherton, a Lancashire tycoon at Leeds Crown Court. Mr Atherton had been the owner of the high-profile electronic goods firm Dabs.com, before selling it to British Telecom in 2006 for an undisclosed sum.

He faced charges including attempted rape, making threats to kill and false imprisonment. The Crown's case was that the incident had been captured by his own CCTV system installed in his house. The case was reported extensively by national press and television; it ended on the 1st May with his acquittal of all matters after only an hour of deliberating after a two-week trial. He had instructed his counsel and solicitors privately, and a costs order was made in his favour