Daren Samat
Year of call
1992
Instructing Daren Samat
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
A very experienced criminal advocate, Daren Samat has practiced in all aspects of criminal law since his call to the bar in 1992.
In late 2019 Daren returned to independent practice at 7BR having spent eleven years at the employed bar as Head of Advocacy for one of the country’s leading criminal defence firms.
Upon joining chambers Daren was appointed to the CPS list of external counsel as a Level 4 prosecutor. Additionally Daren is a specialist rape and serious sexual offences prosecutor (RASSO list) and he regularly prosecutes and defends cases of this nature.
His more recent work has entailed cases of the utmost gravity and sensitivity and he has appeared in cases as sole counsel, leading junior (when often against Queen’s Counsel) and he has been a led in a wide variety of complex and serious cases whether for the defence or the prosecution.
His recent cases include cases of all forms of homicide; terrorism; firearms; serious sexual offences, drugs offences and fraud. He has also appeared regularly before the Court Martial at the UK Military Courts.
Legal Expertise
Crime & Regulatory
BBC News >
Crime & Regulatory
Notable Crime & Regulatory cases
R v CH (Bristol CC)
Defence of a Swindon taxi driver accused of the murders of Sian O'Callaghan and Rebecca Godden Edwards. CH made confessions extracted by oppression which were later excluded following successful legal argument. This led to a terminating ruling on one count. The applications to exclude were followed by abuse of process arguments which arose due to the blanket and national media coverage. This case has been the subject of both an ITV documentary and a recent television drama series. Led by Richard Latham QC.
BBC News >BBC News >
R v CH (High Court QBD)
Further defence of CH upon the Crown's subsequent application to prefer a voluntary bill re-charging him with the murder of Rebecca Godden Edwards. CH was alleged to be a serial killer and in this case Daren settled the defence written pleadings and successfully opposed the Crown's application. Junior alone.
R v RO (Birmingham CC)
Defence of a double category A prisoner (who was already serving life for murder) charged with the further murder of a fellow category A whilst at HMP Long Lartin. This was a cut-throat defence and late instruction. Led junior.
R v DC (Reading CC)
Defence of vulnerable psychiatric inpatient charged with the attempted murder of a local shop assistant. The defence involved calling contested psychiatric evidence to support the contention that the defendant’s unusual belief system was based in reality. Junior alone.
The Telegraph >R v KA (Bristol CC)
The case attracted media attention due to the salacious nature of the death which resulted from a drug's overdose following "chem-sex" and sado-masochistic sexual acts between consenting homosexual partners. Led by Pavlos Panayi QC.
R v AA (Leicester CC)
Defence of the principal defendant in a multiple murder trial. The case involved five deaths and became known as the Leicester explosion trial after receiving nationwide media attention. Led by James House QC.
BBC News >R v DL (Bristol CC)
Defence of a vulnerable alcoholic charged with the murder of her violently abusive partner. Led by James House QC.
R v KM (Birmingham CC)
Defence of a young man of good character charged with a stabbing inside a night club. The issue was self-defence. Led by James House QC.
R v MV (Birmingham CC)
Terrorism offences and trial of serving Army NCO charged with membership of National Action, a neo Nazi group and a proscribed organisation. Also charged with possession of items of use in terrorism. The case attracted international media attention. Led by Pavlos Panayi QC.
BBC News >R v EG (Courts Martial (Bulford) Military Court)
Defence of a former RAF Intelligence SNCO prosecuted for multiple historic sexual offences against 13 children whilst serving in 1970s-1980s in the then West Germany. The case involved multiple jurisdiction issues and received national media coverage. Daren also appeared for EG in further proceedings involving historic sexual allegations by a further 8 children. Leading counsel.
BBC News >R v RH (Bristol CC)
Defence of the principal defendant in a nationwide paedophile ring who met via the dark web. RH had previously served a sentence for earlier sexual offences and upon his release he befriended a young couple, groomed them whilst they were pregnant and later raped their baby, which was filmed for distribution on the dark web. The case received national media attention. Junior alone.
R v KH (Reading CC)
Defence of youth diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and ADHD charged with historic and multiple rape of children under 13 years. Junior alone.
R v JW (Aylesbury CC)
Defence of vulnerable teenager with profound Asperger syndrome charged with rape of his "best friend". Instructions had to be taken via an intermediary and the trial conducted with the use of special measures. Junior alone.
R v MM (Oxford CC)
Defence of MM charged with rape of the two toddlers/children for whom he was the court appointed guardian. Both children were under 5 at time of the offences. Almost the entirety of the Crown’s case was the product of covert audio recordings which captured the alleged offences. The case involved cross examination of an expert witness as to the disputed content of the recordings. Junior alone.
R v LM (Reading CC)
Defence of historic sexual offences including rape (of a child under 13 years). Issues of doli incapax arose during the trial. Junior alone.
R v X (Courts Martial (Colchester) Military Court)
Defence of a serving Army private prosecuted for theft of 10 Sig Sauer 9mm handguns and their distribution to OCNs. The case involved multiple PII issues involving police and government departments. Junior alone.
R v X (Courts Martial (Colchester) Military Court)
Defence of serving senior commissioned officer for firearms offences and later procurement fraud - the case involved the alleged unlawful possession of a firearm (issue) by a high-ranking officer discovered during the search of his home by MOD police investigating alleged procurement fraud. Junior alone.
R v RS (Birmingham CC)
Defence of an alleged partner of principal charged with conspiracy to import and supply massive quantities of class A (MDMA), class B (cannabis and amphetamines). The case relied heavily on the product of covert probe devices and the consequent examination of issues under RIPA. Junior alone.
R v MY (Oxford CC)
Instructed to defend the principal defendant in a multi-handed cut-throat murder trial. To be led by Pavlos Panayi QC.
Instructing Daren Samat
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