Fergus Harrington
LLB (hons)
Solicitor
Recommended in the Legal 500, Fergus has 12 years’ experience in practicing criminal law. He advises in respect of allegations of white-collar crime, business crime, money laundering, the importation and supply of drugs, the supply of firearms, murder and serious sexual offences. His practice has an emphasis on complex financial and regulatory matters including allegations of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Fergus has vast experience in preparing VHCC cases and defends prosecutions brought by the FCA, HMRC and the SFO.
Fergus has developed a particular expertise in advising individuals involved in boiler room frauds. He advised defendants in the first three land banking prosecutions in the UK, including Operation Cotton.
Fergus has extensive knowledge of preparing lengthy and highly complex Crown Court trials, often involving the miss selling of diamonds, binary option investments and asset recovery services.
Fergus has built up a credible private client following, advising high net worth individuals, as well as company Directors, in relation to HMRC investigations, tax evasion, mortgage fraud, benefit fraud, charity fraud and money laundering.
Fergus has significant expertise in preparing cases concerning the supply and importation of drugs on a commercial scale. These types of cases often involve the conspiracy to supply and import in excess of 100 kilos of class A drugs and carry substantial sentences.
Fergus is particularly sought after in cases involving Encro Chat evidence linked to Operation Venetic. He is renowned for his ability to analyse and comprehend vast amounts of complex telecommunications data. During the last eighteen months Fergus has worked with a number of the countries leading telephone experts and computer experts to assist with Encro Chat cases. He has also instructed French Law experts to provide commentary on the involvement of the French authorities in Operation Venetic.
Fergus is also adept at handling serious matters involving violence, murder and serious organised crime.
Money Laundering
R v K – Southwark Crown Court
Represented the owner of an Exchange Bureau charged with money laundering of £9.2 million through the bureau over a 9 month period.
Boiler Room Fraud
R v N – Old Bailey
The defendant was charged with Conspiracy to Defraud. This allegation involved the misrepresentations to investors re the sale of Green Belt land and Carbon Credits. There were a number of defendants who were charged with this matter. Net loss was in excess of £6 million. Defendant acquitted of the fraud relating to land and retrial ordered in respect of carbon credits.
EncroChat Cases
Operation Bubble (Encro) – Guildford Crown Court
Conspiracy to supply in excess of 100kg of cocaine. This case involved the movement of commercial quantities of cocaine across Surrey and Hampshire using Encro phones. The conspirators had their own network of couriers and street dealers. There was a single seizure of 45kgs of cocaine in Maidenhead.
Operation Jets Phase 2 (Encro) – SEROCU / NCA Investigation
Advising a client under police investigation for importation and supply of class A drugs across the home counties.
Operation Jennings (Encro) – Kingston Crown Court
Commercial supply of cocaine across Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. At this stage it is thought that in excess of 1 tonne of cocaine was supplied by the conspirators. Encro messages show that deliveries of between 80kgs and 100kgs were a regular occurrence.
Operation Precision (Encro) – Croydon Crown Court
Conspiracy to import and supply 500kgs of cocaine involving Encro chat evidence. A French law expert, a telephone expert and a cell site expert have all been instructed to assist. Significant quantities of telephone data has been served.
Operation Aquarium (Encro) – Liverpool Crown Court
Conspiracy to supply class a drugs (heroine and cocaine). The wider conspiracy is alleged to have resulted in the onward supply of in excess of 80kgs of cocaine and heroine.
Operation Shark (Encro) – Chelmsford Crown Court
Conspiracy to supply 30kgs of cocaine across Essex and the surrounding areas involving 8 defendants. The organisers of the conspiracy used Encro phones to direct the supply of cocaine. They used a business as a cover and also had a team of low level dealers involved in street supply and county lines drug dealing.
Operation Bullshark (Encro) – Bristol Crown Court
Conspiracy to produce ketamine, conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to import cannabis. This case involved 18 defendants. Our client was alleged to be the “cook” operating a ketamine factory capable of producing 50kgs of ketamine at once. The conspirators had close links to the source of the cocaine as it entered the UK on the South Coast. This was then supplied nationally across the UK. Large amounts of raw data was served having been captured from the Encro server.
Operation Utility (Encro) – Snaresbrook Crown Court
Commercial supply of cocaine across London. Our client was under surveillance and seen to deliver what transpired to be £500,000 cash to an address in South London. The following day he was arrested with 20kgs of cocaine concealed within a “hide” in his boot. The defendants used Encrypted phones to communicate with each other.
Operation Illinois (Encro) – Liverpool Crown Court
Nine defendants charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine across Liverpool. In excess of 30kgs supplied across the wider conspiracy. Large quantities of Encro chat data served.
Operation Flux (Encro) – Snaresbrook Crown Court
Five defendants charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroine. In excess of 40kgs of cocaine and heroine seized in Islington. Encro chat evidence served.
Operation Liberty (Encro) – Southwark Crown Court
Conspiracy to supply heroine, cocaine, ketamine and MDMA and firearms across the South of London. Based on Encro chat messages 70kgs was deemed to have been supplied. Modified vans were used to transport the drugs. One vehicle seized contained concealed compartments capable of storing 20kgs of class A drugs.
Operation Candlwood and Volt (Encro) – Woolwich Crown Court
Client charged with conspiracy to cause GBH to a co-defendant of his in a separate Crown Court trial. Evidence gathered of the proposed “hit” via Encro chat messages.
Murder & Manslaughter
Operation Harleston – Old Bailey
Represented a father of 8 who along with his partner were alleged to have murdered a man in New Addington. Defendant acquitted of murder after trial.
Operation Foreston – Central Criminal Court
Murder allegation as part of a Gangland dispute often referred to as a postcode war. The defendant was thought to be a central figure of the notorious ‘Beaumont Boys Gang’. The Prosecution in this case made a Witness Anonymity application under the provisions of section 87(1) Coroners and Justice Act 2009.
R v B – Wood Green Crown Court
This case involved a serious conspiracy to cause arson. The defendant was subsequently acquitted. The incident was vastly reported and which led to the closure of the M1 (Apex Corner) for about two weeks causing nationwide disruption.
Serious Drugs Offences
R v K & Others – Birmingham Crown Court
Multi-handed nationwide conspiracy to supply a vast amount of class A drugs. The case involved a large amount of covert recordings and cell site data. 48 phones were attributed to the defendant. The defendant we represented was acquitted of 5 out of 6 of the charges against him.
Landlord Licensing Offences
London Borough of Waltham Forest v A
Prosecution bought by L.B.W.F in relation to breaches of landlord licence. Alleged that client produced a false licence in order to evict tenants. Case ongoing.