Thomas Acworth
Year of Call: 2014
Email Address: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
Telephone: 01962 868 884
Clerk Details
- Clerk Name: Stuart Pringle
- Clerk Telephone: 01962 868 884
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Overview
Thomas Acworth is a criminal specialist. His practice encompasses general crime, regulatory crime and police law.
Homicide (Murder and Manslaughter)
Thomas Acworth's busy homicide and serious crime caseload has included:
Homicide
R v H (Operation Telstar): Murder. Led by Nick Cotter. Multiple stab wounds inflicted on former partner of defendant’s girlfriend. Incident in public with several eyewitnesses. Defence of loss of control.
R v B (Operation Crux): Attempted Murder. Led by Charles Row KC. Accountant of previous good character accused of attempting to kill his wife by drowning her. Complex psychiatric issues. Defence of insanity.
R v G: Attempted murder. Junior alone. Attempted murder by strangulation. Defendant expressed interest in the occult and black magic prior to attacking victim. 30-year delay in bringing proceedings due to defendant absconding.
R v W & Six Others (Operation Beckon): Assisting an Offender (Murder). Leading Laura Hollingbery. Young defendant accused of hiding a murder weapon shortly after the killing in question took place.
R v Q and Another (Operation Powerboat): Assisting an Offender (Murder). Led by Tom Evans. Vulnerable defendant accused of assisting his co-accused (tried for murder and attempted murder) to escape from the police.
Serious Violence & Serious Crime
R v L and Two Youths (Operation Swallowtail): Causing GBH with Intent. Led by Gemma White. Three teenage boys accused of beating a care-worker to near death with a log. Case attracted national media attention.
R v G and Two Others (Operation Hurricane 1): Conspiracy to Supply Ammunition and Prohibited Firearms (handguns). Professional organised crime group operating nationally.
R v X and Another (Operation Hurricane 2): Manufacturing Prohibited Firearms; Manufacturing Ammunition, Conspiracy to Supply Ammunition and Prohibited Firearms. Linked to Operation Hurricane 1. Defence of armourer in the conspiracy.
R v A Youth: Wounding with Intent. 13-year-old boy stabbed a fellow teenager after following her into a housing estate on Halloween. Defendant asked victim how dead she wanted to be before inflicting wound. Tried in the Crown Court.
R v J (A Youth): Wounding with Intent, Robbery, Arson: 16-year-old boy stabbed male in street following altercation, robbed elderly female of handbag and set fire to his care home. Complex mental health issues and issues of Crown Court jurisdiction.
R v X: Wounding with Intent. Accused stabbed injured party six times. Wounds inflicted to the neck, abdomen and internal organs. Complex mental health issues.
R v K & Others: Wounding with Intent, False Imprisonment, Robbery, Threats to Kill and Possession of Firearm with Intent. Allegations of detention and torture following a drug deal gone awry.
R v M: Aggravated Burglary, False Imprisonment and ABH. Defendant accused of taking his ex-partner hostage at their former home.
R v K: Possession of Prohibited Firearms, Concerned in the Supply of Cannabis and Possession of Various Offensive Weapons. Defendant of effective good character, linked to discovery of sawn-off shotguns and pistols in woodland on outskirts of city.
R v T & H: Armed Robbery. Knife-point joint enterprise robbery of commercial premises. Both defendants ran cutthroat defences.
R v F & X: Aggravated Burglary and Dwelling Robbery. Allegations of armed home invasions in which defendants demanded drugs and drug money.
R v J: Aggravated Burglary. Allegation of home invasion during which victim assaulted with incapacitant spray and hammer.
R v V & Others: Dwelling Robbery. Home invasion, during which victims attacked with hammers, knuckledusters and incapacitant spray. Gangland context.
R v D, E & F: Robbery and Dwelling Robbery. Joint-enterprise ventures. Elderly and vulnerable victims.
R v Q: Ill-Treatment of Child. Historical allegations (ranging from late 1970s to mid 1980s) of severe child abuse involving infliction of injuries with weapons, attempted drowning and sexual abuse.
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Recommendations Thomas Acworth is a sought-after junior with notable expertise in criminal defence work. His caseload includes murders, fraud and sexual abuse matters.
Strengths:
- "He approaches cases forensically and achieves very good results."
- "He is very diligent."
Chambers UK 2025/Crime/Western Bar
Strengths:
- “He possesses skills way beyond his call.”
- “Thomas is very hard-working and always in command of his brief.”
- “Thomas is a fearless and determined advocate.”
Chambers UK 2024/Crime/Western Bar
Strengths: “Thomas is a fearless advocate.”
Chambers UK 2023/Crime/Western Bar
‘Thomas is driven, focused and talented. He has precise attention to detail and a robust approach to advocacy.’
Legal 500 2025/ Crime (General and Fraud)/Leading Juniors/ Western Circuit
‘Thomas is an extremely diligent practitioner with an extraordinary eye for detail and his knowledge is genuinely astounding. No stone is left unturned in his preparation and his advocacy is equally impressive.'
Legal 500 2024/ Crime (General and Fraud)/Leading Juniors/ Western Circuit
'He has an excellent court manner, very calm and controlled and his witness handling is absolutely superb. He isn't fazed by judges.'
Legal 500 2023/Crime (General and Fraud)/Leading Juniors/Western Circuit
‘A barrister of great tenacity, very hard working and with an eye for detail. He shows a high level of dedication to his clients and is fearless and straight talking in his approach.’
Legal 500 2022/Crime (General and Fraud)/Leading Juniors/Western Circuit
“Words cannot explain how elated I am with the outcome today. I am ever so grateful. Wanted to express my deepest appreciation”
Client’s email to instructing solicitor
“I am extremely grateful for the excellent work you have done on this case”
Email from instructing solicitor
“I’ve just had a chat with young Mr. F and he’s asked me to pass on his sincere thanks for yesterday. In his words you were top dollar and really cool. Thank you for all your efforts in securing a great result for us”
Email from instructing solicitor
“I must say he is absolutely amazing at what he does, firm when he needs to be (and he needed to be with me) and so incredibly quick thinking when he is in court”
Client’s email to instructing solicitor
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3PB's crime barrister Thomas Acworth (pictured here) acted for JP, a 60-year-old man of previous good character, who was accused of serious sexual offences said to have taken place from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. He was tried before HHJ Feest KC at Winchester Crown Court. The indictment included 22 incidents of what would now be charged as rape of a child under 13. The litigation involved considerable arguments over disclosure, which were...
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3PB’s Criminal Law team has retained its top tier ranking in the Legal 500 for Crime (General and Fraud) in the Western Circuit and welcomes three new rankings: 14 of its 28 practitioners are now ranked by the Legal 500. In our clients’ words, “3PB is ‘a strong set with barristers of every level and specialism’ and continues to handle cases across a wide spectrum of serious criminal cases, spanning murders, large-scale drug conspiracies, sexual...
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Welcome to our third crime and regulatory law newsletter edited by Oliver Hirsch, featuring our conference on 13 September as well as crime news and analysis from Oliver Hirsch, Kate Davies, Jo Martin KC, Gemma White, Tom Acworth, Berenice Mulvanny, Sunyana Sharma, Rebecca McKnight and Holly Fagan.
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