Jodie Mittell involved in successful joint enterprise murder prosecution

27th March 2024

3PB's Crime barrister Jodie MittellJodie MittellCall: 2004 acted for the Crown, led by Adam Vaitilingam KC, in a five-handed murder trial. The trial, at Winchester Crown Court, lasted eight weeks and concluded earlier this month with the jury unanimously convicting three defendants of murder and the other two of manslaughter. Two further defendants had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob.

The Crown's case was that the seven men had together planned a robbery. The five trial defendants travelled together to a block of flats in Southampton but, by mistake, they went to the wrong address. They forced their way in, wearing masks and threatening the 64 year old male who was then stabbed in the chest.

Jodie Mittell also represented the Crown at the sentence hearing on 12/03/24 when the defendants convicted of murder were given life sentences with a minimum term of either 29 years (Claffey) or 27 years (Tabone and Roach). The manslaughter defendants were given jail terms of 15 years (Morgan and O'Dell) and the two who had only been involved in the conspiracy to rob were given 7.5 and 8 years respectively.

The investigation "Op Hibiscus" was complex and involved a significant volume of CCTV and telephone enquiries together with forensic enquiries.

The case was widely reported including by Hampshire Police, the BBC and locally in the Daily Echo, when the family of the victim released a statement post-sentence.

To contact Jodie, please email her clerks Stuart Pringle on [email protected] or Lee Giles on [email protected] or telephone either of them on 01962 868884.