YEAR OF CALL 2018

‘William is an outstanding advocate. He has great flair in court, cross-examines beautifully, and has the ability to deal with opponents with courtesy but firmness. His instincts are superb, and his work is always of the absolute highest quality. He is quite obviously a star in the making.’

The Legal 500 2025

William specialises in serious and organised crime and is a highly sought-after junior for heavyweight and complex cases.

He accepts instructions to prosecute and defend in all areas of Chambers’ work, with a particular emphasis on homicide, county lines drug dealing, and serious sexual offending. Regularly instructed in large multi-handed cases, both as leading and led counsel, William’s experience significantly exceeds his year of call. He combines a thorough, personable service with excellent legal advice, and a fearless courtroom manner. He has quickly established himself as an accomplished trial advocate.

As leading counsel, William has prosecuted large scale drugs and money laundering conspiracies. As a led junior, he has recently dealt with multiple trials of murder, rape and child sexual offences, and multi-million-pound frauds. As a junior alone his instructions include multi-handed gang stabbings, kidnap, sexual assaults, and armed robberies.

William also has expertise in LPP and evidence review and is regularly instructed by the National Crime Agency and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to act as independent counsel in large scale and international investigations of Bribery, Corruption and Fraud.

Recent cases / instructions include:

HOMICIDE

R v. Berry-Parkes & Hamad (Birmingham Crown Court, 2024) – Murder. A trial of two ‘pimps’ accused of beating a man to death following an allegation he raped a prostitute under their control. The case involved substantial expert psychiatric and neurological evidence regarding diminished responsibility. Led by Edward Franklin.

R v. Shannon Grant (Leicester Crown Court, 2024) – Murder. The Defendant, an admitted drug dealer and gangster, used cable ties to restrain and strangle the girlfriend of his recently deceased friend. Burn injuries to the victim’s body revealed a level of torture using a heated metal tool. Her body was found hidden in the base of an Ottoman bed. Led by Paul Cavin KC.

R v. Benham & Hedges (Maidstone Crown Court, 2023) – Murder. The Defendants were convicted of murdering their 18-month-old baby by beating and smothering him to death in a caravan during the COVID lockdown. The case involved numerous experts from various forensic fields, and against one Defendant turned heavily on the presentation of expert bitemark analysis evidence. Instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit, William was led by Jennifer Knight KC.

SEXUAL OFFENCES

R v. Petru Iancu (Luton Crown Court, 2023) – Led Junior. William secured convictions on all 17 counts of sexual offending committed against three children over a five-year period. The offences included Rape of a Child, Causing a Child to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Sexual Assault. Led by Edward Lucas.

R v. J (Inner London Crown Court, 2022) — Junior alone in a trial relating to a violent Sexual Assault.

R v. M (Croydon Crown Court, 2022) — Junior alone, securing convictions in respect of multiple child sexual offences.

R v. J (Maidstone Crown Court, 2021) — Junior alone, successfully prosecuted a Defendant suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in a multi-complainant Sexual Assault and Stalking trial.

DRUGS OFFENCES

Operation Coolum (Wood Green Crown Court, 2023) – Leading junior in a six Defendant Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs, relating to approximately half a million pounds worth of Heroin and “Crack” Cocaine supplied in Islington and Camden. In July 2024 William is also due to act as leading counsel in the multi-million-pound money laundering operation relating to the proceeds of the drugs lines. Leading Joe Weeks.

Operation Homepart (Guildford Crown Court, 2024) – Led Junior in a ‘County Lines’ drugs conspiracy between London and Crawley. Led by Sam Barker.

Operation Leafkart (Wood Green Crown Court, 2023) – Led Junior in a trial of multiple defendants for drugs and money laundering offences. The trial raised issued of modern slavery and duress. Led by Sam Barker.

Operation Garner (Wood Green Crown Court, 2022) —Led Junior, prosecuting a Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs relating to a gang led by three brothers who facilitated the supply of multiple kilos of Class A drugs within North London. Led by Sam Barker.

Operation Virtuous (Winchester Crown Court, 2022) — Led Junior, defending in a multi-handed Conspiracy to Supply Class A Drugs. The case relates to an Organised Crime Group led by “Britain’s Most Wanted Cocaine Baron” which was involved in the supply of many tonnes of Cocaine valued at over £100 million. Acquittal secured on the drugs offences. Led by Sam Barker.

VIOLENT CRIME

R v. K & Others (Canterbury Crown Court, 2024) – Junior alone, prosecuting a multi-handed stabbing involving multiple victims in Canterbury Town Centre. Trial due to take place in August 2024.

R v. E (Portsmouth Crown Court, 2022) — Junior alone defending in a trial of Kidnap, securing an acquittal.

R v. O & Others (Maidstone Crown Court, 2022) — Junior alone, prosecuting a multi-handed Aggravated Burglary.

R v. L (Maidstone Crown Court, 2022) — Junior alone, prosecuting a trial of Arson With Intent to Endanger Life.

Operation Celsius (Harrow Crown Court, 2021) — Led Junior securing convictions against all five defendants in a trial of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery and Conspiracy to Have an Imitation Firearm with Criminal Intent. The case involved a meticulously planned operation involving the use of magnetic GPS trackers, culminating in an armed nighttime raid on the affluent victim in his Berkshire mansion. Numerous high-value wristwatches were stolen. Investigated by The Flying Squad, the case relied predominantly on cell-site data and expert evidence. Led by Tim Hunter.

R v. K-A-J (Central Criminal Court, 2021) — Junior alone, prosecuting a trial of home invasion Armed Robbery of a young mother.

R v. K (Wood Green Crown Court, 2021) — Junior alone, prosecuting a high-value Armed Robbery where the Defence raised a counter-allegation of attempted Rape. William secured convictions on all counts.

R v. A (Snaresbrook Crown Court, 2021) — Junior alone, defending a 15 year-old accused of s.18 Grievous Bodily Harm in a pre-meditated multi-handed stabbing.

R v. S (Portsmouth Crown Court, 2021) — Junior alone, defending in a trial of ABH, securing an acquittal.

R v. E (Portsmouth Crown Court, 2020) — Junior alone, defending in a trial of Violent Disorder, securing an acquittal.

FINANCIAL CRIME

Operation Typhoon (Inner London Crown Court, 2024) – Led junior, prosecuting multiple Defendants in a money laundering operation arising from a fraud relating to a mobile phone recycling scheme. Trial due to take place in October 2024, led by Sam Willis.

R v. F (Isleworth Crown Court, 2022) — Junior alone in a sophisticated money laundering relating to frauds committed through email hacking, and the subsequent dissipation of criminal property to numerous bank accounts in the UK and overseas.

Operation Papillon (Lewes Crown Court, 2023) – Led junior, prosecuting a c.£4 million Fraud and associated Directors Disqualification offences, committed by an accomplished confidence trickster over a period of 6 years. Duncan Grant convinced multiple people to invest in a cash spoiling device company, but instead spent their money on luxury holidays, cars, jewellery, and houses. Instructed by the Serious Economic and Organised Crime and International Directorate, William was led by Dominic Hockley.

Operation Recover (Canterbury Crown Court, 2023) – Junior alone, William secured a conviction against the single Defendant for Fraudulent Evasion of Duty in respect of his transportation of c.6 million cigarettes into the United Kingdom, at a loss to the Exchequer of £2.1 million. The case was investigated by HMRC.

Operation Zajic (Southwark Crown Court, 2022) – Led junior in the trial of Jacob Gross, who via his UK merchant bank accounts, received over £1.6 million from the online sale of illegal medications across numerous European countries. Instructed by the Specialist Fraud Unit, the investigation produced over 100,000 pages of evidence and was over a decade in duration. Led by Jenny Burgess.

Operation Dobbs (Kingston Crown Court, 2019) — Led junior in a multi-million-pound Conspiracy to Defraud trial. The Defendants preyed on an elderly man and defrauded him of his home and capital assets over period of 16 years. Led by Nick Alexander.

R v. T & Others (Maidstone Crown Court, 2020) — Junior alone. A conspiracy to defraud affecting over 200 victims, and involving a large amount of telephone and CCTV evidence. The Defendants used fraudulent bank details to purchase high-value electronics, and targeted vulnerable properties as decoys to deliver and circulate criminal property.

wgoss@2hb.co.uk