Conspiracy and Joint Enterprise

‍Criminal conspiracy requires agreement between two or more people to commit crimes. Crucially, the crime needn't occur - the agreement itself is criminal. This allows prosecutions based on conversations, messages, and associations without any substantive offence occurring.

Joint enterprise makes participants liable for crimes committed by associates during joint criminal ventures. The person who threw the fatal punch faces identical murder charges to someone present but not participating in violence. Recent Supreme Court decisions have restricted joint enterprise's scope, but it remains a powerful prosecutorial tool.

Conspiracy to supply drugs represents the most common conspiracy charge. These cases often involve extensive surveillance, phone evidence, and financial investigations. Being friends with drug dealers or present during deals can lead to conspiracy charges carrying identical sentences to principal dealers.

The following is not to be used as legal advice, it is a general understanding of events.

Challenging attribution forms the cornerstone of conspiracy defences. Prosecutors must prove individual involvement, not just association. We scrutinise evidence linking each defendant to alleged agreements, exposing assumptions and inference gaps.

Telecommunications evidence dominates modern conspiracy trials. Cell site analysis, encrypted messages, and call patterns form prosecution cases. We work with telecommunications experts who can challenge interpretations and demonstrate alternative explanations for communication patterns.

Cut-throat defences, where co-defendants blame each other, complicate group trials. Managing these dynamics whilst maintaining your defence requires tactical expertise. Sometimes separate representation applications protect against co-defendants' strategies undermining your defence.

Early guilty pleas by co-defendants pressure remaining defendants. We prepare clients for these dynamics, maintaining defence strategies despite changing trial landscapes. Sometimes tactical admissions to lesser involvement achieve better outcomes than contesting everything.

Proceeds of crime implications in conspiracy cases can be devastating. Joint liability principles can make minor participants liable for entire criminal benefits. We structure defences to minimise these financial consequences alongside fighting substantive charges.

Youth involvement in conspiracies raises particular concerns. County Lines operations exploit vulnerable young people who then face serious charges. We pursue modern slavery defences where appropriate whilst highlighting exploitation in mitigation.

Don't let association determine your fate. Our conspiracy defence team understands these complex laws and how to challenge expansive prosecutions. Contact us immediately if you're under investigation or charged as part of a group prosecution.