Mohammed Rafiq

Year of call: 1980

Mohammed Rafiq is a highly respected and successful barrister with a substantial practice in criminal defence since 1980. In 1988, he transitioned to the solicitors’ profession and successfully managed a bustling solicitors’ practice with offices in Leeds, Bradford, and Manchester. Returning to the Bar in 2013, he has since been dedicated to conducting criminal work at the Crown Court.

Mohammed is known to be tactically astute. Renowned for his organisation, professionalism, attention to detail, and responsibility, he excels in handling difficult clients with a calm and assuring manner. With extensive experience, Mohammed continues to defend highly complex criminal cases, including multi-handed allegations and conspiracies.

Crime

Area of Expertise

• Murder / attempted murder
• Rape including historical rape and other serious sexual offences
• Kidnap and false imprisonment
• Human trafficking
• Modern slavery
• Possession and importation of firearms and explosives
• Armed robbery
• Arson with intent to endanger life
• Causing death, and serious injury, by dangerous driving
• Blackmail
• Multimillion-pound frauds
• Money laundering
• Importation and supply of more than 100kg of class a drugs
• ‘County lines’ drugs conspiracies
• Industrial scale cannabis cultivation
• Aggravated burglary
• Prison riots and violent disorder

Recent Notable Cases Include:

Serious Drug Conspiracies

2024 - Large page counts and surveillance and phone evidence

R V Zia and others Burnley cc, class A drugs conspiracy in Lancashire area. surveillance and phone evidence.

R V Clark and others Bradford cc. Class A and B drugs supply trial.

R V Mohammed Sheffield cc conspiracy to supply class A drugs. secured an acquittal.

R V Nang and others Bradford cc, Vietnamese, commercial cannabis growth trial. R V K Khaan and others Leeds cc Vietnamese commercial cannabis growth.

R V B and others York cc trial, class and B supply.

R V Khan and others Sheffield cc conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs

R V Barret Leeds cc supply class B drugs

R V M and others Minshull Street cc, conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs.

Serious Drug Conspiracies - Continued

2023 - all cases involve large page counts.

R v Khan – Croydon cc trial – Possession with intent to supply Class A-heroin and cocaine. Phone evidence. Very difficult client. Persuaded the court to give a suspended sentence and community order.

R v Nasar and others – Sheffield Crown Court. Class A drugs conspiracy and money laundering secured an acquittal on the class A allegation, obtained suspended sentence.

R v A and others Oxford Crown Court, conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Also, allegations of violent attack involving GBH with axe. Newton hearing.

R V Nguyen and others Bradford cc, cultivation of cannabis on a commercial scale. Trial.

R V J Bradford cc class A drugs, possession with intent to supply.

R V King Newcastle cc Newton hearing, Class A drugs supply, secured suspended sentence.

R V McFee and others Gloucester cc, county lines drugs supply conspiracy of class A and B drugs. Phone and surveillance evidence.

R v Plewes and others Leeds cc conspiracy to supply large scale class A and B drugs. phone and surveillance evidence.

R v Buttar Leicester and Nottingham cc. Operation Nebule and Buster, one of the largest drugs operations in midlands.

Serious Sexual Allegations 2023 / 2024

R V K Isleworth cc allegations of Sexual assault by 50-year-old male massage therapist on young female client. Substantial evidence including contemporaneous reports to police and friends. Acquitted after trial.

R V B Minshull cc attempt rape trial

R V S Leeds cc trial involving repeated sexual attacks on lone female students in university area

R V S Leeds cc trial multiple rape and sexual assault allegations by D against a Lesbian victim friend of his daughter.

R V A Leeds cc trial D charged with attempt rape on female and sexual assaults in Wakefield night club on same night.

R V D Swindon cc trial historical rape going back 20 years.

Multiple crimes of violence 2023 / 2024

R v ZB - Leeds cc allegations of GBH And attempt GBH on different individuals, acquitted.

R v B - Leeds cc aggravated burglary acquitted.

R v P - Newcastle cc GBH and assault on different individuals.

R v O - Manchester cc Robbery and GBH

R v K - Bolton cc GBH and violent disorder trial

R v H - Leeds cc GBH and violent disorder.

Serious Fraud Cases 2023

R v B and others Birmingham cc, allegations of fraud involving English language school fraud, which was allegedly involved in immigration fraud.

R V P and others Teesside cc company fraud and large-scale money laundering. D was acquitted after trial.

R V B and others Leeds cc covid grant fraud, very high value.

R v K Leicester cc Substantial HMRC Fraud. D was acquitted after trial.

Multiple crimes of violence 2023 / 2024

R V Z B Leeds cc allegations of GBH And attempt GBH on different individuals, acquitted.

R V B Leeds cc aggravated burglary acquitted.

R V P Newcastle cc GBH and assault on different individuals.

R V O Manchester cc Robbery and GBH

R V K Bolton cc GBH and violent disorder trial

R V H Leeds cc GBH and violent disorder

Other notable cases include:

R v AK – Multi Handed Murder trial. Client acquitted.

R v UY - Acted for Defence in attempt murder. Client acquitted after trial.

R v M - Multi-handed cash-for-crash conspiracy by claim management companies.

R v O - Nigerian gang fraud and money laundering. Client acquitted after trial.

R v SC - Acted for Defence in PWITS drugs.

R v MM - Defence in trafficking for the purpose of prostitution and money laundering.

R v KO - Acted for Defence in PWITS Cannabis trial.

R v M - Acted for defendant in a 6-week murder trial in Leeds.

R v B - Represented defendant in a multi handed drugs operation in the Midlands.

R v K - Defendant in cash and carry fraud acquitted after trial.

R v MR - Defendant accused of £3M tax evasion found not guilty.

R v E - Defendant in £100K money laundering case received suspended sentence.