Since he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1982, Patrick Cassidy has had an incredible, interesting and varied career. Now our Deputy Head of Chambers is about to hit a new milestone - 40 years at the bar!

To celebrate this occasion, we look back at some of the highlights from the last year of his practice. These include big wins in Criminal Law cases, securing justice at Inquests, a judicial appointment, and a broad collection of compelling cases.

Criminal Law Summary

With the addition of this year’s Criminal Law cases Patrick has improved his, already impressive, track record in murder and manslaughter cases, which has seen him secure over 20 not guilty verdicts.

Patrick Cassidy was in Preston Crown Court before His Honour Judge HHJ Cummings QC back in June 2021, being led by Kenworthy’s Chambers’ Ben Nolan QC in a seven-day murder trial. Despite the allegations of murder by stabbing, the Judge upheld the submission that there was no case to answer – a rare event in a joint enterprise murder allegation.

The Solicitors for this case were A and M Solicitors.

A week later, Patrick was in the Court of Appeal on an appeal by the Prosecution against the successful halftime submission. He was once again successful, with Mr Justice Holroyde dismissing the appeal and announcing in open court that his defendant Mr Gardner was acquitted.

Later on, in June 2022, Patrick Cassidy was in Chester Crown Court for a 12-day hearing where he secured the acquittal of a defendant on all 32-counts of the indictment alleging sexual offences on six linked complainants for Lewis Rodgers Solicitors. The client said that his life had been restored. There was an enormous amount of work done by the team and a strategic approach was employed to overturn the inference of truth arising from six separate complainants.

Recently, in August, he secured an acquittal for a defendant who used a large knife to cut the arm of a dog walker.

This case was heard in Minshull Street and was acquitted on the basis of self-defence given the threat the dog walker posed by setting his dogs on the defendant.

He also represented an Educationalist facing allegations of assault. She denied assault on the basis that she did no more than take proportionate measures in seeking to hold on to her bags, which a Police Officer had seized unlawfully from her. It was in the ensuing struggle when the door of the taxi struck the officer on the wrist and arm injuring them. At the close of the defence case, which was heard in Crown Square, the prosecution offered no evidence against the defendant.

Inquests Summary

As well as being widely recognised as a top Criminal Barrister on the Northern Circuit, Patrick Cassidy is viewed by the marketplace as a high quality Barrister to have on your side in an Inquest, as demonstrated in the following Inquest cases.

Patrick Cassidy represented a Senior Prison Officer who had allegedly failed to observe a prisoner at Leeds Coroner’s Court. The Article 2 Inquest was into the death of prisoner Robert Waller. Patrick Cassidy was successful as the jury found that the failures were down to staff shortages rather than an avoidance of duties. The family of the deceased even went as far as to thank Patrick for the help that he had given their family and ask that the Senior Prison Officer be reinstated, as they felt that he had been scapegoated.

In August 2021, Patrick was in North Manchester representing a Senior Probation Officer in a multi-party Article 2 Inquest. The Senior Probation Officer was managing a high-risk prisoner on licence during the period in which he stabbed a completely innocent man to death. Throughout the 11-day Inquest, there was careful analysis of the contact they had throughout the 18 months on licence. Patrick successfully argued that there was no application of Article 2 because at the material time there was no known immediate risk of death, and so there could be no finding that the Senior Probation Officer caused or contributed to the death.

Work on Inquests continued into November 2021 for Patrick with a five-day Article 2 Inquest into a death in prison held at Stourbridge Coroners Court.

His client was a Prison Officer who had failed to answer the cell bell of the deceased who died from 80-degree burns. The jury made no mention of default on the part of the Prison Officer, however, they found that the prison failed to maintain a proper system for inspecting fire alarms.

Finally, at Manchester Coroner’s Court he was instructed in two inquests where the spectre of self-defence asserted by clients was at issue.

Judicial Appointment

In February 2022, Inquests Barrister Patrick Cassidy was appointed as Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner for Blackpool and the Fylde. He will sit as Assistant Coroner for about 30 days of the year and continue to practice at Kenworthy’s full time outside of this.

Professional Discipline

Some of Patrick’s most compelling cases over the past year include a remarkable rehabilitation, representing a Head Teacher dealing with allegations of school-funds fraud, and advising a Neuro-Radiologist Consultant facing allegations of professional incompetence before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal.

The remarkable rehabilitation story of a Doctor resulted in them having their suspension lifted, after a delay in admitting default in January 2022. The Doctor admitted dishonesty in prescribing medication for himself and others and having a chronic addiction to chem-sex drugs and cocaine.

After a five-day hearing in the Medical Practitioners Tribunal, he was offered readmittance into the profession with conditions.

In April 2022, Patrick was instructed by Capital Law to represent a Head Teacher who was dealing with allegations of fraud and conflict-of-interest before the Education Workforce Council Wales. The case is set to continue into next year.

Finally, BMA Solicitors brought Patrick Cassidy onboard to provide advice and representation for a Neuro-Radiologist Consultant who was alleged to have failed to identify the possibility of a non-accidental injury in a baby shaking incident. Allegations of professional incompetence in examining the CT and MRI scans were brought before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal, where his client was found to have been impaired and was given a four-month suspension from practice with review. Several other allegations were not proved.

Results

It has been an outstanding year for Patrick Cassidy in what has been an impressive legal career spanning multiple decades. He has displayed a unique range of practice spanning Regulatory, Inquests and Criminal Law.

His experience in Inquest work for families and other interested parties is wide ranging and his continued presence in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 over the past decade suggest that his reputation continues to be one of quality experience and application.

Patrick has proven in the past 12 months how Barristers’ legal practice can evolve and grow using his skills acquired in Crime to develop in Professional Discipline and Inquest work. His practice now centres around reputation management and protection, particularly where there are proceedings in Criminal and Disciplinary Tribunals.

He is a noted Court Advocate whether before juries, Judges, Coroners or Professional Chairs.

If you have an Inquest, Public Inquiry, Regulatory, Professional Discipline, or Criminal Law case you need Patrick Cassidy for, call Clerk Paul Mander on 0161 832 4036 or email [email protected].