Angus McWilliams

Angus began his career in the litigation team at Mowbray Woodwards, dealing with civil and criminal cases. This broader experience has provided a solid foundation for his increasing specialism in criminal litigation. He remains involved in regulatory work, in particular relating to Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC), General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) and General Medical Council (GMC) fitness to practice hearings. Additionally, Angus is experienced in transport work, including public enquiries in front of regional traffic commissioners. 

His focus remains on serious crime, committed to defence work in the criminal justice system. His caseload spans the criminal court spectrum, with extensive Crown Court litigation. He conducts advocacy in the Crown Court on a weekly basis, and brings his own courage and compassion to the courtroom. His astute eye for detail, and case preparation gives clients confidence that he understands their story. 

He has developed a particular expertise in respect of sexual offences, including allegations relating to indecent imagery, communications, vigilante stings, and contact sexual offending. His practice spans all courts, including mitigating at Crown Court sentencing hearings, to litigating trials. He has developed a nationwide practice in a team who lead the field in this area of criminal law. 

Angus’ appellant and Judicial Review experience includes the preparation of and advocacy in Court of Appeal Criminal Division applications against both conviction and sentence, and the Judicial Review of Police decisions to caution and CPS decisions to prosecute, especially in respect of young and vulnerable individuals.

Angus also handles motoring law and driving offences, at both pre-court and prosecution stages. This work includes drink driving, driving standards cases such as due care and attention, and dangerous driving, including causing death or serious injury. Angus also deals with speeding offences, whether mitigating to avoid a ban or defending innocence. This area of practice routinely includes arguing that exceptional hardship should apply to avoid a totting disqualification.

 

Bath-based Angus is a keen sportsman. He has played volleyball at a significant standard nationwide, in addition to many years of competitive swimming.

Angus has travelled widely and spent various periods abroad, most recently in India. He worked and lived as a lifeguard in America and, closer to home, he can often be found surfing in Cornwall or along the north Devon coastline.

R v C – Litigation and advocacy throughout criminal proceedings, including an appeal against the making, and terms of, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed at the Crown Court. 

R v Z – Litigation of a Crown Court trial involving multiple expert instructions, a re-trial, and a successful wasted costs argument arising from failures in the prosecution’s handling of the case. 

R v D – Litigation in an indecent images trial, including drafting legal argument on Res Gestae which ultimately led to the Crown offering no evidence. 

R v J Motoring Law: J prosecuted for speeding and s.172 failure to provide driver details. Numerous issues were identified with how the prosecuting authority had handled the case. Successfully argued that the proceedings themselves were an abuse of process. As a result, the case was discontinued before reaching trial.

R v M – Motoring Law: Failure to provide driver details – successfully argued that it was not in the public interest to prosecute s.172 Road Traffic Act (Failure to Provide Driver Details). Case discontinued before reaching Court.