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Simon May

Partner
Criminal Department
Simon.May@edslaw.co.uk
Simon May
Simon May

About

Simon was born in Newcastle and educated at the University of Leeds (LLB Hons) and the College of Law in London. Simon qualified as a solicitor at Edwards Duthie Shamash before forming a specialist criminal defence practice in south London. He returned to Edwards Duthie Shamash as a consultant in the criminal department in 2016 and became a partner in 2019.

Experience & Areas of Expertise

An experienced criminal litigator with a substantial track record of magistrates and youth court advocacy, Simon specialises in criminal law and provides advice and assistance from the point of investigation until the conclusion of the case.

Simon has acted in a wide variety of cases brought by the Crown Prosecution Service including many serious violent and sexual offences, drug trafficking, firearms and murder. Simon has also defended in criminal proceedings brought by the Department of Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, the RSPCA and the Federation Against Copyright Theft. Additionally, Simon has defended companies in Trading Standards investigations as well as in proceedings brought under the Environmental Protection Act. He also has experience in defending proceedings prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Simon conducts nearly all of the magistrates and youth court advocacy on his own cases (including trials) and will instruct specialist counsel to act in Crown Court proceedings. Simon acts in both privately and publicly-funded cases. In addition to having a loyal client base, Simon also receives many referrals from those clients and also from other professionals working in the legal profession.

Accredited to provide police station advice, Simon is a member of the Duty Solicitor Service and is also an LCCSA member.

Simon has many other interests including sport and music and lives in Greenwich with his family.

Cases of Interest

  • R v W (2013) – Simon represented a pilot, accused of making and possessing a number of indecent images of children. Immediately prior to trial, the prosecution offered no evidence against Defendant after Simon obtained and served expert evidence which suggested that the images in question had been downloaded without the Defendant’s knowledge.
  • R v R (2012) – Simon represented the young Defendant, who had fatally wounded a man who attacked him inside his home address. The Defendant made a difficult decision to refuse an offer from the prosecution to plead guilty to a manslaughter offence. This was on the basis of self-defence. The case proceeded to trial and the Defendant received a full acquittal by the jury before the Old Bailey.
  • R v B and others (2009) – Simon acted for one of the defendants in a multi-handed conspiracy to commit a series of armed Securicor van robberies. The enterprise was alleged to involve elements of inside planning by Securicor employees.
  • R v R (2009) – Acting for the accused in relation to multiple historical allegations of rape and indecent assault against two young victims, Simon won an acquittal of all allegations for the defendant.
  • R v I (2008) – Simon acted for the defendant, a 15-year-old who pleaded guilty to the high profile and unprovoked stabbing of a St Martin’s College art student who suffered permanent paralysis due to injuries to the spinal cord.
  • R v B (2008) – Simon was the trial advocate in this case representing a 10-year-old defendant tried for a knifepoint robbery against an 8-year-old female victim.
  • R v S (2007) – This case involved a mentally and physically disabled complainant and defendant. The defendant faced serious allegations of a sexual nature at the Croydon Crown Court. The Crown offered no further evidence during the trial after the complainant’s testimony was inconsistent with that of an expert in neurological disability instructed by Simon.
  • R v S (2006) – The young defendant was charged with sexual penetration against the alleged victim, a friend of the same sex. Simon was the trial advocate and the defendant was acquitted after successful submissions that the circumstances of the penetration did not amount to sexual activity.
  • R v Y (2006) – Simon represented a 15-year-old male accused of two stabbings, one of which was tried as murder at the Old Bailey.
  • R v S and Others (2005) – Simon acted for a defendant in a multi-handed conspiracy to kidnap and torture two prominent east London businessmen. Simon’s client received a significantly reduced sentence.
  • R v J (2004) – Simon acted for a 14-year-old defendant with psychiatric difficulties accused of assault and robbery against a 1980s recording star. The defendant was found unfit to plead.

Client Reviews

“Simon, Thank you so much for all you have done for me! I am truly so grateful that I was lucky enough to have your professional support when I was at my lowest. I know it’s early days but I am so relieved that the worst for me is over, I just wanted to send this, to thank you again!”
— Anonymous
“Dear Simon, I just thought I would email you to tell you how grateful I am with your help in helping me get the DRO. I had problems in the past dealing with other Solicitors that, in the end, took years to resolve, so I was extremely nervous about having to deal with any sort of solicitors again, but you were absolutely brilliant and I can’t praise you enough! The amount of stress you have removed from my shoulders cannot be quantified and I just had to let you know this one more time. Thank you, I just don’t have the words to tell you how happy I am that I eventually met you! I wish you all the very best in everything you ever do for eternity and beyond.”
— IS
“Dear Simon, a big relief all round. I wish you all the best with future cases and hope other unfortunate people can gain from you unrelenting drive and professionalism. One less worry now. Thank you”
— KH
“Hi SimonJust wanted to thank you so much for your help and support in the past year. None of this would of been possible without the help of CAB and Edward Duthie Solicitors, much appreciated.”
— JC
“Dear Simon, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help. You have done much more than I imagined a simple advice enquiry at the CAB would have produced, and I am grateful.”
— AG
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