Introduction
Matthew Cullen has quickly developed a strong criminal and regulatory practice. He has already obtained a reputation for his attention to detail and his thorough preparation in all of his cases – irrespective of the type of hearing he is required to attend.
Matthew’s criminal practice exposes him to a variety of criminal offences and cases beyond his year of call. He is instructed on behalf of both the defence and the prosecution (Grade 3), and he regularly appears in Crown Courts, Magistrates Courts and Youth Courts across the country. In addition to the busy trial practice which Matthew has built, he also advises on plea, sentence, confiscation and appeal if needed. Frequent areas of instruction include drugs and serious violence.
As part of his regulatory practice, Matthew receives instructions in a variety of areas including taxi licensing, trading standards, health and safety, food hygiene and environmental matters. He has gathered substantial experience in dealing with illicit tobacco prosecutions and offences/appeals under the Housing Act. Matthew continues to appear before a variety of tribunals, including the First Tier Property Tribunal and Mental Health Tribunals, and has also had recent success in the Coroner’s Court.
Crime
Recent Cases:
- R v MM (2023) – Operation Maud – Junior defence counsel in a murder where MM allegedly used a screwdriver to inflict a fatal blow.
- R v MH (2023) – Represented a male of good character who was acquitted of Assault by Penetration.
- R v MA, KC & others (2023) – Instructed to defend two of twenty individuals charged with violent disorder at a Coventry City FC promotion parade.
- R v MF & RF (2022) – Operation Monastery – Junior defence counsel in a multi-defendant murder involving a stabbing.
- R v LO & others (2022) – Instructed in an ongoing matter where LO is charged with violent disorder during England’s football match against Italy in the Euro 2021 final.
- R v KC (2022) & R v SL (2022) – Defence counsel in two, separate Section 18 wounding trials.
- R v MF & others (2022), R v RS & others (2022) & R v JW & others (2023) – Defending in separate conspiracies to steal a large number of cars including the use of a key decoder.
- Operation Edition (2022) – Junior prosecution counsel in a multi-handed conspiracy to supply over £16 million worth of cocaine.
- R v SW (2021) – Matthew represented a bus driver for causing death by careless driving and secured a unanimous acquittal at trial.
- R v HV (2021) – Represented a male who was unanimously acquitted of 4 counts of sexual assault.
- R v ST (2021) – Defended a civilian police employee charged with Misconduct in Public Office and Data Protection Offences.
- R v IH (2021), R v GB (2022) – Obtained suspended sentences for males convicted of perverting the course of justice, despite Court of Appeal authorities suggesting the need for immediate custody.
- R v RB (2020) – Instructed on behalf of one of 6 defendants in a conspiracy to supply Class A drugs involving the use of an undercover police officer.
- R v PJ (2020) – Appeared for a school employee at trial in relation to an allegation of assault against a pupil which involved the cross-examination of a 5-year-old child.
Regulatory
Recent Cases:
- WCC v G (2023) – Prosecuting a landlord for unlawful eviction of tenants.
- BCC v ZP & ZH (2023) – A criminal prosecution covering 3 separate frauds involving Business Rates, the Central Valuation Office and the defrauding of customers.
- DCC v JF (2022) – An ongoing trading standards prosecution against a male creating and selling counterfeit t-shirts on eBay.
- Inquest concerning DC (2021) – An Article 2 Inquest into the death of a detained person under the Mental Health Act, where Matthew represented Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Trust whose practices/policies were commended.
- DCC v AIA (2021) – Secured Guilty verdicts in the Crown Court for numerous counts of possessing counterfeit tobacco products and supplying tobacco products without the required health warnings.
- WCC v HH & LH (2020) – Prosecuted two defendants at trial in relation to offences of unlawful subletting and tenancy fraud.
- R v VH & CHS Ltd (2019) – Secured a conditional discharge for a man accused of trading without providing a security to HMRC. No evidence was offered against the company.
- DCC v P (2019) – Appeared for a local authority in an appeal against civil penalties imposed for breaches of regulations governing Houses of Multiple Occupancy. The appeal was dismissed in relation to the imposition of all of the penalties.
Motoring and Road Traffic
Recent Cases:
- R v NC (2022) – Successfully represented a nurse charged with careless driving in a case where a pedestrian suffered significant injuries.
- R v OM (2021) – Instructed for trial on behalf of a taxi driver for offences of drug driving where Matthew’s pre-trial advice and early engagement helped in the Crown offering no evidence.
- R v SRAC (2021) – Secured numerous acquittals at trial for a multi-national company facing offences of failing to respond to a request for driver information (S172 offences).
- R v JB (2019), R v SG (2021), R v AS (2021), R v DS (2021) – Successfully argued exceptional hardship for drivers facing a mandatory totting up disqualification in the Magistrates.
- R v OS (2019) – Secured an acquittal after trial for a delivery driver who was accused of driving without due care and attention after a crash with a motorcycle.
Education
BPTC, BPP Law School – Outstanding
Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP Law School – Distinction
BA (Hons), History and Politics, University of Birmingham – 2:1
Appointments and Memberships
2018 – Certificate of Honour (Middle Temple)
2017 – Jules Thorn Scholarship for BPTC (Middle Temple)
2016 – Jules Thorn Scholarship for GDL (Middle Temple)
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
