Sincere congratulations to Christopher Jeyes and Simon Walters ranked as Leading Juniors by Legal500
1 October 2025
CONTACT US
Drystone Chambers
35 Bedford Row
London
WC1R 4JH
DX: 332 London/Chancery Lane
CONTACT US
Drystone Chambers
35 Bedford Row
London
WC1R 4JH
DX: 332 London/Chancery Lane
Call 2010
Simon Walters
Call 2010
He is a specialist criminal advocate who both prosecutes and defends in the Crown Court and is an appointed CPS Grade 3 Prosecutor. Dedicated to delivering the highest standard of advocacy and advice across the criminal spectrum, Simon is known for building genuine rapport with both professional and lay clients. He is experienced in acting as both leading and junior counsel.
Simon is instructed in cases of a serious nature, often involving complex expert evidence. In 2025 he appeared in several attempted murder trials and a manslaughter trial that involved highly complex issues. He also deals with the full range of ancillary applications, including Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Serious Crime Prevention Orders, Criminal Behaviour Orders, and confiscation proceedings.
Simon was recognised by Legal500 as a Leading Junior in its 2026 directory.
As a specialist criminal barrister, Simon regularly defends clients facing allegations of murder or manslaughter.
R v Lear [2025] Southampton Crown Court
Prosecution of offender for manslaughter, led by Robert Bryan. This highly interesting case revolved around significant issues of causation (the deceased suffered a catastrophic subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by the sudden burst of a berry aneurysm, which could have happened at any time) in conjuction with protestations of self-defence. The main planks of the evidence came from a neuropathology expert witness alongside testimony from the Home Office Pathologist (causation) and from close scrutiny of CCTV (self-defence). Following the first trial, where the Jury were hung, the Defendant changed his plea to Guilty.
R v Povey [2025] Winchester Crown Court
Simon successfully defended a client facing allegations of attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted GBH following an incident that was captured on CCTV showing a car being repeatedly driven at a group of pedestrians.
R v Coates [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Defending a complicated case of attempted murder following a campaign of rape, violence and controlling and coercive behaviour involving a vulnerable victim.
HB & Others [2017] Norwich Crown Court
Led junior in the successful prosecution of a defendant who had been trafficked to Norwich from London as part of a county lines operation, but who ended up stabbing to death one of the occupants of the cuckooed premises in which he was based.
Since the advent of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, Simon has regularly acted in cases affected by the law in this ever evolving are of practice.
Most prominently, this has involved prosecuting and defending those involved in county lines operations. However, Simon has also represented teenage defendants who are themselves accused of exploiting other young people known to them from their local area.
R v Moon Swee How [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Defending, led by Robert Bryan, the organiser of a brothel prosecuted for trafficking non-vulnerable consenting adult female sex-workers within the United Kingdom. The key legal issues touched on the proper interpretation of section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Human Trafficking), the definition of trafficking and the reading into English statute of Article 4 of the Council of Europe Convention of Action against Trafficking (‘ECAT’ Convention) and associate Palermo Protocol. The rulings are subject of appeal.
R v S [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court
Represented a 17-year-old defendant which multiple previous convictions for Class A drug trafficking, who on this occasion faced the allegation that he had trafficked multiple other young people to sell controlled substances.
R v C [2022] Southampton Crown Court
Prosecuted a female defendant in her early 20s, with previous convictions for Class A drug offences, who alleged that she had been under the control of a violent gang all along, but had never shared this information before.
R v A [2021] Southampton Crown Court
Prosecuted a defendant alleged to be selling drugs on behalf of a County Line.
R v Coy [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Defending a former teacher with a long record of previous convictions for sexual offending, in relation to a historic allegation of sexual touching of a pupil.
R v K [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Successful defence of a young client with complex needs who was accused of a campaign of violent and sexual offending against his girlfriend.
R v Ghetus [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Representing a foreign national accused of inciting sexual activity from a 14-year-old girl who he came across in the street and who was under the influence.
R v Cole [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Successful defence of man accused of raping a relative’s wife after an alcohol fuelled birthday party.
R v Walker [2025] Southampton Crown Court
Defence of an elderly man accused of sexually touching his grandson’s schoolfriend.
R v Head [2024] Southampton Crown Court
Successful defence of an autistic defendant accused of domestic rape.
R v McDonald [2024] Winchester Crown Court
Successful defence of an unfit defendant accused of sexual assault in the street.
R v B [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court
Represented a defendant accused of the rape of an unknown female who was on her way home from a night out.
R v B [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court
Represented a defendant alleged to have committed multiple sexual assaults on females known to him, weeks apart.
R v E [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court
Prosecuting an allegation of kidnap from a nightclub which was sexually motivated.
R v N [2021] Portsmouth Crown Court
Represented a defendant facing allegations of dozens of sexual offences committed against his young child, many of which were recorded and shared on the internet.
R v L [2021] Woolwich Crown Court
Allegation of sexual assault by a Chinese massage therapist.
R v S [2021] Salisbury Crown Court
Allegations of arranging the rape of a girl of primary school age.
As an accomplished and highly regarded barrister, Simon regularly prosecutes and defends in cases of gang and organised crimes, including drug trafficking and human trafficking cases.
R v Moon Swee How [2025] Portsmouth Crown Court
Defending, led by Robert Bryan, the organiser of a brothel prosecuted for trafficking non-vulnerable consenting adult female sex-workers within the United Kingdom. The key legal issues touched on the proper interpretation of section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Human Trafficking), the definition of trafficking and the reading into English statute of Article 4 of the Council of Europe Convention of Action against Trafficking (‘ECAT’ Convention) and associate Palermo Protocol. The rulings are subject of appeal.
R v Vitins [2025] Southampton Crown Court
Successful defence of an alleged OCG member implicated in an alleged incident of debt enforcement related kidnap and serious violence.
R v O’Brien and others [2024] Salisbury Crown Court
Prosecuting the kidnap of male which resulted in menaces for ransom.
R v A & Others [2023] Bournemouth Crown Court
Prosecuting an OCG bringing wholesale volumes of Class A drugs from London to Dorset for onward sale.
R v A & Others [2022] Bournemouth Crown Court
Prosecuting an OCG bringing wholesale volumes of Class A drugs from London to Dorset for onward sale.
R v T [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court
Prosecuted a gang based in London who were running a county line in Portsmouth.
R v B & Others [2021] Peterborough Crown Court
Prosecuted an OCG running a chop shop which stole keyless vehicles, broke them down for parts and exported them.
R v H [2021] Southampton Crown Court
Represented one member of a large OCG importing and distributing Class A and B drugs.
R v H & Others [2018-2019] Woolwich Crown Court
Led junior and junior alone across four trials prosecuting an OCG smuggling people across the Channel and laundering the proceeds.
R v Cross & Others [2025] Southampton Crown Court
Representing one of the leading conspirators in a £2M conspiracy to steal high value motor vehicles and launder the proceeds.
R v Willis-Chambers [2024] Portsmouth Crown Court
Led by Robert Bryan on behalf of the defence. We secured a stand-out result for an alleged rogue builder in a Trading Standards Fraudulent Trading prosecution. Using 4 business entities over a period of 4 years the Defendant earned in excess of £1.3 million. Following a trial lasting 10 weeks the Jury convicted of a single allegation valued at approximately £38,000. The Judge as persuaded that an immediate sentence of imprisonment was unnecessary leading to a suspended sentence being passed.
R v S [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court
Prosecuted an individual who forged documentation to obtain finance for his businesses which were failing as a result of the pandemic.
R v Humphrey [2025] Southampton Crown Court
Prosecuting a defendant who caused serious injury by dangerous driving when he mowed down a pedestrian who had been involved in an altercation with the defendant’s friend.
