YEAR OF CALL: 2018

 

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Family

Criminal

 

MEMBERSHIPS

Inner Temple

Family Law Bar Association

North Eastern Circuit

 

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Called to the Bar 2018

LLM – Northumbria University - 2018

BPTC – Northumbria University – 2018

GDL – Northumbria University – 2017

BA Hons in Combined Honours majoring in History - Newcastle University – 2016

 

AWARDS

Major Exhibition Award from Inner Temple

Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award

Woon Human Rights Award

 

APPOINTMENTS

CPS Grade 2 Prosecutor

 

TESTIMONIALS

Legal 500 2025 - "Bede is extremely thorough in his preparation, with extraordinary attention to detail. He is able to put clients at ease, establish rapport and deliver advice in a comprehensible format. His advocacy is of a very high standard, delivered in a calm and persuasive manner."

"Bede was excellent.  He explained the process, and the possible outcomes and options.  He supported [the client] really well through [the] ordeal and his debriefing afterwards and suggestions for the future issues were most helpful.  We would have no hesitation in requesting his services again should they be needed."

“Thank-you so much for everything you did today, I cannot express how grateful I am, we didn't get the outcome we hoped for and emotions were high but I saw the fight and determination in your eyes and I want to thank you for fighting my side in court I couldn't have chosen anyone better, you didn't let me or my children down… you are fantastic at what you do and I will be forever grateful.”

 

ABOUT BEDE

Bede joined Chambers in 2022 following successful completion of pupillage and has rapidly developed a broad practice across all of Chambers’ main practice areas. Bede has built on his experience working at a local authority and developed a strong care practice including complex cases incorporating non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, drug abuse, mental health problems, serious neglect, and in which clients have had significant additional needs. Bede also deals with complex private law children matters, including cases involving allegations of sexual abuse, other domestic abuse, drug use, and in which rule 16.4 guardians have been appointed.

Within the Criminal jurisdiction, Bede both prosecutes and defends in a wide variety of offences, and has been appointed as a grade two prosecutor. He has dealt with offences of serious violence, stalking and harassment, public order offences, driving offences involving expert evidence, and various drug offences.

Bede has a calm manner, an approachable demeanour, and is adept at explaining complicated issues in the simplest of terms. Bede is also skilled at dealing with vulnerable clients, prides himself on his empathy, and his clients appreciate his ability to make them feel comfortable in the most demanding of situations.

 

Notable Family Cases

Re T 2024 – Bede successfully appealed a finding of fact hearing in private law in the High Court before Cobb LJ, the judgment for which can be found here.

LA v G 2024 – Bede represents a mother in ongoing care proceedings relating to life-threatening injuries caused to a baby through abusive head trauma by way of shaking and was led by one of the King’s Counsel door tenants in chambers during the fact-finding hearing before taking over as sole counsel during the welfare stage.

LA v M 2024 – Bede was led by one of Chamber’s King’s Counsel door tenants and represented a father in care proceedings where the client was accused of serious sexual abuse against one of the subject children and the mother.

B v B 2024 – Bede was led by King’s Counsel in a complex three-week finding of fact hearing in private law, and then represented the father to conclusion of proceedings independently.

LA v B 2023 – Bede represented a mother in care proceedings which involved complex cross-border issues.

LA v T 2023 – Bede represented a father care proceedings which related to a non-accidental injury suffered by the subject child which concluded with the child being placed in his care.

S v O - Relocation 2024 – Bede successfully represented a mother who sought leave to relocate a child to a different jurisdiction.

F v A – Complex finding of fact hearing including physical abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour, including religious and cultural complications

LA v F – Bede represents a father in a case involving serious inter-sibling sexual abuse.

LA v W – Represent a father in a complex case involving inter-sibling sexual abuse, in which an application to instruct silk has been made. The subject child has also made allegations of sexual abuse against the biological father and a school teacher. The case includes expert evidence relating to the breaking of a hymen.

LA v R – Represented a father through the Official Solicitor.

 

Notable Crime Cases

R v T 2022 – Bede prosecuted a series of frauds related to use of online shopping accounts by an unauthorised individual.

R v S 2022 – Bede prosecuted a complex committal for sentence which involved breach of a suspended sentence which was imposed multiple offences and included various extensions within the life of the order.

R v DB 2022 – Bede prosecuted a youth defendant, who turned 18 between the offence and the sentencing hearing, for a joint enterprise ‘happy slap’ and was thanked by the reviewing lawyer for the manner in which he dealt with the case.

R v B 2022 – Bede prosecuted a youth defendant accused of racially aggravated harassment at a Newton hearing.

R v J 2022 – Bede prosecuted a defendant accused of homophobically aggravated harassment against his stepson.

R v S 2023 – Bede defended a case of racially aggravated harassment which put the defendant in breach of a Crown Court suspended sentence. Bede persuaded the court to not send the case directly to the Crown, but to use its discretion to notify the Crown instead.

R v H 2023 – Bede represented a defendant arrested on a Crown Court warrant and persuaded the court to not activate a suspended sentence order despite compliance being assessed as low and the recommendation of the probation service being full activation of the custodial sentence.

 

Other Interests

Bede is a passionate football fan and a season ticket holder at his hometown club Newcastle United. Bede also spends his spare time writing a series of novels he hopes to publish, and playing chess to tournament standard.