Alex Langhorn

Year called: 2010

Email Alex Langhorn

Education & Scholarships

Law, LLB (Hons.), University of Nottingham.

Bar Vocational Course, Nottingham Trent University.

International Corporate and Commercial Law, PgC, King’s College London.

Benefactors’ Scholarship, Middle Temple.

Blackstone Entrance Exhibition, Middle Temple.

Keble Advanced International Advocacy Course Scholarship, Middle Temple.

Florida State Attorney and Public Defender Advocacy Training Program Scholarship, South Eastern Circuit.

Area of Expertise

Crime 

Mr. Langhorn specialises in criminal law, and acts for both the Prosecution and Defence. He has been instructed in cases involving allegations of:

  • Murder and homicide;
  • Offences relating to the possession, supply, and use of firearms and ammunition;
  • Offences relating to the importation, production and supply of Controlled Drugs;
  • Offences under the Fraud Act 2006;
  • Armed robbery, robbery, and other offences under the Theft Acts;
  • Money laundering offences;
  • Misconduct in a Public Office;
  • Immigration offences;
  • Serious Violence and Disorder; and
  • Sexual Offences.

He also has experience of dealing with high value confiscation proceedings and applications made under the Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002 for:

  • the making, variation or discharge of Restraint Orders;
  • forfeiture of seized cash;
  • the making, variation or discharge of Account Freezing Orders; and
  • Account Forfeiture Orders.

Directories

Ranked: Tier 1 (Legal 500 2025) (Crime Leading Juniors) 

Chambers and Partners – 2019 to 2023 (Band 3) & 2024 (Band 2):

“Alex is really bright and is a lawyer’s lawyer. He is really focused on the detail” (2024).

“He is an extraordinary barrister with a near photographic memory”(2023).

“He is a very competent advocate and his grasp on the law is absolutely incredible” (2022).

“He is meticulous in his preparation and has the ability to marshal voluminous amounts of information effectively and quickly. He is someone with great attention to detail” (2021).

“A tremendous lawyer”(2020).

“He is an excellent lawyer without question; if you want to know anything about the law he will know it. He is a walking encyclopaedia” (2019).

Legal 500 – 2019 to 2024  (Tier 1):

“He has an incredibly sharp mind and handles complex matters with considerable guile” (2021).

“He excels in complex cases, and he punches well above his year of call”  (2019).

Appointments

Level Four, Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel – General Crime Panel (2017).

Level Three, Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel – Serious Crime Group Panel (2018).

Level Three, Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel – Fraud Panel (2020).

Clerked by

Rachel Kehoe at Rachel.Kehoe@7HS.co.uk

Or alternatively email Clerks@7HS.co.uk

Practice Overview

Mr. Langhorn specialises in criminal law, and acts for both the Prosecution and Defence.

Notable/Recent Cases

Homicide and Attempted Murder

  • Operation Perth (2022-2023) – led, together with Holly Menary, by Paul Greaney KC – prosecuting 5 defendants alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to murder another using a Skorpion sub-machine gun and the murder of the intended victim’s partner, an innocent Council employee. The case involved substantial argument about the admissibility of material (voice notes and text messages) from the deceased’s mobile telephone which revealed the background to the dispute between her partner and two of the defendants (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Mersey-Cheshire Complex Case Unit).
  • Operation Ridge (2023) – led by Nicholas Lumley KC – prosecuting 3 defendants alleged to have beaten the deceased to death. The case involved particularly complex issues around the admissibility of hearsay evidence relating to accounts given by the deceased’s neighbour (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • R v. LP (2023) – prosecuting the defendant for the attempted murder of his partner’s two year old son (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • R v. ZR and Others (2020-2022) – led, together with Matthew Conway, by Nicholas Johnson QC (in the first Trial) and David McLachalan (in the second Trial) – prosecuting 10 defendants alleged to have been involved in the planned shooting of a rival businessman which tragically led to the death of an innocent bystander, a law student who was walking past the business when the shooting took place (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • R v. TCR (2020) – led by Richard Pratt QC – prosecuting a Defendant who was alleged to have stabbed and killed a friend during a party held in memory of the deceased’s brother (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Mersey-Cheshire).

Serious Violence

  • Operation Geladi (2020-2022) – leading Jamie Baxter – prosecuting 5 defendants alleged to have taken part in an armed robbery in which 30 kilograms of Cocaine were stolen from a “stash-house” belonging to another Organised Crime Group (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • R v. N.M. [2020] EWCA Crim 1974 – representing the Appellant in a successful appeal against the sentence imposed for two offences of Causing Grievous Bodily Harm With Intent relating to an incident where he had driven at two pedestrians (instructed by Adam Law Solicitors).

Drugs Offences

  • Operation Embossed II (2020-2024) – led by Richard Wright KC – prosecuting 3 defendants alleged to been involved in the importation and, together with the fourth defendant, the onward supply of in excess of 500 kilograms of Cocaine (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • Operation Embossed I (2020-2022) – led by Richard Wright KC – prosecuting 8 defendants alleged to been involved in the supply of multi-kilogram amounts of Cocaine throughout the North of England (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • Operation Superior (2021-2022) – leading Holly Menary – prosecuting 33 defendants charged with involvement in running a number of “deal” lines in the Preston area (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Preston).
  • Operation Zodiac (2021-2022) – leading Holly Menary – prosecuting 15 defendants charged with involvement in running a number of “deal” lines in the Preston area (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Preston).
  • Operation Overboard (2021) – led by Nicholas Johnson QC – prosecuting 7 defendants charged with trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of Controlled Drugs of Class A (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Mersey-Cheshire Complex Case Unit).
  • Operation Moselle (2020) – leading Matthew Conway – prosecuting 6 Defendants charged with trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of Cocaine. The case involved a substantial amount of telephone data, and expert evidence about the use of so called “Spoofing” SIM cards and “Encros” (encrypted communication devices). The lead defendant was represented by Queen’s Counsel and Junior Counsel (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – North-West Complex Case Unit).
  • R v. LT and CK (2020) – representing LT, who was charged, together with her partner CK, with possession of Cocaine and Amphetamine with intent to supply. A successful application to dismiss was made on the basis that there was no evidence that they had control or possession of the drugs being stored at their home address (instructed by JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors).

Firearms Offences

  • Operation Toxic (2022-2023) – leading Holly Menary – prosecuting 3 defendants charged with conspiracy to possess prohibited weapons (a .38 pistol and a Skorpion sub-machine gun) and conspiracy to transfer a Skorpion sub-machine gun (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Mersey-Cheshire Complex Case Unit).
  • R v. LC (2022-2023) – led by Alex Leach KC – prosecuting a Defendant charged with conspiracy to transfer a sub-machine gun.
  • R v. PM (2022) – prosecuting a defendant for Conspiracy to Possess semi-automatic weapons (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Mersey-Cheshire Complex Casework Unit).

 Fraud and Money Laundering Offences

  • Operation Gallic (2021-2023) – led by Richard Wright KC – prosecuting the former Chief Executive Officer of Formula 1, Bernard Ecclestone, for Fraud (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate).
  • Operation Horrent (2022) – prosecuting two defendants charged with defrauding a company of c.£1,000,000 (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Specialist Fraud Division).
  • R v. SF (2021-2022) – representing the defendant, a Company Director of two separate companies, who was alleged to have been involved in the submission of a series of falsified VAT returns. One of the companies involved had subsequently been dissolved and the case involved a number of issues of Company Law. The Prosecution offered no evidence following consideration of the Defence Statement (instructed by JMW Solicitors).
  • Operation Ferrets (2021-2022) – representing the defendant, who was alleged to have laundered over £100,000 in cash, which represented the proceeds of conspiracies to import and supply Cannabis. The defendant was acquitted after Trial (instructed by JMW Solicitors).
  • Operation Globelake (2020) – prosecuting HT, a Community Care Officer employed by Bradford Metropolitan District Council, for fraudulently abusing a Lasting Power of Attorney she obtained in respect of a vulnerable adult whose case she was assigned by the Council. HT also forged a will in respect of another vulnerable adult whose case she was assigned by the Council. Over the course of a little under 6 years HT misappropriated just over £750,000. Her husband and son, who had spent some of the money she had fraudulently obtained, were also successfully prosecuted for money laundering offences (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Specialist Fraud Division).

Confiscation Proceedings

  • R v. Luxton [2024] EWCA Crim 340 – led by David Perry KC – in an appeal against the Crown Court’s refusal to make a confiscation order. In the course of the Judgment in this and the linked case the Court of Appeal provided guidance in respect of the approach to the postponement of confiscation proceedings and the so called “slip rule”, section 385 of the Sentencing Act 2020 (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Proceeds of Crime Division).

Misconduct in a Public Office

  • Operation Swanweed – prosecuting a Police Intelligence Analyst for providing information about the compromise of the EncroChat network to those involved in Organised Crime (instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service – Special Crime Division).

Immigration Offences

  • Operation Cadoette (2020) – representing the Defendant, who was charged with conspiracy to facilitate unlawful immigration. She and her son, who were both from the Kurdish Iraqi Region, entered the United Kingdom using passports belonging to two British Citizens. After being detained at the Airport the Defendant claimed Asylum. The case involved issues as to the application of section 31 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Article 31(1) of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (instructed by Adam Law Solicitors).