Harry joined Chambers in 2004 after successful completion of his pupillage. After initially practising in Personal Injury, he joined the Criminal Regulatory and Environmental team in 2008 and has since specialised in this area, appearing in many of the most significant cases in the field. He had a career break from 2013 to 2017 teaching at St. Peter’s School, York, and remains based in York for his nationwide practice in all areas of Regulatory work.
Harry was appointed a Recorder in Crime on the North-Eastern Circuit in 2022.
Harry won Chambers & Partners Health & Safety Junior of the Year for 2021.
Health & Safety and Manslaughter
Harry acts for companies and individuals in the most serious health & safety prosecutions, including corporate and gross negligence manslaughter. He has acted for all sizes of business, from sole traders to Plcs, across a wide spectrum of industries, encompassing all aspects of construction, transport management, work at height, electrical installation, swimming pool management, farming, caravan sites, asbestos, care homes and commercial baking.
Harry is currently instructed in respect of three potential Corporate / Gross Negligence Manslaughter matters in which charging decisions are expected shortly.
Manufacturing
Harry has represented clients across the spectrum of UK manufacturing and production lines, often in respect of guarding, and machine safety, from bottling plants to glaziers to paper production to crisp flavourers. Currently, he is instructed by a paper production business in respect of both prosecution and enforcement notice appeals; a manufacturer of springs and other wired goods in a prosecution; and a delicatessen chain in respect of a dumpling machine in both criminal and enforcement notice proceedings.
Construction
Harry has represented companies of the size of Principal Contractors such as Persimmon, Clancy Docwra, Redrow and Costain down to small family businesses in all severities of incident. He is currently instructed for trial in June 2026 in respect of a fatality during the construction of an industrial warehouse; in respect of an incident involving a MEWP during the construction of a new football stadium; and has appeared in over a dozen other cases in the last year involving the construction industry. In addition to prosecutions, he frequently appears in Improvement and Prohibition Notice Appeals in this field.
Traffic Management
Harry has extensive experience in traffic management issues, which often arise whether principally or as subsidiary issues to wider industrial operations. Of particular relevance, he acted for the defendant in Redrow (2017, Liverpool Crown Court) relating to the manoeuvring of extremely large plant around a new housebuilding project; in Tooles Transport (2018, Worcester Crown Court), a fatal case involving traffic management at a haulier’s yard; in DJT Surfacing Limited (2019, St. Albans Crown Court), a fatal incident involving traffic management of contractor’s vehicles in a bus station refurbishment project; and in 2023-24 he represented Jewson’s (now Stark) in respect of an incident when an FLT ran over a customer’s foot as a result of inadequate traffic management, achieving a reduction on appeal of 75% of the fine. He is currently instructed for the coach business operator in respect of a fatal incident on a coach park in Wales in 2022; and the employer in respect of a fatality during the movement of MEWPs around site in a high-profile fatality in 2023; He is currently acting in a traffic management Improvement Notice Appeal relating to the circulation of commercial vehicles in an industrial setting.
Farming
Harry has represented farmers in all fields of health & safety, including in an acquittal of the gross negligence manslaughter of his client’s son (led by John Cooper KC). In a cattle-trampling case which concluded in 2025, he successfully persuaded the Prosecution to withdraw the causative allegation against his client some two months before trial. He is currently engaged in two further cattle-trampling cases and so is very familiar with the issues which arise in such matters.
Selected Cases
- HSE v. Reflex Flexible Packaging Limited (2025, Derby Crown Court)
- HSE v. Turnbull (2025, Teesside Crown Court)
- Persimmon v. HM Inspector of H&S (2025, ET)
- HSE v. Arthur Brooks Limited (2024, Leeds Crown Court)
- HSE v. Stark Building Materials UK Ltd (2024, Birmingham Crown Court)
- R. v. TW (2022, Teesside Crown Court)
- HSE v. GEL (2022, Preston Crown Court)
- Clancy Docwra v. HM Inspector of H&S (2023, ET)
- R. v. Alutrade Limited & Ors (2022, Wolverhampton Crown Court)
- R. v. WTL [2021] EWCA Crim 618
- HSE v. Fullwood Care Limited (2021, Liverpool Crown Court)
- HSE v. DJT Surfacing Limited (2019, St. Albans Crown Court)
- HSE v. Willmott Dixon [2012] EWCA Crim 1226
- HSE v. Tangerine Confectionery Limited & Anr [2011] EWCA Crim 2015
Inquests & Public Inquiries
Harry frequently appears at inquests for interested persons where potential prosecutions for the whole spectrum of health & safety and food safety offences are at large, including Corporate Manslaughter. Inquests in which he has been instructed have involved all manner of industrial incidents, suspected food poisoning cases, asbestos related disease and road traffic accidents.
Harry has also represented care homes in cases involving a wide range of issues, including nutrition, pressure sores, and the structure and maintenance of the fabric of the home.
Recent cases of note have included the following:
Re LP (2026, Preston Coroners’ Court) – the platform of a MEWP fell from its scissors causing the death of the operator; Harry’s client reassembled the machine before the incident. The jury’s narrative conclusion did not imply any fault on his part
Re JS (2026, Blackpool Coroners’ Court) – care home case involving allegations of neglect relating to nutrition; no neglect found following submissions
Re KG (2025, Northallerton Coroners’ Court) – death of a grounds worker when he was found underneath the ride-on mower on which he was working; in cross-examination, HSE’s expert accepted that the HSE’s assumption that the mower had overturned was not supported by the evidence
Re DB (2025, Hull Coroners’ Court) – death from lung cancer alleged to be due to asbestos exposure at work; the inquest established no link existed
Re PM (2025, Bolton Coroners’ Court) – death of a resident in a care home, alleged to be caused by incorrect diet; aspiration was not established
Fire Safety
Harry is widely experienced in Fire Safety matters, having represented a number of individuals and corporates alike in prosecutions under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. He was instructed in the Grenfell Inquiry. He has extensive experience in appeals against Enforcement Notices served under the FSO and achieving the best possible outcomes in high profile cases. As enforcement under the Building Safety Act 2022 takes root, he is developing his related practice in appealing Compliance Notices under that Act and working towards negotiated, cost-effective outcomes where possible.
In 2025, he appeared in Preston Crown Court for a student accommodation provider where a resident’s frying pan had caught fire. Appearing alongside John Cooper KC for the individual director, financial penalties were secured for both defendants as a result of a negotiated position for sentence.
He is currently instructed in a prosecution arising out of a fatal incident at an NHS facility where a resident set fire to his own room in circumstances in which his client had involvement with the refurbishment of the room and the testing of the fire alarm system.
Food Safety
Harry has broad experience in food safety matters, with clients ranging from individual publicans to large catering companies to nationally recognised chain restaurants, including the prosecutions for the failure to comply with Remedial Action Notices.
Consumer Protection
Harry’s practice in consumer protection is growing, in particular, in representing businesses investigated and prosecuted for under-age sale of knives, contrary to s.141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
Environmental
Harry is experienced in a very broad range of environmental issues, again appearing for both companies and individuals in connection with prosecutions as wide ranging as the discharge of waste into waterways in the North East and the destruction of protected species habitat in a multi-million-pound development on the banks of the Thames. In a prosecution in the North West in 2025, allegations that his client had, in fact, caused pollution were dropped by the EA the week before trial; and an Enforcement Undertaking was agreed to avoid the need for the prosecution of his clients in respect of a vandalism incident in Wales, causing their waste to escape into the watercourse.
Recommendations
“He is a legal force of nature. He’s very personable with incredibly sharp intellect.”…”He’s great with clients, including individuals and large companies. His strategic thinking is great, and he knows when to push forward and when to peg back.”
Chambers & Partners, 2026
“Harry is really lovely to work with, really good with clients and tactically very clever. He helps to steer clients in a pragmatic way.”…”He is calm under pressure and the right person to have by your side in a challenging case. He is also good with clients and solicitors and is dedicated to his work.”
Chambers & Partners, 2026
“Harry is a colossus of intellect and strategy. He has a commanding presence in court and juries listen when he speaks.”… “Harry shines – he walks the walk and talks the talk. Clients love him as they know how hard he will fight for them.”
Legal 500, 2026
“He is commanding on his feet and is good at getting to grips with the case.”…”He is incredibly clever, very personable and comes across well with clients.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“Harry has a commanding presence in court. His advice is clear, concise, and tailored, and he has a fantastic way with clients, quickly putting them at ease.” …”Harry is a fantastic advocate, he is very calm and incredibly persuasive. His demeanour and approach is right on point.”
Legal 500, 2025
“A counsel who has a strong grasp of the issues and an ability to deliver a strong performance.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Harry is a top performer. With his impressive intellect, he explains issues in direct terms for the benefit of clients who always find him a reassuring presence and a strong advocate.”
Legal 500, 2024
“Harry has a commanding presence both in conference and in court, and clients and judges listen when he speaks. His written advices are superb. He will go far.”
Legal 500, 2024
“A very strong advocate who is excellent with clients. He’s a superb barrister.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“An incredibly intelligent and very engaging advocate.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“His attention to detail is excellent and he’s a strong advocate.”; “He’s excellent on his feet and his subject knowledge is astonishingly good.”; “He’s a calm, thoughtful and organised barrister. I have been impressed by his cross-examinations and he’s very analytical.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“Harry has an exceptional ability to identify the significant issues that are key to achieving the best outcome. He produces very effective strategies and clients warm to him easily.”
Chambers & Partners, 2020
“Runs complex arguments with panache”
Chambers & Partners, 2013
This “charming performer” is praised for his “wonderful courtroom style”.
Chambers & Partners, 2012
