Top tax barrister Robert Venables KC, 78, of Old Square Tax Chambers is currently facing three counts of dishonestly cheating the public revenue in criminal proceedings before a jury at Southwark Crown Court.
Our reporting of this case:
✍️ Jan 2025: Barrister accused of falsifying tax returns – the indictment revealed
✍️ May 2026: Trial date set for barrister accused of falsifying tax returns
✍️ May 2026: Barrister’s barrister tells jury: “There is nothing legally wrong with avoiding tax and exploiting loopholes”
✍️ May 2026: Wise gardener gives evidence in KC Tax Cheat case
✍️ June 2026: Venables’ Bookkeeper Gives Evidence in KC Tax Cheat Case
✍️ June 2026: R v Venables KC: The HMRC Interviews: “wouldn’t it be wonderful if tax law were always simple and logical”
✍️ June 2026: HMRC’s criminal probe against Tax KC had “Red Risks”, jury told
✍️ June 2026: HMRC’s ‘menacing’ correspondence meets Tax KC’s threats of defamation, jury hears
✍️ June 2026: R v Venables KC: The Agreed Facts
✍️ June 2026: Top Tax KC: “I’ve been cancelled” as jury told of humble beginnings
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Reporting by freelance journalist Daniel Cloake
Robert Venables (left) with barrister Stuart Biggs KC outside Southwark Crown Court
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court were read transcripts of two interviews, held under caution, between Robert Venables KC and HMRC.
Playing alternate roles while reading from the transcript were barrister Michael Hick, and HMRC’s officer in charge of the case Ms Varsha Heerasing.
In both interviews Venables was accompanied by a solicitor who had broadly advised him to answer “no comment“.
The jury heard that criticism was made by Venables that documents hadn’t been provided far enough in advance before the interview to allow a review and provide written responses.
More criticism was made by Venables over the perceived quality of the questions coming from the HMRC team, at one point accusing them of “misconception, misapprehension, misunderstanding.” Two quotes are notable:
“I can say at this point HMRC has complete misunderstanding, I don’t know who’s advising you on trust law but you need to get somebody who is far more competent who knows how to read a trust deed and to give you proper advice. I won’t expand further on this today.“
“[HMRC interviewers] cannot be expected to be trust law specialists and even if I were to say something today, the chance of your understanding it. Sorry this is something that needs to be thought about and put down carefully in writing.”
When HMRC asked whether he is “very knowledgeable about the mechanisms of trusts and how they’re taxed?” Venables replied “Well, that would be for others to say. I’m far too modest“.
He was later asked why he had “told HMRC … that you declare what you are beneficially entitled to” in a tax return. The modesty soon evaporated: “I cannot imagine I would ever have said that because I am far too knowledgeable” came the reply.
When asked “Have you implemented the structure with complicated layering with your high level knowledge of trusts and taxation to dilute your barristerial profits and evade paying the correct amount of taxes due by you?“
Venables replied “Unequivocally no.“
Venables later asked Ms Maryann Dufton, from HMRC, if she had “any exposure to Inheritance Tax” while referencing “a marvellous book I read in 1983, called Tax Planning Through Trusts. I forget who wrote it…“
“Mr Venables is that you?” she asks.
It was, and as this was being read to the jury Mr Venables grinned, whilst sat at the back of the court.
At the end of the second interview HMRC’s position was summarised: Mr Venables
had not been paying the correct tax, and he had devised fraudulent arrangements
to evade tax for himself personally, via the RVQC Partnership and Citadel Limited.
Venables replied: “very briefly all allegation of fraud is denied…Why does someone in my position need to act fraudulently … when they have the expertise … to mitigate lawfully their tax liability?“
You can download the transcripts here:
A few days after the second interview Mr Venables sent a Memorandum clarifying his position.
The trial continues.
The CPS are represented by Julian Christopher KC, Marika Lemos KC, and Michael Hick. Mr Venables is represented by Stuart Biggs KC and Erin McKee.
The mouseinthecourt attended Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday 2nd June 2026.
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