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
✍️ June 2026: Tax KC’s ‘private working notes’ were attempt to ‘pull the wool over the eyes of HMRC’, jury told
✍️ July 2026: Jury to consider verdicts as the trial of KC accused of dodging £2m in tax comes to an end
✍️ July 2026: “It has become clear that a serious problem has arisen between you” – Judge urges jury to be respectful
✍️ July 2026: “Now you’re a jury of 11” – KC Tax Trial latest
✍️ July 2026: Venables jury down to 10
✍️ July 2026: Venables Trial Collapses
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Reporting by freelance journalist Daniel Cloake
Robert Venables (left) with barrister Stuart Biggs KC outside Southwark Crown Court
As we reported yesterday Mr Justice Calver had brought the jury in to court and told them “I won’t inquire why the problem has arisen” but that “it has become clear that a serious problem has arisen between you”.
Citing “differences over topics which are private to you” the judge had said matters “now appear to have escalated to words or behaviour which jeopardises balanced, reasoned, and fair discussion”.
When the jury were sent home last night the Judge told them he had just received another jury note and “I’ll need some time to consider that”.
Earlier today, having wished the jury a good morning, the judge revealed that “yesterday afternoon it became necessary for me to discharge one of your number, who felt unable to continue deliberating”.
“The court has not embarked on a process of seeking to establish precisely what has gone on in the jury room” as that would be “inappropriate”.
Mr Justice Calver warned the jury it was a criminal offence to “disclose to anyone anything which might have been said” in the privacy of the jury room, and said they should not do so.
It was “particularly important” that the jury kept “firmly in mind” the need to respect each other’s opinions, and “value the different viewpoints that each of you brings to the case”.
“Each of you must allow each other the complete freedom to offer their opinions on anything”
The judge asked that the jury continue their deliberations in a “peaceful and respectful” way.
The jury were told the court could accept a majority verdict, meaning only 10 out of the 11 need to agree to form a verdict for each count.
The jury are on their 6th day of deliberations, and this is the end of the 8th week since the trial began.
Traditionally the court has only been sitting between 09.30 and 13.30 on Fridays.
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.
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