Specialist review · EncroChat / Anom / Sky ECC
EncroChat, Anom and Sky ECC cases — reviewed by senior counsel.
Encrypted-platform prosecutions turn on attribution, admissibility and the quality of the specific messages the Crown relies on. A senior lawyer with EncroChat trial and appeal experience reads the schedules, the attribution material and the summing-up, and tells you honestly where the arguable ground is — on conviction, on role, or on the POCA that usually follows.
Charges we review
- Conspiracy to supply Class A / B drugs — s1 Criminal Law Act 1977 / MDA 1971
- Being concerned in the supply — s4(3)(b) MDA 1971
- Importation of controlled drugs — s170 CEMA 1979
- Money laundering — ss327–329 POCA 2002
- Conspiracy to possess firearms with intent — Firearms Act 1968 / CLA 1977
- Encouraging or assisting offences — ss44–46 Serious Crime Act 2007
- Confiscation on criminal lifestyle basis — s6 POCA 2002
- Anom / Sky ECC prosecutions — Operation Venetic and linked EIO material
What the lawyer reviews
- The attribution package — habitual-user evidence, cell-site, seizures, self-portraits, admissions
- The specific messages / EncroChat schedules the Crown relies on for each count
- How the material was obtained (EIO, JIT, French / Dutch route) and any disclosure gap
- s78 PACE and abuse of process arguments open on your facts post- A, B, D and C v R
- Joint enterprise / Jogee directions where you are said to be a conspirator
- Role assessment under the drug supply guideline — leading / significant / lesser
- Sentence: guideline category, credit for plea, totality with any co-defendants
- POCA benefit figure, criminal-lifestyle assumptions and the available amount
Common grounds we identify
Anonymised case examples
Realistic outcomes from EncroChat, Anom and Sky ECC reviews and the actions that followed.
EncroChat conspiracy — 21-year starting point
Convicted on a handle attributed through a single self-portrait, cell-site inference and a co-defendant's message. The Crown categorised the role as 'leading' on wholesale traffic figures.
Outcome: Sentence reduced by 3 years on appeal
Actions that followed
- Instructed new appellate counsel to draft role and sentence grounds
- Requested disclosure of the EncroChat acquisition route and JIT material
- Commissioned a fresh attribution review of the self-portrait and handset evidence
- Applied for leave to appeal sentence out of time
- Re-opened the confiscation order because the benefit figure relied on speculative conversions
Anom importation and firearms — joint enterprise
Client convicted after co-defendants pleaded guilty and gave evidence against him. The Anom messages formed the core of the case but the jury were not directed clearly on Jogee foresight plus substantial injustice.
Outcome: Conviction referred to the CCRC
Actions that followed
- Drafted a full CCRC application with a Jogee / joint-enterprise analysis
- Requested unused Anom handling and processing material from the NCA
- Instructed an independent IT forensics expert on the Anom data chain
- Obtained a psychiatric report on the client's vulnerability and suggestibility
- Prepared grounds for an unsafe conviction referral
Sky ECC / EncroChat POCA — £3.5m benefit
The Crown's confiscation schedule used a retail kilo-to-cash conversion to reach £3.5m. The available amount included a family property and a third-party business account.
Outcome: POCA benefit reduced by almost £1.8m on appeal
Actions that followed
- Instructed a forensic accountant to benchmark wholesale versus retail valuations
- Gathered authorities showing the Crown had mixed wholesale and retail assumptions
- Filed an appeal notice against the confiscation order within the 28-day window
- Challenged the available-amount calculation with third-party and family-interest evidence
- Referred the case to a POCA specialist barrister for the appeal hearing
EncroChat 'safehouse' distribution — role in dispute
Sentence was passed on the basis the client ran a network of safehouses. Review of the messages showed he was primarily a courier with limited organisational control and no evidence of owning stock.
Outcome: Sentence remitted for re-categorisation as 'lesser' role
Actions that followed
- Prepared sentence-appeal grounds under the Sentencing Council drug guidelines
- Took a detailed statement on the client's actual day-to-day role
- Compared the messages attributed to him against the Crown's role summary
- Advised on a realistic basis of plea for a possible retrial
- Referred the case to specialist criminal-appeal counsel
Examples are anonymised, based on real case types we have reviewed. Every case is different and outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
What clients say
"Everyone told us EncroChat was closed after A, B, D and C. Case Review UK found the attribution point that actually mattered on my brother's case and set it out in a way counsel could use."
"The POCA benefit figure the Crown wanted was over £2 million. The written review pulled it apart line by line. It paid for itself many times over."
Testimonials are from verified clients, redacted for confidentiality.
What results to expect
Every EncroChat, Anom and Sky ECC case is different. The review does not promise a particular outcome, but it will give you a clear, independent view of the arguable ground and the practical next steps available.
Clear written advice
A plain-English report setting out the strengths and weaknesses of the case, the specific documents we looked at, and the legal arguments that apply to your facts.
Identified appeal or sentence grounds
Where the papers support it, we flag arguable grounds of appeal against conviction, sentence, or confiscation — and where they do not, we tell you honestly.
Actionable next steps
A short list of what to do next, whether that means instructing appellate counsel, requesting further disclosure, challenging a POCA figure, or seeking a second opinion on role.
No false guarantees
We cannot and do not guarantee that any court will allow an appeal, reduce a sentence, or overturn a confiscation order. The outcome depends on the facts, the court, and the evidence.
Example next steps we may recommend:
- Instruct appellate counsel to draft grounds using the review
- Apply to the Criminal Cases Review Commission if the appeal window has expired
- Request further disclosure of the attribution or acquisition material
- Commission a fresh expert on cell-site, attribution, or valuation
- Challenge the POCA benefit or available-amount figure on appeal
- Use the review to negotiate a realistic basis of plea or sentence on a retrial
Important
This is an independent case review by a senior UK criminal lawyer. It is not a substitute for instructing a solicitor or barrister to represent you at court. Outcomes depend on the specific facts, evidence, judge and tribunal, and cannot be guaranteed. All papers are treated in strict confidence.
Get in touch
Not sure this is the right package?
Send a short summary of the charge and stage. A senior reviewer will tell you honestly whether this specialist review, a Full Case Assessment, or an urgent triage fits best.
- • Reviewed by senior UK lawyers and barristers
- • Over 50 years of combined experience
- • Fully online — discreet and secure
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