Serious Drugs & Conspiracy Solicitors

If you are under investigation, charged or already facing Crown Court proceedings, early strategic advice matters. Peter Bonner & Co defends serious drug supply, conspiracy, importation, EncroChat and proceeds of crime cases across London and nationally.

Urgent or confidential advice: call 020 8297 1727 or request a confidential callback.

Volume is not the same as proof

Serious drugs prosecutions can contain thousands of pages of telephone schedules, encrypted messages, cell-site evidence, financial records and surveillance material. The scale of the case can be intimidating. It does not relieve the prosecution of its obligation to prove the allegation against each defendant.

We identify the prosecution theory, test attribution and context, separate association from participation and focus on the evidence said to connect the individual client to the case.

Evidence we examine

  • Whether a phone, account, vehicle, address or device can properly be attributed to you
  • The meaning and context of messages relied upon by the prosecution
  • Cell-site, location, surveillance and financial evidence
  • Whether the evidence proves knowledge, agreement and participation
  • Your alleged role compared with the wider prosecution case
  • Disclosure gaps, unused material and alternative explanations

Drugs cases we defend

Advice from the outset

Early decisions can shape the whole case. We advise at the police station and throughout Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court proceedings. Independent legal advice at the police station is free.

Legal Aid and private representation

Peter Bonner & Co accepts instructions on a private fee basis and under Legal Aid. We will explain the available funding arrangements clearly at the outset.

Already represented?

If you or a family member already has solicitors but is concerned about the conduct or preparation of a substantial case, contact us to discuss the position. A transfer of Legal Aid is not automatic, but the court may permit it where the applicable test is met.

Discuss your case

Call 020 8297 1727 or contact Peter Bonner & Co for a confidential discussion.

County lines, coercion and exploitation

Read our dedicated county-lines defence guidance.

County-lines allegations may involve a deal phone, travel, cash, messages and the use of another person’s home. We examine what the evidence actually shows about your knowledge, actions and role. Being present or knowing another defendant does not by itself establish participation in a supply conspiracy.

Children and vulnerable adults may have been groomed, threatened or controlled. Tell your solicitor about debts, threats, missing episodes or pressure to carry drugs or money. Those circumstances can affect safeguarding, charging decisions, the availability of a defence and sentence. The modern-slavery defence has specific conditions and excludes some offences; a trafficking decision does not automatically end a prosecution.

Parents can also read our youth defence guidance.

How drug-supply sentencing works

Read our drug-supply sentencing guide.

There is no reliable sentence prediction from the drug’s class alone. For adult supply and possession-with-intent cases, the court considers harm, including quantity, and culpability, including whether the role was leading, significant or lesser. The starting point is then adjusted for relevant aggravating and mitigating factors, any guilty-plea reduction and the overall sentence where there are several offences. Children require a different sentencing approach.

The role alleged by the prosecution must be examined carefully: control, expected financial gain, knowledge of the operation and evidence of pressure or exploitation can matter. We advise on the guideline that applies to the actual charge and prepare evidence about the individual, rather than treating a starting point as a fixed outcome.

Drugs defence: frequently asked questions

Does possession of a large quantity prove intent to supply?

Quantity can be relevant, alongside packaging, messages, cash and other evidence. The prosecution must prove intent; the full circumstances and any explanation need to be assessed. Read our possession with intent to supply page.

Can EncroChat evidence be challenged?

Advice must address the current law and the evidence in your case. Attribution of a handle or device, message context, disclosure and the inference of participation can remain important. Read about EncroChat and encrypted evidence.

Does the case end when sentence is passed?

Confiscation proceedings may follow conviction. The alleged benefit and the amount available to pay require separate scrutiny. Read our POCA and confiscation guidance.

Can my family contact you?

Yes. A relative can make an initial enquiry and provide practical information. Instructions and disclosure of confidential case details remain subject to the client’s authority. Contact us or call 020 8297 1727.

Private serious-case representation

For clients seeking privately funded, defined-scope support in a substantial drugs or conspiracy case, see our serious Drugs and Conspiracy service and the separate Private Defence service.

For a technical overview, read how phone evidence is tested in drug-conspiracy cases.