Aled Watkins qualified as a solicitor in 2000. Initially, he worked in general practice representing clients as an advocate in contested family proceedings, both in the County and Magistrates Court and also in care proceedings and adoption hearings. He was an Advocate with a varied case load which included Inheritance Act claims, personal injury claims, repossession applications, welfare benefits appeals and he was an advocate in criminal proceedings.
Aled chose to specialise in criminal law and for many years has represented clients in court proceedings throughout South Wales and the West of England. He has represented clients facing serious criminal offences, including offences of violence, drugs offences, sexual offences as well as large and complex fraud cases.
Aled regularly defends prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, Department of Work and Pensions, Environment Agency, Health & Safety Executive and Local Authorities (both criminal and regulatory offences). He has advised and represented clients regarding applications brought for cash seizure, anti-social behaviour orders and football banning orders. He has also advised in court martial proceedings. Additionally, he has represented clients investigated by the NHS Fraud Department, Police Complaints Commission and Inland Revenue.
Some cases of note include his representation of a client under the Very High Costs Case Scheme who was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs as part of a national drug supply gang based in London.
Aled has also successfully defended a client charged by the Health & Safety Executive of causing an explosion in a munitions factory. The case concluded with a successful Abuse of Process Argument and the defendant’s costs being recovered from the prosecution by way of a Wasted Costs Order.
His varied caseload means that Aled regularly instructs experts on issues such as DNA evidence, firearms, fingerprint evidence, medical evidence, blood alcohol calculations, handwriting, psychiatrists, forensic accountancy, accident reconstruction and scrutiny of computers and mobile phones.
He has also encountered a number of unusual cases. He has instructed a Chartered Surveyor in a landfill tax evasion case and an ocular expert to report on fields of vision in a case of death by dangerous driving where the client was blind in one eye.
He has advised and represented teachers, special constables, police officers, custody staff, prison officers, veterinary surgeons, members of the armed forces, doctors, paramedics, nurses and a psychiatrist.
Aled is a regular trial advocate and a fluent Welsh speaker. He has represented clients in the Welsh language including presenting pleas in mitigation and successfully defending clients at trial. He is also an experienced Trainer and Assessor of candidates at Cardiff University to become Duty Solicitors and Accredited Police Station Representatives.
