JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors Banner Image

Useful Information

  • Home
  • Useful Information
  • Crime/Fraud
Services
People
News and Events
Other
Blogs

Conspiracy Charge Sentences in the UK

  • Posted

In the UK, making an agreement to commit a crime is a crime in itself, referred to as a conspiracy.

Being charged with conspiracy to commit a crime is very serious, and depending on the circumstances of the case and the plans that allegedly took place, the punishments can be severe.

We discuss conspiracy charges in detail in the following blog, including what conspiracy charge sentences look like and the corresponding sentences that can be handed out upon conviction.

While we hope this information is useful, please note that it should not be taken as legal advice. If you need detailed advice in relation to a conspiracy charge, then please get in touch and our team can advise you.

What is a conspiracy charge?

In a legal context, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more people to commit a particular crime. If you make such an agreement or commit any specific actions that form part of an agreement, you could be charged with a conspiracy offence. It does not matter whether the plan is ever actually carried out or if the crime it relates to is committed.

For a conspiracy charge to be brought, multiple individuals (or organisations) must have agreed to commit a crime and intent to complete said crime.

What constitutes a conspiracy will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and how it relates to the crime in question. Examples of evidence that could prove a conspiracy include:

  • Telephone conversations
  • Emails, text messages, social media interactions
  • Witness testimony
  • Fingerprints and DNA
  • Mobile phone data
  • CCTV footage

It should be noted that the term ‘agreement’ is not defined by legislation and can be interpreted widely. This means simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can result in a person being deemed ‘conspiring’ to commit an offence.

What are the main types of conspiracy charges?

There are various types of conspiracy charges you could potentially face, such as:

Conspiracy to defraud

Conspiracy to defraud involves an agreement to dishonestly deprive someone of their property or something they would normally be entitled to or to deceive someone into acting against a duty they owe to their employers or clients.

Conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH)

Conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm involves a plan to assault someone with the intention to cause them severe injury. Those accused of the offence do not need to have been directly involved in carrying out the attack in order to face charges.

Conspiracy to commit theft

Theft covers a number of offences involving the offender or offenders dishonestly taking another’s property with the intention to permanently deprive the legitimate owner of that property. Conspiracy to commit theft can cover any action or agreement to act that contributes to an offence of theft.

Conspiracy to commit robbery

Robbery involves stealing property from someone at a time, or shortly after a time, when force was used, or that person was put in fear of force being used. Conspiracy to commit robbery charges might be charged where two or more people planned a course of action that would involve a robbery taking place.

Conspiracy to commit burglary

Burglary involves an offender entering a building or part of a building without permission to steal, inflict Grievous Bodily Harm or commit unlawful damage. Conspiracy to commit burglary, therefore, is where two or more people are accused of working together to plan a course of action that involves burglary.

Conspiracy to rape

Being involved in a conspiracy to rape could involve a range of actions, such as providing a room or other location for the offence, supplying ‘date rape’ drugs or providing transportation.

Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

Conspiring with another to pervert the course of justice might involve asking someone to fabricate or dispose of evidence, or to intimidate or threaten people involved with a case, such as witnesses, the jury or the judge.

Conspiracy to murder

Conspiracy to murder is a specific offence under the Criminal Law Act 1977 that involves two or more people agreeing to kill another person. Simply agreeing that a person be killed is sufficient to be conspiracy to murder, providing that was the intended outcome.

Conspiracy to supply

If two or more people plan to carry out a course of action that would involve the supply of drugs, this is referred to as a conspiracy to supply. Charges for conspiracy to supply Class A, Class B, and Class C steroids are all treated separately, carrying varying levels of severity when it comes to sentences.

What are the sentences for conspiracy charges?

The sentence related to conspiracy charges heavily depends on the crime it relates to. For example, the maximum penalty for conspiracy to murder could be a life sentence, compared to the maximum penalty for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs, which is 14 years’ imprisonment.

There are various other factors which are likely to affect the sentence handed out for a conspiracy charge, including:

  • The role an alleged offender played in a conspiracy
  • The scale and scope of the offence
  • How serious the plan or agreement was
  • Whether there is any evidence of pressure or coercion
  • Previous convictions

What should you do if you are accused of a conspiracy?

Many people fail to realise that the potential sentences for conspiracies can be extremely serious. Even if the crime did not take place, the plan is often enough in itself to attract lengthy prison sentences in many cases.

At JD Spicer Zeb, our specialist criminal defence solicitors have over 45 years of experience in handling a wide range of criminal cases, including those involving conspiracy charges. Our expertise ensures that we will know the best way to approach your case and what steps need to be taken to secure the best possible outcome, whether this means having charges dropped altogether or having a sentence mitigated if conviction is unavoidable.

We regularly deal with all forms of evidence that are relied on in conspiracy cases, including digital evidence and witness testimony. This ensures we have the knowledge and tools at our disposal to build a strong defence case, and identify any flaws in the case being presented against you.

We have been accredited by the Law Society for Criminal Litigation. This highlights our strong track record of previous success. Additionally, we have also been able to establish strong relationships with many of the country’s leading criminal defence barristers, meaning that you will receive the highest standard of representation if a case ever proceeds to court.

Related matters

We provide support and guidance on various related matters, including:

Related cases

Fees and funding

We always provide straightforward advice with regard to fees.

Legal aid may be available for your case, depending on whether it passes a means test and whether the grant of public funding is justified.

Where you do not qualify for legal aid, the alternative will be to fund the case on a private basis.

To find out more about the way we handle fees (both legal aid public funding and private fees) for conspiracy offences please use the links provided below:

Contact our criminal defence lawyers today

If you are due to attend the police station, require any urgent specialist advice, or immediate representation for a conspiracy offence, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

You can contact our dedicated criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone on:

Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you quickly.

24/7 legal representation for conspiracy charges

We are available to represent clients all over England and Wales at any time, so please contact our Emergency Number at 07836 577 556.

How can we help?

Common questions

We always work with the most experienced and best leading UK barristers, KCs (Kings Counsel). We cover all criminal cases 24/7 at the police station and court. Offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester cover cases across England and Wales. We can offer Legal Aid and affordable Private fee agreements. We can see you the same day, including virtually. Our Senior Partners supervise all of our cases.

How quickly do you respond?

We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you. 

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED - 

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about  –

  • Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
  • Public and private funding benefits.
  • Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
  • An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
  • Providing our free written guide explaining the police station process.
  • The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
  • Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
  • Consequences of interfering with any witnesses.
  • Retaining any evidence in support of your case.
  • If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
  • This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
  • Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

  • If we do not intend to take the case on.
  • Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
  • In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
  • Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
  • The locations concerned may be too distant to represent you adequately or it may not be cost-effective for you or us.
  • The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
  • In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
  • If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
  • If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance. 
  • If you hold legal aid with another firm and seek a second opinion.
  • If you are calling on behalf of the client as a friend or family member unless you have full authority and full facts.
  • To businesses.
  • Advising whether you were given good advice by your other solicitor.
  • Whether to decide to plead guilty or not guilty.
  • Whether you have an arguable defence in law or factually complicated defences.
  • Any advice you have had after your first court appearance.
  • Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
  • If we feel we are unable to communicate with you.
  • If we are likely to be conflicted or breach our professional rules.