I have significant experience in a range of areas, especially the assessment of defendants in criminal cases, personal injury and clinical negligence cases. I have also carried out work for and provided opinion to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the Parole Board, the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health), HM Coroners, professional disciplinary hearings (in relation to healthcare professionals, solicitors and police officers) an ecclesiastical court and I delivered in-house training to the Mental Health Casework Section of HM Prison and Probation Service.

I have provided oral evidence in court over 350 times, including at the Old Bailey and the Royal Courts of Justice and have provided expert opinion to the Court of Appeal in R v Abdul Hakeem Yusuf [2025] EWCA Crim 1010 and R v Damien Osmond [2025] EWCA Crim 835.

I provided written and oral evidence over several days in the Old Bailey, instructed by the CPS, in a complex corporate negligence manslaughter case against an NHS Trust, [2025] EWCC 2 (Crim).

In civil work, psychiatric injuries have ranged from depressive disorders and PTSD to adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, complex PTSD and somatic symptom disorder. These have often followed physical injuries, workplace difficulties and/or childhood abuse. Autism spectrum disorder is frequently involved, particularly in cases involving financial and online institutions and cryptocurrency. Autism was a prominent concern in a relatively high profile case in the Upper Tribunal, [2026] UKUT 00047 (TCC).

In criminal work, typical issues include:

  • Fitness to plead and stand trial – including contested fitness to plead hearings
  • Mutism
  • Diminished responsibility
  • Insanity
  • Capacity to form intent
  • Assessment of “dangerousness” – in the days of Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection
  • Culpability

Dr Taylor’s report, giving as it does his endorsement to a diagnosis of ADHD and a new diagnosis of PTSD, does give some ground for matters which go to reduce culpability for this offending.

Court of Appeal Judgement in R v Abdul Hakeem Yusuf [2025] EWCA Crim 1010

Many of these issues are strictly matters for the court, but psychiatric opinion often assists courts in their decisions.

I have often been asked to assess people charged with a range of offences including:

  • Arson – reckless arson and arson with intent
  • Homicide – especially in cases involving defences of insanity, self-defence and diminished responsibility
  • Sexual offences – including rape, sexual assault and crimes against children
  • A wide range of interpersonal violence, from attempted murder through GBH and ABH to common assault
  • Robbery
  • Fraud and other financial crimes
  • Burglary – both domestic and commercial
  • Driving offences
  • Blackmail – often sexual in nature
  • Harassment – including against high profile individuals and families

I am often asked to assess people with a range of mental health problems including:

  • schizophrenia
  • bipolar affective disorder
  • substance and alcohol use – including novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) such as Spice
  • autism, Asperger’s syndrome and autistic spectrum disorder
  • depressive disorders
  • personality disorders – especially dissocial personality disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder, borderline type

Assessments can be arranged at Lion Court (LE65 1RT) or at solicitors’ offices, if people are at liberty to travel, or in prison if on remand. Rarely, it is necessary to assess people in their own home, usually for very frail or elderly individuals.