Ciaran Rankin

Notable Cases

• Inquest touching upon the death of MM (2022)

  Representing a residential home specialising in dementia patients. The home faced some serious criticisms - including fraud. Suggestions of neglect not substantiated.

• Inquest touching upon the death of SG (2021)

  Acting on behalf of the Council.

  Hanging of a young girl who had been under the care of The Council Safeguarding and Sexual Exploitation teams.

  This was an extremely sensitive case as issues arose relating to the Councils understanding and dealings with the religious and cultural beliefs of the family of the deceased.

  The conclusion was suicide and criticism of the opportunities missed by the authorities followed.

• Inquest touching upon the death of NW (2021)

  Acting for the family in an Art 2 inquest with a jury into the death by suicide of a young man in custody. He was suffering from and receiving treatment for mental health problems. He died having placed a ligature around his neck whilst in his cell. The deceased had a history of doing this.

  The Inquest considered the issues with the handover of NW between two prisons.

  The inquest also considered the individual and systemic issues within the two prisons and the two separate health care providers within those prisons.

• Inquest touching upon the death of RB (2021)

  Acting for a Care Worker. The deceased was involved with a series of agencies because of her mental health issues. Article 2, Suicide, Misadventure and Neglect raised as issues.

• Inquest touching upon the death of FM (2021)

  An inquest in relation to a death of a new born baby. Factually and legally complicated matter where the inquest considered the individual and systemic issues within the hospital. Neglect raised and found as part of conclusion.

• Inquest

  Instructed by the Royal College of Nursing on behalf of a psychiatric nurse following the death of a patient in the secure hospital. The patient had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

  The patient had significant mental health problems and the nurse had been assigned as the team leader dealing with the patient.

  Following questioning of the management of the secure unit and an investigation into the internal procedures in place Nurse Evans was exonerated and returned to practice.

• Crime

  Represented prison officer who was accused of assaulting a prisoner. It was said that he was one of group of officers who inflicted quite severe injuries to a heavily convicted but very vulnerable prisoner in Forest Bank. He was acquitted after a 9 day trial.

  He has also been advised about his employment situation and a large pay out may follow as he was dismissed form his post long before any verdict was returned.

• R-v-Martin Campbell.

  Sexual Offences

  Prosecuting the sexual abuse of the defendant who sexually assaulted two of his biological daughters when they were approximately aged 10 and also his second cousin when she was aged 17. After a 10 day trial it resulted in a conviction and a sentence of 18 years.

• R v H

  Represented a defendant who was a Foster parent accused of raping one of his foster children. It involved lengthy and difficult cross-examination of young and vulnerable witnesses. The case involved a detailed analysis of social service, school and medical records relating to the girls in question.

  The defendant was acquitted after trial.

• R v A

  A case that attracted national media interest. The defendant was accused of neglect of her six children.

  She had been disciplining them with the use of a BB gun. She used to chastise the children when they failed to do as instructed by firing the gun at them and wounding them. Following lengthy discussions with the prosecution and close analysis of the evidence the defendant pleaded guilty.

  I was able to mitigate in such a way as to ensure that she did not go to prison.

  Her co-defendant got an immediate term of imprisonment.

• R v R

  I am currently prosecuting this case where the defendant is alleged to have raped his biological daughter from the age of 4 to 14 years old. I have dealt with the interview edits, the bad character application, the disclosure and the drafting of the indictment.

  The defendant is represented by Queens Counsel and the trial is pending.

• R v Fr

  Instructed to represent defendant who is alleged to have raped a 7 year old girl as part of an orgy.

  The trial is pending.

• Lancashire FA v PM

  Professional Discipline

  A disciplinary hearing where PM was accused of bringing the game into disrepute because of language directed at an opponent on the pitch.

• R v Bond

  The Beast of Blackpool - Sexual assault trial involving human rights issues

• R v McCluskey

  Corruption

  One of the first criminal cases regarding the use of "Special Counsel" in relation to PII matters against the background of police corruption.

• R v Ramsden

  Murder

  The first Murder trial outside London dealing with the Anonymity of Witnesses.

• AG of the Falkland Islands v McDonald

  Sexual Offences

  The first conviction by jury in the islands history and the longest sentence ever handed down in the case relating to historical sexual offences.