Ryan Murray

Practice areas

Serious crime
Regulatory crime
Civil

What others say

‘Ryan is very knowledgeable. His ability to quickly get a jury on his side is remarkable. He is a very safe pair of hands.’

Legal 500 2026 Rising Stars

“I was introduced to Ryan as my barrister, and what a weight lifted from my shoulders! Such a professional-no hassle totally ‘smart’ gentleman I can’t ever thank him enough! So refreshing and professional at a difficult time for me! Thank you.“

Client

“…Ryan has not been at the bar that long and often defends, but he had a great attitude and worked really hard to get the right result in difficult circumstances.”

CPS

Profile

Ryan is known for his approachable nature and ability to quickly identify the core issues in a case. Ryan’s meticulous preparation and confident jury-friendly advocacy have led to him becoming a “go to” advocate amongst local solicitors.

Ryan’s practice is based in the Crown Court, though he does on occasion undertake cases in the Youth Court. He is a CPS General Crime Level 3 & RASSO Prosecutor, but is best-known for his defence practice. Almost all of his work is for the defence.

Ryan’s work covers virtually the full spectrum of criminal offences, including but not limited to: serious non-fatal violence, serious sexual offences, weapons offences, arson, fraud, public order, harassment/stalking, motoring offences (including those involving deaths), drug offences (including multi-handed conspiracies), theft, robbery, burglary and offences against public decency/justice.

He is adept at handling complex matters and cases involving technical points of law. Ryan has defended in cases with issues such as insanity, automatism, intoxication, the householder branch of self-defence and modern slavery.

Ryan has experience of acting and advising in applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). He has appeared as a lone junior in both the High Court and Court of Appeal.

Before joining Devon Chambers and focusing on crime, Ryan worked as a freelance County Court advocate, during which he appeared in nearly 2,500 civil hearings on Circuit. Ryan retains a small civil practice – both advisory and advocacy-based – in areas of housing, insolvency and contract.

His background has led to considerable demand for Ryan to act for parties in regulatory matters, which fall within a civil jurisdiction but often arise from a criminal context. Recent such instructions include contempt proceedings, committals arising out of alleged breaches of anti-social behaviour injunctions and applications by the Police. Ryan is particularly sought after by both the Police and Appellants to act in/advise upon appeals against the revocation of firearms/shotgun licences.

Ryan is regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

Recent Cases:-

R v X [2025]. Defending a man charged with multiple offences of rape and GBH with intent, having allegedly raped the complainant on several occasions and bitten a portion of her ear off.
R v Z [2025]. Defending a man charged with multiple rapes and other serious sexual offences allegedly committed against his step-daughter, over a several month period, whilst she was aged 11/12.
R v S [2025]. Defending a man charged with wounding with intent, having allegedly stabbed another man in the neck with a concealed blade, during a heated drunken argument.
R v X [2025]. Defending a man charged with offences of rape and other serious sexual offences allegedly committed against several of his grandchildren over several years.
R v S (and others) [2025]. Defending in a complex multi-handed case alleging fraud and money laundering offences, arising from funds having been transferred from the account of an elderly relative in to the accounts of other family members.
R v S [2025]. Defending a man in a “stranger rape” case, having approached the intoxicated complainant whilst the pair were walking home from a night out, before allegedly raping her in a field near to her home, causing extensive intimate injuries.
R v L & W [2025]. Defending a man charged as part of a joint enterprise s.18 offence, the complainant having suffered deep lacerations, as well as multiple fractures to his skull and leg, allegedly sustained through the defendants’ use of various weapons including a meat cleaver, claw hammer and sledgehammer. Linked issues of drug supply.
R v H [2025]. Defending a man in a “stranger rape” case, having walked the heavily intoxicated complainant back to his property before allegedly raping her whilst she was unconscious. The defendant claimed he had not had any sexual contact with the complainant, though her DNA was found on intimate swabs of his penis.
R v C [2024]. Defending a man charged with attempted murder, having used a Stanley knife to slit the throat of a female friend who had entered his flat in the early hours of the morning via a window, that he claimed to have mistaken for a burglar.
R v T & others (Operation Miching) [2022- 3]. Led junior for the defence in a complex five-handed fraud/drug conspiracy described as “one of Britain’s largest dark web drugs cases”. It concerned the production and onward supply of fake pharmaceuticals via the dark web, the alleged proceeds (over £20,000,000) thereafter being laundered through Bitcoin. Served material amounted to nearly 10,000 pages. Led by Rupert Taylor.