Chaynee Hodgetts Represents D1 in Operation Critic HMRC Trial

Complex Defence Strategy Across Large-Scale Excise Duty Conspiracy

Chaynee Hodgetts, instructed by Mr Hockham Salhan and Mr Mukesh Salhan of MCS Solicitors, and led by Dominic D’Souza, represented D1 in Operation Critic, a substantial HMRC prosecution concerning an alleged conspiracy to evade excise duty on tobacco products.

The trial, heard at Bristol Crown Court, lasted in excess of nine weeks and involved multiple Defendants. The Crown advanced a case of large-scale, organised offending, relying on extensive telecommunications evidence, surveillance material, and documentation arising from coordinated searches. Acting for the lead Defendant, Ms Hodgetts was closely involved in the development and execution of defence strategy across a complex evidential landscape, requiring detailed forensic analysis of call data, usage patterns, and cross-referencing with the broader evidential picture. The Defence also engaged extensively with disclosure and evidential integrity issues, including issues arising from the continuity and documentation of seized material, the contents of many thousands of calls and telephone messages over time, and the limitations of surveillance evidence in establishing knowledge of the alleged contents of boxes.

These matters were pursued through sustained cross-examination of HMRC officers and other Prosecution witnesses, alongside ongoing disclosure engagement and careful management of a large volume of material over the course of the trial. Following verdicts, the team continue to represent D1 at sentence in 2026, in order to secure the most appropriate outcome in all the circumstances. The case attracted national media attention and was covered by The Sun.