Defending the Guilty

'McBride details his own cock-ups and disasters with the relish of the born humorous writer. Very funny' Daily Mail Every day, criminal barrister Alex McBride stands up in court and attempts to save people from conviction, prison, even a lifetime behind bars. Sometimes it's a hopeless case. Sometimes he has the chance to right a wrong. But mostly his clients are just plain guilty. In Defending the Guilty, McBride takes us behind the scenes of Britain's criminal justice system. He introduces us to its extraordinary characters and arcane eccentricities, and tells astonishing stories of courtroom triumph and defeat. Whether he's defending hapless teenagers at Harlow Youth Court or prosecuting gold bullion robbers at the Old Bailey, these hair-raising tales reveal that justice rarely operates in quite the way we expect. Throughout, McBride grapples with that most important of questions: how do we ensure that the guilty are convicted and the innocent walk free? 'Expert, authoritative, hilarious - an insider's fearless account of life at the criminal bar' Craig Raine, The Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year 'Gripping, engaging, compelling. The real life of criminal barristers is expertly caught' Literary Review SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2010 CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCIATION GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION