Marcus Johnstone

Marcus Johnstone is a solicitor and managing director of PCD Solicitors.

An experienced criminal defence solicitor of over 20 years, Marcus began his legal career at Maidments Solicitors in Manchester, before joining national criminal defence firm JMW Solicitors as its first head of prison law in 2003. During this time, he specialised in advising clients accused or convicted of the most serious crimes, including organised crime, murder, and sexual offences such as rape and sexual assault.

Marcus founded PCD Solicitors in 2020, and has since grown the firm into one of the country’s leading boutique criminal defence practices. As the firm’s senior solicitor, Marcus directs all ongoing cases and advises clients accused of the most serious sexual crimes, including rape, sexual assault, historic sexual offences, indecent images offences, and sexual offences against children. He has a particular expertise in sensitive criminal cases involving high-profile individuals, and has been repeatedly recognised as one of the leading sexual offence specialists in England and Wales.

Over the course of his career, Marcus has acted on behalf of hundreds of individuals at the pre-police involvement, pre-charge, post-charge and appeals stages, and attends hearings in the Magistrates’ Court, the Crown Court, and the Court of Appeal.

Marcus also routinely appears in the national press and media as an expert commentator on law, criminal justice, and politics.

Areas of Expertise:

Rape
Sexual assault
Assault by penetration
Illegal images, including indecent images
Child sexual offences, including grooming, inciting and communication
Voyeurism, upskirting and exposure
Deepfakes and AI-related offences
Pre-police involvement
Pre-charge engagement, including police investigations, police station interviews, bail and bail conditions
Post-charge, including Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, trial, and sentencing
Appeals, including the Court of Appeal and Criminal Cases Review Commission
Ancillary orders such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Sexual Risk Orders, and notification requirements, including removal from the sex offenders register

Specialists in Sexual Offences.

PCD Solicitors are a nationwide criminal defence firm, specialising in defending false allegations of sexual offences.

Our team have been instructed by hundreds of clients across England and Wales who have been accused of all types of serious sexual offence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual offences against children, historic sexual offences, and indecent images offences.

Through our legal specialism and proactive approach to defence and advocacy, we have secured decisive outcomes for many of the clients we have advised.

Let’s talk.

Contact our team to discuss your case or concerns with one of our sexual offence specialists.

Our initial consultations are always free, and we manage all enquiries securely and confidentially.