January 18, 2026
R v Khan (Sultan) [1996] UKHL 14
Police secretly attached a listening device to a private house, recording the appellant admitting involvement in heroin importation. Despite the evidence being obtained through civil trespass and without statutory authority, the House of Lords held it was admissible. The case confirmed that improperly obtained evidence remains admissible subject to judicial discretion. Facts The appellant, Sultan Khan, arrived at Manchester Airport from Pakistan in September 1992. His cousin, Farooq Nawab, was found with heroin worth almost £100,000 and was arrested. Khan was released without charge after no drugs were found on him and he made no admissions. In January 1993, police
