Mr. Philips was the prosecution barrister at Pete Buchanan's trial for the sexual abuse of Cleo McQueen in June 2016. Mr. Philips questioned Cleo about the secret emails she had exchanged with Pete. Throughout the trial, Mr. Philips questioned Harry Thompson (Cleo's boyfriend), Jade Albright (a girl groomed by Pete), Celine McQueen (Cleo's sister) and Reenie McQueen (Cleo's mother). Finally, Mr. Philips cross-examined Pete, with Pete claiming that he had taken Cleo to the Fairfield Hotel in Manchester for her birthday and the pair slept in several beds. However, Mr. Philips revealed that he had obtained a photograph showing Pete and Cleo sharing a bed, securing a guilty verdict for Pete.