Mary McKeone

Year of Call: 1986

"Recommended for serious and violent sexual offences."

Legal 500 2012

"Mary McKeone's practice spans all areas of serious crime"

Legal 500 2011

"Mary McKeone is a 'very combative trial advocate'"

Legal 500 2010

Contact

To get in touch:​ Or you can contact the relevant​ Practice Team Clerks directly and they will be happy to assist with your enquiry.

Share This Page

Email This Page

Mary McKeone is a leading criminal defence barrister with considerable experience in serious violent and sexual offences. Her practice includes all areas of civil actions against the police. She is particularly interested in cases which uphold prisoners' rights and challenge accepted principles.

Mary is also a tenant at Garden Court North Chambers

Criminal Defence

Overview

Mary is a leading criminal defence practitioner with considerable experience in serious violent and sexual offences. She undertakes the full range of work including murder, manslaughter, GBH and 'gangland' cases, large-scale drug conspiracies, large-scale public order offences, conspiracy to incite criminal damage, serious fraud and offences under the Immigration Acts.

She has also appeared in a number of high-profile cases including an IRA conspiracy to cause explosions in 1997 and the 2010 case of Hannah McIntyre, the teacher cleared of having sex with a pupil.

Notable Cases

R v Kathryn Roach (Bolton Crown Court 2011) – teacher charged with sending sexually explicit text messages to a school boy. This case was reported by the Manchester Evening News and by the BBC

R v M (Sheffield Crown Court, 2011) – rape – allegations of sexual abuse by three of defendant's five daughters – acquittal of all seventeen counts on the indictment.

Represented Hannah McIntyre, a Classics teacher at Merchant Taylor School in Liverpool, who was charged with having sexual intercourse with a pupil who at the time was 16 years old (2010)

R v Troiano (Warrington Crown Court, 2010) – teacher found not guilty of allegations of causing or enticing sexual activity with 16 year old in a classroom. This case was reported in the local media.

Junior counsel representing a juvenile who was charged with three murders and one attempted murder (2009)

Defending community police officer charged with misconduct (2009)

Appeal in relation to credit on demand (2009)

A five-handed case involving three armed robberies (2009)

Rapes and sexual assaults, some of which have involved a number of teachers (ongoing)

Judicial review (prison law adjudication) (2009)

Firearms with mental health issues (2008)

17-year-old charged alongside her mother with conspiracy to import 7kg of cocaine (2006)

Appeared for girlfriend charged with perverting the course of justice in Narel Sharpe murder case (2006) This case was reported by the BBC.

Leading defence junior in lengthy money laundering trial (several £million) (2005)

Leading junior in kidnapping and false imprisonment case (2004)

Represented a member of "Pitt Bull crew" for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life – three-month trial and subsequent gangland murder trial (2002)

Contact Mary

Prisoners’ Rights

Overview

Mary is particularly interested in cases which uphold prisoners' rights and challenge accepted principles. Over the past 18 months Mary has developed her prison law practice substantially particularly in the area of parole board hearings and judicial review. She undertakes all aspects of prison law work including adjudications, Parole Board hearings and Lifer Panels and judicial review relating to prison law.

Contact Mary

Claims Against the Police and Public Authorities

Overview

Mary recently extended her practice to include all areas of civil actions against the police, which complement her criminal practice. She has a particular interest in cases involving false imprisonment, malicious prosecution and wrongful arrest.

Contact Mary

Notable Cases & News

Special Immigration Appeals Commission extends time to appeal for Syrian camp detainee

The Appellant was represented by Edward Grieves KC, Helen Foot and Maha Sardar of the Garden Court Chambers Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) Team.

Tuesday 11 Feb 2025

High Court rules Home Office systemically failing to provide safe and suitable accommodation to disabled applicants and gives guidance on interaction between Schedule 10 accommodation and Care Act 2014

BLZ was represented by Stephanie Harrison KC, Nadia O’Mara and Isaac Ricca-Richardson of the Garden Court Public Law & Immigration Law Teams, and Grace Capel of the Doughty Street Chambers Public Law & Immigration Law Teams, instructed by Ben Goldberg, with assistance from William Shelley, at Turpin Miller Solicitors.

Tuesday 11 Feb 2025

Jury rejects prosecution of joint enterprise murder and finds six black boys not guilty of murder and manslaughter

Counsel acting for the defendants included Icah Peart KC, Keir Monteith KC, Victoria Meads, Daniel Jameson and Gerwyn Wise of the Garden Court Crime Team.

Thursday 6 Feb 2025

Tom Wainwright successfully overturns victim of modern slavery’s conviction after 17 years

Tom Wainwright of the Garden Court Crime Team was instructed by Philippa Southwell and Nadia Wahid of Southwell & Partners Solicitors.

Wednesday 5 Feb 2025

Court of Appeal orders urgent hearing in important case on child criminal exploitation and school exclusions

The Appellant is represented by Nicola Braganza KC, Ollie Persey and Alex Temple of Garden Court Chambers. They are assisted by Maya Thomas Davis (first six pupil). In the High Court, the Appellant was also represented by Harry Harris. They are instructed by Kate Ward and Karen May at Bindmans LLP assisted by Tatyana Koleva.

Tuesday 4 Feb 2025

Authors of ‘Racial Bias and the Bench’ Report make submission to Independent Review of the Criminal Courts

The co-authors of the report, ‘Racial Bias and the Bench‘, which includes Keir Monteith KC of Garden Court Chambers and Professor Eithne Quinn of The University of Manchester, have made a submission to the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Former President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Sir Brian Leveson.

Monday 3 Feb 2025

Background

Previously, Mary worked at Liberty as a Research Assistant.

Mary has worked on a voluntary basis for the Irish Council of Civil Liberties and the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas. She prepared a preliminary report for the Irish Law Society on the use of Public Defenders. She has also been a member of the Management Committee of British Irish Rights Watch, a non-governmental human rights organisation and registered charity, which monitors the human rights dimension of the conflict and peace process in Northern Ireland. Mary represented BIRW at the United Nations Commission for Human Rights, in Geneva.

Education

  • LLB (Hons)

We are top ranked by independent legal directories and consistently win awards.

+ View more awards