Criminal Defence
Overview
Victoria is a highly regarded and experienced criminal defence practitioner appearing as both Leading Junior and Junior alone.
She is regularly instructed in cases involving sexual offences, historical sexual offences, conspiracy to supply/import drugs, child cruelty, serious violence, firearms and homicide.
She has significant experience in cases involving multiple defendants and is particularly knowledgeable and specialised in cases involving voluminous telephone and cell site evidence.
Notable Cases
MURDER, SERIOUS VIOLENCE AND FIREARMS
Acquittal of murder and manslaughter applying householder defence
R v PP (Maidstone Crown Court): Led by Stephen Moses KC. Young vulnerable defendant acquitted of Murder where victim died following a single stab wound to the left chest. The defendant was re-tried in respect of Manslaughter following discharge of the jury and acquitted at re-trial.
Acquittal of Joint Enterprise Murder
R v OR (Central Criminal Court): Led by Stephen Moses KC. Youth client accused of joint enterprise murder alongside six other defendants. Prosecution asserted that killing was gang related and involved complex legal argument. Victim suffered a single stab wound. Case involved significant eyewitness accounts and disclosure of huge amount of unused CCTV. Significant time spent viewing CCTV and identifying extracts to rely upon demonstrating that the defendant held a mobile phone, contrary to the Prosecution case reliant on an eyewitness asserting that he carried a knife. Significant adjustments made to trial process to ensure effective participation by young defendants. Defendant was unanimously acquitted.
Acquittal of Possession of Firearms with Intent to Endanger Life
R v CP (Woolwich Crown Court): Junior alone. Female defendant charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a prohibited firearm. A firearm had been seized from her bedroom and linked to a fatal shooting, to which her then partner was linked to. The Defendant was unanimously acquitted.
Acquittal of Possession of Firearms with Intent and s18 GBH
R v LOS (Chelmsford Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant unanimously acquitted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, further to a successful submission of no case to answer and thereafter, unanimously acquitted by the jury following trial of 3 x s18 and dangerous driving.
Successful Abuse of Process Application – Serious Violence
R v P (Chelmsford Crown Court): Junior alone. Case stayed, following successful Abuse of Process Application due to disclosure issues. Acquitted of serious violence in domestic setting.
Acquittal secured at re-trial for false imprisonment and serious violence
R v RU (Wood Green Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant acquitted of false imprisonment and serious violence allegedly perpetrated against a cuckooed victim of a drugs conspiracy.
Youth defendant acquitted of s18 stabbing
R v SB (Chelmsford CC): Junior alone. Young defendant tried for s18 wounding of another youth. Application of householder defence. Unanimous acquittal.
False imprisonment acquittal in domestic context
R v RJ (Southwark Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant accused of serious violence and false imprisonment of partner of nine years. Jury acquitted unanimously.
Acquittal: two counts of intentional strangulation
R v RA (Croydon Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant accused of serious violence including intentional strangulation. Complainant seriously undermined during cross-examination, leading to acquittal on all counts.
Acquittal: violence amongst Traveller Community
R v M (Snaresbrook Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant acquitted of serious violence including s18 wounding alleged against members of traveller community.
Successful half-time submission in stabbing
R v PZK (Birmingham Crown Court): Led by Stephen Kamlish KC. Defendant acquitted of conspiracy to commit s18 wounding after successful half-time submission, following months of legal arguments.
Disclosure arguments lead to prosecution offering no evidence in attempted murder
R v FK (Birmingham Crown Court): Led by Stephen Kamlish KC. Prosecution offered no evidence on attempted murder, following abuse of process application relating to disclosure. Defence asserted planting and tampering of evidence.
Defendant acquitted death by careless driving
R v Akram (Blackfriars Crown Court): Junior alone. Case involving extensive forensic investigation evidence and significant difference in opinion between experts.
Acquittal: serious and persistent child cruelty
R v L (Croydon Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant acquitted of allegations of serious and persistent child cruelty.
DRUGS OFFENCES
Acquittal: Cell site evidence successfully challenged in drugs conspiracy
R v B (Woolwich Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant acquitted of conspiracy to supply, after being accused of conspiracy to import and supply over £10 million worth of cannabis. Jury acquitted following successful cross examination of cell site expert and the abandonment of reliance on it by the Crown.
Conviction overturned and acquitted at re-trial
R v WA (Court of Appeal and Cardiff Crown Court): Junior alone. Instructed following conviction. Successful appeal against conviction on the basis of wrongful admission bad character evidence rendering conviction unsafe. Unanimously acquitted at re-trial.
Acquittal: Large-scale conspiracy to supply Class A
R v KH (Basildon Crown Court):Junior alone. Acquitted by jury of Class A drugs supply, all other defendants convicted.
Acquittal: Trafficking and Class A drugs supply
R v FP (Croydon Crown Court): Junior alone. Single defendant accused of trafficking children for the purposes of drugs supply and further counts of Class A drugs supply. Acquitted on all counts.
SEXUAL OFFENCES
Acquittal in alleged stranger rape case
R v IS (Harrow Crown Court at Hendon):Junior alone. Defendant acquitted of Stranger Rape. Significant disclosure issues resulting in discovery of evidence pertinent to the defence case. Cross-examination of complainant undermined Crown’s case. Unanimous verdicts of not guilty.
Stay on abuse of process and jury acquit at re-trial
R v HR (Cambridge Crown Court): Junior alone. Defence successfully stay case as an Abuse of Process. Court of Appeal ordered retrial, whereupon defendant acquitted of multiple offences of rape and other serious sexual offences against three complainants. Defence successfully advanced collusion by complainants and inadequate & biased investigation.
Crown offer no evidence – stranger rape allegation
R v RA (Birmingham Crown Court): Junior alone. Following persistent disclosure arguments, Crown offered no evidence in an allegation of stranger rape.
Jury hung and defendant later acquitted of alleged rape
R v MB (Maidstone Crown Court): Junior alone. Father accused of raping daughter with assistance of wife and mother of complainant. Jury hung and defendant later acquitted. Cross-examination of vulnerable witness.
Acquittals on all counts: alleged campaign of rape
R v AA (Snaresbrook Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant accused of a campaign of rape throughout their marriage. Defendant convicted only of coercive and controlling behaviour, receiving a community order. Acquitted on all counts of rape and other sexual offences.
Defendant acquitted of multiple counts of rape against multiple complainants
R v KC (Aylesbury Crown Court):Junior alone. Defendant admitted numerous occasions of sexual activity with children, but denied rape. Defendant acquitted of five counts of rape involving four complainants. Issues concerned vulnerable witnesses and mental health issues. Multiple intermediary reports to be navigated and adjustments made within the trial process.
Defendant acquitted in multi-handed rape trial
R v MM (Inner London Crown Court):Junior alone. Defendant accused of historical rape involving extremely vulnerable complainant with mental health issues.
Acquittal: Historical sexual offences
R v MK (Wood Green Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant accused of routinely sexually abusing young niece. Acquitted by unanimous jury.
R v WT (Wood Green Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant accused of historical sexual offences against a family member – due to the age of allegations, this case involved issues of doli incapax and complex legal argument on certain counts.
People trafficking and serious sexual offences
R v B (Central Criminal Court): Leading Junior in serious multi-handed people trafficking – first case to deal with slavery and trafficking prevention and risk orders.
FRAUD/THEFT
Hung Jury in complex high value international money laundering and fraud
R v MM (St Albans Crown Court): Junior alone defending in complex money laundering conspiracy advancing Hawala defence on behalf of company directors.
Leading counsel in acquittal of complex fraud
R v G (Bristol Crown Court) Leading Junior – Defendant acquitted of high-value conspiracy to commit fraud case involving extensive electronic material.
Conspiracy to steal acquittal
R v B (Blackfriars Crown Court): Junior alone. Defendant acquitted high-value conspiracy to steal. Case involving extensive telephone evidence and cell site.
