"Rebecca is incredibly thorough and leaves no stone unturned. Her dedication to her clients is exceptional and she has the perfect balance of making them feel special whilst maintaining the required level of professionalism. Her written advice is meticulous and her advocacy tenacious. She is an asset to the criminal Bar." – The Legal 500, 2023 Edition
"Rebecca devotes herself unreservedly to every case from start to finish. A joy to work with and always enthusiastic. If you are looking for a barrister who applies in-depth analysis, preparation and support backed up with detailed, meticulous advice you won’t be disappointed" – The Legal 500, 2022 Edition
"a superb oral advocate, always personable and persuasive in negotiation and in court. She is a forceful and courageous advocate who will not relinquish a good argument without a fight." – The Legal 500, 2021 Edition
Rebecca is a highly regarded and experienced criminal practitioner. She specialises in criminal defence and has acted as counsel to defendants accused of the most serious criminal offences including murder, manslaughter, rape, historic sexual allegations (including intra-familial and multi-complainant allegations), child cruelty, terrorism, drug offences, fraud and offences relating to serious violence and firearms.
Rebecca is approachable and skilled in representing young and vulnerable defendants. She has extensive experience of representing defendants with complex mental health needs and defences involving insanity, loss of control and diminished responsibility. Rebecca regularly represents mentally vulnerable defendants in hearings to determine fitness to plead as well as subsequent trials of issue.
She is experienced in advising on the instruction of relevant experts and in the use of intermediaries. She also has particular expertise representing defendants who are victims of modern slavery and exploitation.
In addition to the above, Rebecca has experience of representing military personnel in Court Martial proceedings and she accepts instructions to review and advise on the safety of historic convictions. Rebecca’s practice also covers Prison Law and Inquest and Inquiries where she has been instructed on high profile cases.
Media
Rebecca is regularly invited to speak about legal ‘hot topics’ in the media. She has most recently spoken on LBC radio about the sentences handed down to Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, and Adam Russell, an individual who walked through Gatwick Airport brandishing knives.
NOTABLE CASES
Murder & Manslaughter
D (2024) – Sole counsel representing defendant facing allegation of attempted murder in domestic setting.
P (2024) – Junior counsel led by Rossano Scarmadella KC. Representing defendant facing an allegation of conspiracy to murder involving a firearm.
C (2023) – Leading counsel representing defendant facing allegation of attempted murder involving a firearm.
KY (2023) – Junior counsel led by Nina Grahame KC. Representing a woman charged with murder of her abusive partner. Exceptionally, a plea to manslaughter on the basis of loss of control was accepted by the prosecution following assessment of the defendant by numerous psychological and psychiatric experts and she was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months imprisonment. ‘Loss of control’ is a rare and difficult partial defence to murder, which required focused legal analysis of the factual scenario in which the defendant had stabbed the deceased with a knife.
T (2023) – Sole counsel representing a defendant facing an allegation of attempted murder in a domestic setting. The defendant had stabbed his partner to the neck and back seemingly in an unprovoked attack. Expert psychiatrists were instructed to provide assessment of the defendant’s capacity at the time of the assault, concentrating on his mental state alongside self-induced intoxication, with a specific focus on the length of any hypnopompic state (state of consciousness leading out of sleep). Following three days of legal argument regarding admissibility of hearsay evidence and bad character evidence and the nature of the medical evidence in the case, a plea to a section 18 GBH offence was accepted by the Crown. The defendant was sentenced to a determinate sentence of 5 years 2 months imprisonment.
OA (2021) – Led by Brenda Campbell QC. Junior counsel in 8-handed murder trial in the new ‘super court’ in Manchester. Allegations of gang violence between the two sides. Issues were joint enterprise and participation. Many forensic issues arising (DNA and blood spatter). Drill music and lyrics played a pivotal part in the trial.
MN (2021) – Led by Nina Grahame QC. Instructed as junior counsel in 2-handed murder trial involving two extremely young defendants (aged 14).
KG (2020) Junior counsel led by Nina Grahame QC of Garden Court North representing a young woman facing an allegation of murder of a young father with a knife. A plea to manslaughter on the basis of loss of control was accepted following assessment of the defendant by a total of 6 experts analysing features relating to the apprehension of violence in light of PTSD and a learning disability. Determinate sentence imposed. Intermediary granted for entire proceedings.
TF (2020) Junior counsel in a case involving an allegation of murder in respect of a young male. Defendant was a young teenager whom had previously been found to be a victim of exploitation. Multi-handed County Lines case. Substantial amounts of CCTV evidence. Notice of application to dismiss resulted in matters being discontinued against the defendant.
Drug Offences
AM (2022) – ‘EncroChat’ case. D faced numerous counts of conspiracy to supply large amounts of Class A drugs.
CD (2022) – D (who is autistic and was a child during the indicted period) faced numerous allegations of possession with intent to supply large quantities of Class A drugs. He had pleaded guilty in the lower courts. Following concerns of counsel, the defendant was referred to the NRM procedure and he was found to be a victim of child exploitation. Successfully vacated pleas and served letter before action in respect of the CPS decision to continue with the prosecution of the defendant; soon thereafter no evidence offered in respect of all counts.
MA (2019) Complicated Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) proceedings (that were extended to a period in excess of 3 years in total) following a conviction for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs for which the defendant was sentenced to a period of 9 years custody.
Other Conspiracy Offences
EH (2021) Junior counsel led by Clare Ashcroft of Garden Court North in a case involving allegations of conspiracy to rob by multiple defendants. Significant disclosure and CCTV footage, raising issues to do with calibration. Crown ultimately accepted a plea to possession of Cannabis with intent to supply.
PM (2021) Conspiracy to possess firearms and conspiracy to convert firearms. Cross examination of cell site and telephone (data sessions) experts, included cross examination in respect of ‘Encro phones’.
CP (2021) Defendant unfit to plead. Trial of issue. Legal applications pursued regarding the interplay between mens rea and actus reus in cases of conspiracy and to sever the trial from other co-defendants.
BS (2019) Multi-handed conspiracy to steal and export high end sports cars. Significant cell site evidence. Defendant initially standing trial on 12 count indictment alleging conspiracy. Defence cell site report led to a plea to 1 count of simple theft being accepted by the Crown. Defendant sentenced to suspended sentence order.
MS (2018) Represented high-profile individual who was facing allegations of conspiracy to defraud. Successful legal argument advanced objecting to the proposed live link venue in Russia, which led to a terminating ruling.
Sexual Offences
T (2024) – Teenage defendant, facing allegations of rape in the context of a ‘grooming gang’.
MB (2024) – Allegation of rape after a party, issues were intoxication and consent. Involved significant review of telephone material leading to a section 41 application regarding the material contained therein. Defendant acquitted of all counts.
JS (2023) – Teenage defendant, with significant cognitive, psychological and psychiatric issues facing multiple counts of sexual abuse and rape in relation to a number of complainants, including family members. Intermediary granted for the entire trial. Cross-examined young complainants under the section 28 provisions.
TH (2023) – Defendant facing multiple allegations of sexual assault in respect of his daughter. Significant psychiatric and psychology assistance required for the defendant. Intermediary instructed for the full trial. Defendant acquitted of all counts.
KS (2022) – D faced allegations of sexually assaulting three children. Cross-examined young complainants under the section 28 provisions. Acquitted of all counts.
DS (2022) – D faced allegations of rapes. Issue was one of consent and reasonable belief in the same. Acquitted of all counts
TT (2021) Young defendant accused of stabbing a 15 year old male facing count of section 18 wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Issue in the case identification. Application advanced to exclude cell site evidence. Crown ultimately offered no evidence and not guilty verdict returned.
AH (2019) The ‘Ross Geller’ from ‘Friends’ lookalike case that garnered international media attention. Police officer identification excluded following successful legal argument.
DB (2019) Young defendant serving a custodial sentence in HMP Hull identified as violent prisoner as part of the government’s ‘10 Prisons Project’. Charged with threats to kill based on words said in mandatory therapy sessions. Applications advanced to stay proceedings as an abuse of process due to entrapment and to exclude the evidence on the basis of fairness.
DPP v Giles [2019] EWHC 2015 (Admin) Case stated from the Magistrates Court regarding the requirement for a Newton Hearing when a court is considering accepting a guilty plea in a matter that is being presented by the prosecution as being aggravated by sexual orientation discrimination under section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
Criminal Defence and Appeals
Rebecca has a breadth of experience defending clients at all levels of the Criminal Justice System. She routinely defends clients at trial accused of a broad spectrum of criminal offences, including rape, historic sexual allegations (including intra-familial and multi-complainant allegations), drug offences, fraud and offences relating to firearms and serious violence (including section 18, child abuse and manslaughter).
In addition to her work as sole counsel, Rebecca has acted as junior counsel in cases involving allegations of terrorism, murder and large scale conspiracy.
Rebecca is experienced in dealing with complex and voluminous evidence which often encompasses expert cell site evidence, telephone evidence (including encrypted telephone evidence), ANPR and substantial CCTV.
Rebecca does not shy away from pursuing a legal argument. She has recently had success for her lay clients as a result of applications to dismiss, applications to stay as an abuse of process and applications to exclude evidence (including hearsay and bad character).
Rebecca is regularly instructed to represent extremely young and / or mentally vulnerable defendants due to her personable and empathetic approach. She is experienced in advising on the instruction of relevant experts and in the use of intermediaries. She has particular expertise dealing with fitness to plead issues and disposals under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Year of Call: 2009