Sarah specialises in cases of serious sexual and violent assault, and those involving victims of domestic abuse, but has substantial experience of the full-range of criminal offences including manslaughter and murder. She is regularly briefed in cases with vulnerable, young, or traumatised victims and/or defendants, as well as cases involving witnesses or defendants with severe mental-health and psychological issues.
She has substantial experience of cases requiring special measures to assist one of the parties, including the use of intermediaries and applications for anonymity or for evidence to be given from a remote location. She is regularly requested to advise on issues of fitness to plead and stand trial, as well as the availability of a defence of insanity. She has also built a respected practice prosecuting public officials for misconduct, in particular police and prison officers and is familiar with the IPCC investigations into this area and, in particular, the report into the abuse of police powers to perpetrate sexual violence.
Sarah has an interest in cases involving novel and complex issues of disclosure and has substantial experience of cases with involving issues of PII.
She advises and lectures police and prosecutors on best practice in respect of vulnerable witnesses.
Cases 2017:
Barnes – Prosecution for attempted murder following an axe attack on an unarmed man in the defendant's home.
Wade – Defence of a man charged with the rape and assault of his partner.
Tinto – Prosecution for a series of rapes and physical assaults, including strangulation of his ex-partner.
Tilley – Defence of a man charged with a series of rapes and physical assaults of his partner.
M – Prosecution of a man charged with the rape of his 2-year-old biological daughter.
Bailey – Defence of a man charged with a course of harassment emanating from a familial business dispute with linked civil proceedings.
Cases of interest 2016:
Gordon, Potter and Wood – Prosecution, as junior counsel, of three men charged with manslaughter and death by dangerous as a result of a fatal lorry crash.
Lester – Prosecution for false imprisonment and sexual assault by a stranger on a 9-year old boy, as well as historical sexual assaults and rapes on a number of girls, some of whom he videoed and photographed.
Beeney – Prosecution of 21-year old man with significant learning difficulties for the stranger rape of a 63-year-old man.
Citak and Kurtyemez – Prosecution of an operation in respect of a number of vulnerable, young girls forced to engage in sexual acts with the two defendants.
Cruz – Prosecution of a child-minder for the sexual assault of a 2-year-old in his care.
Winterson – Defence of a youth charged with rape of a child under 13.
Cox – Defence of man charged with sexual assaults, the evidence includes recordings made by the complainant at the time of the assaults.
Reported Cases:
Mills and Poole (2003) 1 WLR 2931, (2004) 1 C R App R 7, (2004) Crim LR 60 (murder/disclosure);
R v Pace West Wiltshire JJ (2002) 2 Archbold News 2 DC (judicial review of justices decision to accept jurisdiction) ;
R v Pronick (2006) EWCA 2517;
R v Peter James Knight (2007) EWCA Crim 3027 (counsel at trial and who drafted the Crown’s response and skeleton argument although not present at hearing due to maternity leave).
Cases that have been reported in the National media:
Gordon and Wood – Owner of haulage company and mechanic jailed over Bath tipper truck tragedy.
Colin Stokes – Gloucestershire care home rapist.
Smith and Yeates – Man found dead with two boiled eggs inside his bottom.
Jordan Powell – Married policeman jailed for having sex with victim of domestice violence.
Darren Heath – Police officer jailed over sex with vulnerable women.
Julie Gatty – Woman accused of banking more than £800,000 from running two brothels.
Adam Beeney – Bristol man jailed for raping 63-year-old man.
Lester – Child sex offender guilding of horrific crime.
Dina Metiass – Couple jailed for tying up their maid for three days.
Crime Clerks:
Bonnie Colbeck
E: bonnie.colbeck@albionchambers.co.uk
T: 0117 311 0301
Ken Duthie
E: ken.duthie@albionchambers.co.uk
T: 0117 311 0368
