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.
Recent Cases:
Wilkinson – prosecution of man accused of rape, voyeurism and administering a drug with intent to commit a sexual offence in respect of a number of male models;
Harrison – defence of man accused with four others of the rape of a single complainant;
Osborne – prosecution of man for 13 rapes of an ex-girlfriend – unique issue of lack of consent based on him setting up a number of false personas causing her to fear for his life;
Brown – defence of man accused of raping a woman whilst she was asleep;
Jenkins – prosecution of 78-year-old man for historical sexual offences against his granddaughter and her friend;
H – defence of man accused of historical sexual offences against his stepdaughter;
Kearns – prosecution of male accused of making and distributing indecent images of children and offences of perverting the course of justice which included images he had taken of his then stepdaughter and other family friends;
S – defence of man accused of making indecent images including images of his daughter. Significant expert evidence in relation to functions of social media sites and facial recognition;
Harris – defence of man who walked into a primary school in breach of a SOPO and while still subject to imprisonment for public protection and who kidnapped an 8-year-old girl;
W – prosecution of male for historical sexual offences against his then 7-year-old cousin.
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:
Blannin – Prosecution of historical sexual offences on two male victims;
Gigg – Defence of farmer accused of fraud and breaking EU regulations;
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;
Gordon and Wood – Owner of haulage company and mechanic jailed over Bath tipper truck tragedy;
Steven Letts – Nephew of Rose West convicted of the abduction and rape of 12-year-old girl in care;
Rafferty – Sexual offences against a 12-year-old girl, crown offered no evidence as a consequence of phone/Facebook download;
Wilkinson – Photographer who drugged and raped male models;
John Harris – Defendant serving and IPP convicted of escape from custoday and kidnap of an eight-year-old girl.
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
Joanna Cload
E: joanna.cload@albionchambers.co.uk
T: 0117 927 1253
