Sarah is an experienced defence and prosecution advocate. She has an established practice dealing with grave and complex cases as both junior-alone and led junior. Recent instructions have involved allegations of serious sexual offences involving ‘grooming gangs’, organised crime, (including drugs importation and wide scale supply), serious violence, firearms offences, money laundering and fraud.
Sarah is a grade 4 prosecutor and is on the panel of specialists to deal with serious sexual offences. She is regularly instructed by the CCU and cases involving organised crime.
Sarah also has extensive knowledge of dealing with civil asset recovery and confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and has dealt with large and complex cases with multi-million pound orders, hidden assets and dealing with international letters of request.
She has successfully challenged a number of sentences and convictions in the Court of Appeal and is as confident committing her argument to writing as she is making them in person. She has an excellent knowledge of common aspects of criminal practice including DNA, psychological and cell-site evidence and is very capable mastering subject matter rapidly in order to challenge expert evidence.
In addition to her busy Crown Court work, Sarah is also instructed on professional disciplinary matters, having appeared on behalf of Teachers, Head Teachers, Nurses and Social Workers.
Sarah also speaks fluent Spanish.
Notable Cases
R v Maynard Ellis [2020]
Sarah defended as led-junior a man for murdering and dismembering a woman with his partner.
R v Bukowski [2020]
Sarah prosecuted as led-junior a bouncer accused of murder.
R v Bourne [2020]
Sarah prosecuted the chief financial officer of a firm for fraud. The case involved detailed analysis of financial records spanning the course of 10 years to identify the methodology of the fraud perpetrated which accounted for over GBP100k.
R v Longshaw [2020]
Prosecuted a man for historic sexual abuse against his nieces and nephews.
R v Vallely [2020]
Prosecuted a man for attempting to meet a child following grooming. The case involved undercover officers posing as a young person and dealing with the defence suggestion that he had been entrapped into committing the offence.
Operation Vapour [2019]
Sarah prosecuted as led-junior a Telford ‘grooming gang’ case involving multiple defendants.
Operation Olly [2019]
Sarah prosecuted as led-junior multiple defendants for conversion of criminal property. Defendants were prosecuted using evidence of a criminal lifestyle.
R v Ahmed [2019]
Sarah prosecuted a man for the kidnap and abuse of his ex-partner. Case involved multiple complainants and the management of hostile witnesses.
R v JM [2019]
Sarah defended a retired police officer for the possession of indecent images.
R v Hayre [2019]
Sarah prosecuted as led-junior a man for the murder of a 70 year old.
R v Khan and Ors [2017]
Sarah prosecuted as led-junior multiple defendants involved in an organised crime gang for the sale and distribution of firearms and drugs.
Memberships
Grays Inn
Criminal Bar Association
Midland Circuit
Qualifications
BA Hons
Bessemer Clark Scholarship Award – Grays Inn
Lord Justice Holker Scholarship Award – Grays Inn
