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E: vernavyas@hotmail.com Call: 2000 Professional Membership: Criminal Bar Association South-Eastern Circuit Essex Bar Mess Academic Background: LLB (Hons) QMW, University of London BVC: Inns of Court School of Law, London |
AREAS OF EXPERTISE A specialist criminal advocate who is well-known for her dedication and commitment to defence based work, with a particular emphasis on “difficult” cases involving young and vulnerable people facing serious allegations. An advocate with a wide-ranging practice who is regularly instructed as junior alone or as a led junior. Areas of Experience Include: - Serious violent offences Sexual Offences Fraud Human Trafficking Drugs: importation Proceeds of Crime She is regularly instructed at the Court of Appeal to appear and to advise on “out of time” appeals where new solicitors are instructed for a second opinion. CASES OF NOTE 1. Guideline Cases R. v. Bovell [2005] EWCA Crim 1091: Bad Character R. v. Scott [2004] EWCA Crim 2897: Exclusion Orders 2. Identity Cards Act 2006 R. v. Hassan [2007] EWCA Crim 1280: Possession of a false identity document with intent: Sentence reduced from 18 months to 12 months (after trial). R. v. Bello [2007] EWCA Crim 788: Possession of a false identity document: Sentence reduced from 12 months to 6 months. 3. Other Court of Appeal Cases R. v. Roachford [2005] EWCA Crim 2903: Aggravated TWOC- Victim Paralysed-Legal Argument on culpability- Sentence reduced to 2 months. R. v. Brown [2007] EWCA Crim 2625: Burglaries and Perverting Course of Justice: Reduction in sentence. 4. Recent and Current Cases R. v. Idemudia and others: Conspiracy to use and make false identity documents to facilitate human trafficking from Nigeria and Europe. The allegation involved a passport, credit card, and identity document factory in the UK and Germany with lengthy legal argument on the admissibility of German Police telephone intercept evidence. R. v. Bishop: s.18: Knife slashing of head: Acquitted. R. v. Winstanley: s.18: Young Defendant alleged to have stabbed his mother on several occasions: Vulnerable witnesses including the Defendant’s 12 year old brother: Acquitted. Current cases include a multi-handed conspiracy to wound others with intent (s.18) and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice: making a false allegation of rape. Also advising on whether there are grounds to appeal the conviction (change of legal team/out of time) of a father alleged to have raped his daughter over many years whilst she was between 9 and 14 years of age. |
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4 Breams Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, EC4A 1HP