Victoria qualified as a solicitor in 2009 after completing her Law Degree at King’s College London. Before Victoria qualified as a solicitor she worked at a London based firm and obtained three year’s varied experience of preparing criminal litigation cases for Court.  This work included analysing prosecution evidence, attending upon clients in the office and in custody to advise on the case evidence and taking their instructions.  She also made site visits to obtain CCTV footage and photographic evidence.  Victoria has considerable experience in the drafting of legal documents and submissions, requesting further information from the prosecution, as well as preparing complex legal skeleton arguments and Court written submissions.

Victoria further qualified as a Police Station and Magistrates Court Duty Solicitor in 2010 and became a member of the firm’s Advocacy Team.  She has attended Courts throughout Essex and London in order to provide advice and representation to clients. She has a wide range of experience in dealing with all criminal litigation matters in the Magistrates Court such as applying for bail, advising on case pleas, conducting trials, sentencing, Probation breaches, non-payment of fines, as well as representing clients facing RPSCA and Local Authority prosecutions.

Victoria has significant experience of representing clients from all backgrounds of society including those with mental health problems, addiction or other vulnerability issues.

Victoria is also a Specialist Youth Court Advocate which enables her to advise youth on all areas of the law and Court procedure.  She regularly conducts Youth Court trials and has considerable experience working for youths with learning difficulties and mental health problems. She has also frequently represented youths who are in the care of the Local Authority.

Victoria is trained in and has experience representing clients during extradition proceedings.  These have involved multi-national warrants being executed in order to seek to return a client to a country where an alleged offence has been committed by them.  These sorts of proceedings go right to the heart of an individual’s human rights and involve working with cross border agencies and lawyers to ensure the client’s interests are protected both in the United Kingdom and abroad.  Most recently Victoria has written an article for West Law (a well-respected legal authority source) on the law and procedure of European Arrest Warrants.  Victoria obtained her advocacy criminal higher rights of audience in 2011 allowing her to represent clients as an advocate in the Crown Court.  She now frequently attends the Crown Court to represent clients during Crown Court bail applications, plea hearings, sentences as well as appeals against conviction or sentence imposed by the Magistrates Court.

Notable Cases

• Murder – Several first appearances following on from Victoria’s Police Station representation and advice for clients.  The most recent involved a fatal stabbing in the cab of a lorry.

• Grievous Bodily Harm – This was a domestic incident which resulted in a broken jaw.  Victoria succeeded in having this charge dismissed at the Magistrates Court.  She has also dealt with cases involving gang stabbings and “honey traps”.

• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm – this case involved a football dispute which involved allegations that the victim sustained several kicks to the face resulting in the loss of multiple teeth.  Victoria represented the client and negotiated a basis of plea and then put forward mitigation to the Court which led to a non custodial outcome for her client (a suspended sentence of imprisonment and 115 hours of unpaid community work).

• Common assault – Victoria acted for a client accused of a domestic assault involving several punches and kicks to the Complainant.  Victoria’s client was found not guilty at trial.

• Assault on a Police Officer – Victoria’s client was alleged to have pushed and punched a Police Officer in the face whilst being arrested.  Victoria successfully obtained an acquittal for her client at the trial.

• Criminal damage – the client was accused of smashing an off duty Police Officer’s motor vehicle window with a baseball bat whilst the Officer was still in the car.  Again Victoria successfully represented the client who was acquitted after trial.

• Arson with intent to endanger life – Victoria acted for a professional female client who set fire to her flat.  A successful application for bail was made on behalf of the client by Victoria.

• Burglary – Victoria represented a youth involved in the 2011 London riots.  She successfully defended four charges and the client was sentenced to a non custodial sentencing outcome.  Victoria has considerable experience in commercial and domestic burglary cases from charge through to trial and/or sentence at Court.

• Theft – this case involved theft from a well known store amounting to £37.  The client has 72 previous convictions for theft but was still sentenced to a Community Order with a three month curfew requirement.

• Fraud by false representation – Victoria’s faced an allegation of mortgage fraud amounting to £350,000.  The client was an employee of a bank and had falsely completed mortgage application forms.

• Benefit fraud – the client was accused of failing to notify a change of circumstances to the Local Authority namely that her ex-partner was living in the house.  The allege fraud amounted to £45,000.  Victoria successfully made representations to the Magistrates Court that there was insufficient evidence against her client and the case was discharged.

• Possession of an offensive weapon – Victoria’s client was carrying and waving an axe in a public shopping centre.  He had a previous conviction for such an offence.  Victoria was able to obtain a non-custodial case disposal after the Court heard her mitigation.

• Sexual assault – the client was a youth convicted of sexually assaulting a 9 year old female.  Victoria represented the client during a two day Magistrates Court trial and eventually secured a non-custodial case outcome for her client.

• Animal cruelty – Victoria’s client was accused of killing two cats by hanging them.  Victoria appeared at the contested trial.

• Extradition – the client was facing an accusation Arrest Warrant issued by Dublin for an offence of arson with intent to endanger life (Westminster Magistrates Court).

Several examples of Victoria’s Crown Court advocacy case instruction appear below:

R –v- A –    Snaresbrook Crown Court. The client faced an allegation of domestic    assault occasioning actual bodily harm which included punching and head butting. The client was sentenced to a 24 month Community Order     comprising of a 180 hours of unpaid work and an integrated domestic abuse programme.

R –v- P –    Snaresbrook Crown Court. Victoria’s client faced allegations of commercial burglary involving forced entry at night with a victim on the premises. The client had numerous previous convictions for theft including domestic burglaries but received a low tariff 30 weeks imprisonment sentence.

R –v- V –    Snaresbrook Crown court.  The case involved affray where there was a group fight in the street involving knives which were used to cause injury. Victoria persuaded the Crown Court Judge to impose a suspended sentence of imprisonment.

R –v- T –    Inner London Crown Court.  Victoria’s client was accused of possession of 2,561 indecent pornographic images.

R –v- E –    Basildon Crown Court. This was an appeal against conviction from the Magistrates Court.  Victoria’s client had been convicted of assaulting a Security Officer.  A full appeal against conviction retrial took place and ultimately Victoria successfully had the Magistrates Court conviction quashed by the Crown Court.

R –v- C –    Basildon Crown Court.  Victoria’s client pleaded guilty to three thefts    from motor vehicles and one dwelling house burglary. The client had previous convictions for theft and burglary and he also asked for 13 other offences of burglary to be taken into consideration.  He was sentenced to 10 months custody suspended for 24 months with a 3 month curfew Order and a 6 month drug rehabilitation requirement and condition.

R –v- A –    Isleworth Crown Court. Victoria’s client was convicted of possession of a false identity document and possession of a false Portuguese Driving Licence.  He was sentenced to 28 weeks custody.