R v A and others (Central Criminal Court, 2018) – Murder – five men were charged with lying in wait for the deceased outside a night-club and beating him to death.

R v O-R and others (Central Criminal Court, 2018) – Murder – a gang related stabbing

R v M and others (Central Criminal Court, 2015) – Murder – three men tried for stabbing a man to death on an East London estate; the case involved extensive telephone evidence, relied on by the prosecution to show complicity.

R v B and others (Central Criminal Court, 2015) – Robbery with imitation firearm – robbery of commercial premises by a masked man believed to be armed with a sawn-off shotgun.

R v J and T (Central Criminal Court, 2016) – Supply of Class A drugs – two men found with 2kg of cocaine.

Rape and Serious Sexual Offences

Recognised for her commitment and empathy in sensitive cases, Henrietta has many years’ wide-ranging experience of conducting trials on allegations of rape and other serious sexual offences, from work-place rape to sexual activity with children. Her work frequently involves allegations of historic and familial sexual abuse and other cases where the accused is said to have been in a position of trust. She has a keen academic interest in the law in this area including the complexities of indictments and applicable sentencing provisions, particularly in historic cases.

Henrietta specialises in cases involving vulnerable and child witnesses using special measures and has worked extensively with intermediaries. The same skills and understanding are brought to bear in defending vulnerable individuals who may, whether because of their age, learning difficulties or problems with their mental health, face very considerable challenges in going through the trial process and meeting a criminal charge.

R v M (2018) – Rape – a young asylum seeker was charged with grooming and raping two vulnerable teenage girls

R v S (2016) – Historic familial abuse – three week trial involving three family members accused of abusing generations of children over four decades; one defendant was ruled unfit to plead; one had significant learning difficulties and used an intermediary.

R v H (2016) – Child sexual abuse – man and woman accused of abusing two children during the 1980s.

R v H (2015) – Child sexual abuse – four week trial of local vicar and pillar of the community, accused of abusing two children over many years.

R v G (2014) – Familial sexual abuse – an otherwise model father was charged with persuading his young daughter to allow him to abuse her sexually, pretending that the procedure was a ritual prescribed by a traditional healer to cure him of dementia.

R v P (2014) – Familial sexual abuse – distraught parents reported the discovery of experimental, but apparently long-standing, sexual abuse by their 12-year-old son on his 6-year-old sister.

Material held by Local Authorities and Care Professionals: public interest immunity applications involving local authorities and other third parties.

Henrietta has many years’ experience dealing with sensitive third-party material over which a Local Authority or Healthcare Trust asserts immunity from disclosure in the public interest. Her particular expertise allows her to give real, practical advice in these difficult cases which straddle the criminal and child protection spheres. Henrietta has spent hundreds of hours analysing social services and medical material, and helping courts, prosecutors and third parties find fair and effective strategies to ensure proper disclosure under the CPIA, whilst safeguarding the trust and confidentiality which the medical and/or care professionals involved seek to protect.

Organised Crime

R v P and others (Central Criminal Court, 2018) – People trafficking – nine men were charged with bringing economic migrants across the channel in small boats following a two-year investigation led by the NCA, but involving the UK Border Force, UK Immigration Enforcement, HMRC, French Law Enforcement and Kent Police.

R v H and G (Central Criminal Court, 2015) – Drug trafficking and money laundering – two men were arrested after a series of cash handovers; seized mobile telephones revealed an international money laundering network; prosecution relied on expert evidence on money laundering, drug dealing and the Albanian language.

R v S and R (Central Criminal Court, 2013) – Money Laundering – the first ever National Crime Agency prosecution: a one-off cash seizure led to the uncovering of an extensive money laundering operation. The case involved obtaining and calling rebuttal evidence from India mid-trial, with concomitant, diplomatic disclosure complexities. Convictions were secured, and confiscation agreed after careful work on both sides, without a contested hearing.