Katie Doherty

Katie Doherty

Prosecutes and defends serious crime.

YEAR OF CALL 2018

Education

BPP University, BPTC (Outstanding)
The University of Sheffeld, Law with German LLB (First Class)

Scholarships

Keble Advocacy Course Scholarship, Criminal Bar Association (2025)
Marshall Hall Trust Pupillage Award, Inner Temple (2019)
Major Scholarship, Inner Temple (2017)
BPTC Scholarship, BPP University (2017)

Appointments

CPS Panel Advocate (Level 3 – General Crime)
Member of the Kalisher Trust Early Career Group

Memberships

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
The Criminal Bar Association
Women in Criminal Law

Overview

Katie is an experienced criminal barrister, regularly prosecuting and defending serious crime in the Crown Court. She also accepts instructions for serious matters in the Youth Court. She has a particular interest in organised crime and white-collar crime.

Katie has experience across a broad range of criminal matters. Her experience as sole counsel includes acting in a number of complex cases involving multi-handed conspiracies, terrorism, dishonesty, sexual offending, and allegations of serious violence such as grievous bodily harm and violent disorder.

As a led junior, Katie has acted for both the prosecution and defence in a number of complex cases including allegations of multi-million pound drug importation, conspiracies to supply drugs and weapons, conspiracies to rob, burgle and steal, child cruelty, fraud, money laundering and perverting the course of justice.

Alongside her court practice, Katie has significant advisory and disclosure experience. In 2024 Katie spent a year in private practice in the Global Investigations team at Addleshaw Goddard LLP, where she specialised in corporate crime, private prosecutions and internal investigations. She regularly advised corporate clients and individuals on criminal and regulatory offending, investigations and procedure. She has acted as disclosure counsel in high-value cases at trial and at the pre-charge stage. This includes advising on complex issues of public interest immunity, legal professional privilege and electronic disclosure strategy.

Notable Cases

Crown Court

R v RR & Ors (Woolwich Crown Court, 2026) – Instructed as junior counsel in a prosecution involving over 20 defendants who are part of a large-scale conspiracy to rob mobile phone outlets of hundreds of thousands of pounds of stock.

R v MK & Ors (Kingston CC, 2026) – Instructed to prosecute a four-hand conspiracy to steal. Directed evidential enquiries resulting in the service of further phone evidence, which led to pleas being entered by all defendants.

R v BH & Ors (Isleworth Crown Court, 2025) – Instructed to prosecute a three-hand conspiracy to burgle which included allegations of 45 dwelling burglaries across the country. Advised extensively on the evidence and the indictment, resulting in acceptable pleas being entered and significant custodial sentences for all defendants.

R v TK (Southwark Crown Court, 2025) – Instructed as junior counsel in a private prosecution of an individual for allegations of fraud by abuse of position and perverting the course of justice. Assisted with advising on an extensive disclosure review and successfully defending a subsequent abuse of process application.

R v NC (Maidstone Crown Court, 2025) – Instructed by the complex case unit as junior counsel in a serious case of child cruelty involving complex disclosure issues and expert evidence.

R v TK & Ors (Southwark Crown Court, 2023) – Instructed as junior prosecution counsel in a six-handed prosecution for drug supply and associated money laundering, involving various drug and financial expert evidence.

R v FA & Ors (Kingston Crown Court, 2022-23) – Instructed as disclosure counsel in a complex eight-handed cross-border drugs conspiracy.

R v RA & Ors (Snaresbrook Crown Court, 2022) – Instructed as junior prosecution counsel in a seven-handed firearms conspiracy which resulted in acceptable pleas being entered.

R v GG (Snaresbrook Crown Court, 2022) – Instructed as trial counsel to prosecute a defendant charged with four separate non-dwelling burglaries. An application to dismiss was successfully defended in relation to three counts.

Crown Court

R v SA (Kingston Crown Court, 2025) – Instructed to defend a defendant facing a second set of proceedings for PWITS class A drugs. Secured a Suspended Sentence Order following extensive mitigation despite a significant previous conviction.

R v AT (Isleworth Crown Court, 2023) – Acted as junior defence counsel in a lengthy trial involving allegations of multi-million pound drug importation and duty evasion.

R v DV (Snaresbrook Crown Court, 2022) – Instructed as trial counsel for a defendant accused of sexually assaulting a vulnerable adult. The Crown linked DV to the incident by CCTV and ANPR data. Following extensive disclosure requests and written representations, the Crown offered no evidence.

R v SF (Wood Green Crown Court, 2022) – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a defendant charged with dwelling burglary. SF faced the third strike mandatory minimum sentence, however after successful defence representations, the Crown amended the charge to a summary only offence and a Suspended Sentence Order was secured.

R v TI (Southwark Crown Court, 2022) – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a defendant charged with assault with intent to rob, affray and attempted theft. TI had been recalled on a life license for murder due to the allegations. After extensive cross-examination of the complainant, unanimous acquittals were secured on all three counts.

R v JC (Southwark Crown Court, 2022) – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a defendant charged with affray at a BLM protest in central London. After extensive cross-examination of four police officers to draw out factual inconsistencies with the body worn video footage, the jury unanimously acquitted JC of affray and the lesser alternative.

R v LS (Southwark Crown Court, 2021) – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a defendant facing a two count indictment for obstructing a section 23 drugs search and assaulting an emergency worker. The Crown offered no evidence on count 1 due to representations made regarding the legality of the search. A successful application to vacate the plea on count 2 was made, followed by a successful application to dismiss.

R v AA (Croydon Crown Court, 2021) – Instructed as trial counsel to represent a defendant charged with joint enterprise aggravated burglary, alongside five co-defendants. A detailed application to dismiss was served, which persuaded the Crown to offer no evidence against AA.

Magistrates’ Court / Youth Court

R v A (Westminster Youth Court, 2026) – Instructed to represent a 16 year old vulnerable youth defendant in relation to six terrorism offences said to have been committed at the age of 14 (three offences of possession of terrorist publications contrary to section 58(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and three more serious offences of dissemination of terrorist material contrary to section 2(2)(d) of the Terrorism Act 2006). Following extensive advice, the obtaining of relevant expert medical evidence and the preparation of detailed written submissions, the Crown accepted pleas to the three lesser possession offences. Successfully persuaded the Court to order a non-custodial disposal, despite the offending crossing the custody threshold by a significant margin.

R v A (Uxbridge Youth Court, 2023) – Instructed to represent a youth defendant at sentence for serious offences of kidnap, ABH and robbery. After extensive mitigation, the court was persuaded the court to order a non-custodial sentence (12 month Intensive Referral Order).

R v JF (Reading Magistrates’ Court, 2021) – Instructed to represent a defendant accused of non-dwelling burglary, in which the Crown’s case was based entirely on ID evidence. A successful application to exclude the ID evidence due to breaches of PACE was made, followed by a successful submission of no case to answer.

R v KW (Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, 2021) – Instructed to represent a defendant accused of assaulting four members of the public whilst suffering a psychotic episode. A successful submission of no case to answer was made on all charges on the basis that the Crown had adduced no evidence that KW had the requisite mens rea.

R v RD (Ealing Magistrates’ Court, 2021) – Instructed to represent a vulnerable defendant with severe mental health difficulties, who was accused of two separate public order incidents. The Crown was persuaded to offer no evidence on one charge due to representations made regarding disclosure issues and an acquittal was secured on the remaining charge after adducing relevant medical evidence in RD’s defence.

R v S (Uxbridge Youth Court, 2021) – Instructed to represent a vulnerable 17 year old defendant facing two charges of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. A defence under section 45(4) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was successfully raised a double acquittal was secured.

R v AT (Reading Magistrates’ Court, 2020) – Instructed to represent a defendant accused of a domestic assault. A successful application to exclude video evidence under section 78 was made on the day of trial due to disclosure failings, which led to the Crown offering no evidence against AT.

R v JD (Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, 2020) – Instructed to represent a defendant accused of assaulting two emergency workers and obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty. A successful submission of no case to answer was made on all charges, following extensive cross-examination of the officers about their use of unlawful force.