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Yvonne has developed a busy practice defending in criminal courts across the country. She has acted on behalf of individuals facing a wide range of allegations and has experience of appellate proceedings in the Court of Appeal.

Yvonne is a criminal defence practitioner instructed in complex cases covering the full spectrum of criminal offences. She is instructed as leading junior, led junior, and sole counsel. Her cases often involve complex and sensitive evidence, and she has experience defending private prosecutions. Yvonne has a reputation for achieving successful outcomes against the odds. She prides herself on her commitment to her clients and she is regularly instructed in difficult cases that require careful client care.

As a led junior and sole counsel, Yvonne has defended in cases of organised crime, high-value fraud and financial crime, serious violence, and sexual offences. As leading counsel, Yvonne has been instructed in highly sensitive allegations of offences committed against children. She is also instructed to appear alone in trials against senior members of the Bar, including King’s Counsel.

Yvonne is experienced in advising on appeals against conviction and sentence, including as fresh counsel. She has also appeared in appellate proceedings before the Court of Appeal Criminal Division, which have attracted national and international media coverage.

Yvonne has been instructed in several high-profile public inquiries and reviews. Between 2019 and 2023, Yvonne was instructed as junior counsel to the Dame Linda Dobbs Review, which considered whether the issues relating to the HBOS Reading scandal were investigated and appropriately reported to authorities at the time by Lloyds Banking Group, following its acquisition of HBOS.

In 2019, Yvonne was seconded to the Financial Conduct Authority as reviewing counsel for a high-profile regulatory investigation with an international dimension. She was also instructed by the FCA as an independent advocate to advise on legal professional privilege.

Yvonne was also instructed by the London Fire Commissioner as disclosure counsel for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Background

Prior to coming to the Bar, Yvonne worked primarily in the fields of criminal justice and human rights. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked in legal policy and governance at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development in Accra. She later worked in Brussels, first as a stagiaire at the European Parliament (Subcommittee on Human Rights), then at the Open Society Institute’s EU office. After completing her graduate degree, Yvonne was awarded a scholarship to complete an internship at the AIRE Centre, where she advised clients on human rights claims

Outside court, Yvonne has a deep commitment to pro bono work and access to justice. She has a strong track record of advocating on behalf of minoritised groups. Yvonne is a trustee of Tower Hamlets Law Centre and a member of the Queen Mary University London Legal Advice Centre’s Advisory Board. She is also a Director of Black Protest Legal Support, providing advice and legal observing for protestors.

Crime

Criminal Appeals

R v HO (ongoing): Instructed as fresh junior counsel to represent HO in his appeal against conviction for conspiracy to commit murder (led by Garry Green KC). This is a high-profile case, both domestically and internationally, commonly referred to as the ‘Manchester 10 case’. Leave to appeal conviction granted by the Court of Appeal in July 2024.

Organised crime

R v JD (2024) Nottingham CC: Led by Farrhat Arshad KC. Operation Encyclical. Complex conspiracy involving the acquisition of firearms and the supply of Class A drugs.

R v LL (2024) Reading CC: Junior alone. Successfully defended LL, accused of handling high-value stolen goods as a member of a large-scale conspiracy. The value of the stolen vehicles was around £1 million. Acquitted by the jury on all counts.

R v EO (2024) Kingston-Upon-Thames CC: Successfully defended EO, accused of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

R v HK (2023) St Albans CC: This was the second set of proceedings that HK faced in relation to an alleged drugs conspiracy. Two years prior, HK had been acquitted of the same charges in respect of a similar drugs conspiracy. The case involved arguments as to whether HK could be retried on charges for which he had already been acquitted (autrefois acquit). Ultimately, HK was unanimously acquitted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Represented HK at both trials.

R v HK (2021) Kingston-Upon-Thames CC: Junior alone representing a young defendant in a complex ‘county lines’ case. Client faced charges of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, Modern Slavery Act offence, and possession of a prohibited firearm. Client was acquitted of the most serious charges and received a suspended sentence of imprisonment.

Fraud and Financial Crime

R v SA (2023) Nottingham CC: Represented a Forex trader accused of money laundering. The case involved extensive research on Forex trading practices and legal argument as to whether ‘exotic’ trades constituted ‘bad character’.

R v CP (2023) Southwark CC: Operation Ananke. Led by Peter Caldwell. Represented the first defendant accused of perpetrating a sophisticated fraud against NatWest Bank of approximately £1 million.

R v E, Isleworth CC: Instructed as fresh counsel to represent a client during his contested Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) proceedings. Successfully reduced the available amount through careful analysis of the client’s financial records.

R v SC, Guildford CC: Led junior for one of three defendants charged with fraudulent trading. Client acquitted after a four-week trial.

Serious violence

R v DS (2024) Inner London CC: Represented DS, who had been accused of s.18 (s.20) wounding (stabbing) of a male he believed was having an affair with his wife. DS argued he was acting in self-defence and he was acquitted on both counts.

R v LP (2024) Kingston-upon-Thames CC: Allegation of threatening another with a firearm. A firearm matching the description provided by the complainant was found in LP’s vehicle. LP accepted possession of the firearm, but he denied that he had brandished it before the complainant. Acquitted by the jury after trial.

R v AAS (2023) Wood Green CC: Leading counsel for a mother accused of child cruelty against her four children. This was a sensitive case that involved expert evidence and required the cross-examination of two young children. The defendant was vulnerable and was granted an intermediary for the duration of the trial.

R v A (Leicester CC): Led junior for a young man charged with conspiracy to commit violent disorder. This was a highly complex trial involving eleven defendants and based on extensive telephone evidence. The trial lasted for nine weeks.

Sexual offences

R v JT (2024) Croydon CC: Junior alone in historic sexual offences alleged against a tutor in relation to four of his former students. Prosecuted by King’s Counsel.

R v SB (2024) Snaresbrook CC: Junior alone acting for a delivery driver accused of a stranger assault.

R v GA (2024) Snaresbrook CC: Junior alone acting for a husband accused of a ‘campaign of rape’ against his former wife.

R v AO (2023) Wolverhampton CC: Junior alone acting for a man accused of rape and assault by penetration. Prosecuted by King’s Counsel.

Private prosecutions

R v JA (2022) Harrow CC: Led junior defending in a novel and unusual private prosecution brought by a woman against an ex-husband for coercive and controlling behaviour because he had refused to provide her with a Get (a document executing a diviorce under Jewish law). The case involved extensive research and written submissions on Jewish law and whether a marriage without cohabitation constituted an ‘intimate relationship’ within the meaning of the section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (before amended). Formal not guilty verdict was entered.