Carrie came to the Bar following a successful career in operational Policing – a background that has equipped her with both particular skills in communication and empathy when dealing with clients; and a deep understanding of the impact of crime and real-life insight into what can lie behind the reasons for people finding themselves in the Criminal Courts.
Carrie’s first-hand experience of criminal investigations, combined with an understanding of the challenges faced by all those in the Criminal Justice system, give her a “feel” for case tactics and strategy that can prove invaluable in Court.
She has quickly developed a strong Crown Court practice, prosecuting and defending, throughout the East Midlands. Carrie is regularly instructed in cases across the breadth of the criminal law including matters of serious violence, drugs supply, burglary, IIOC, sexual offences, alongside various domestic abuse related offences.
Carrie has experience in all aspects around disclosure, and has been instructed as disclosure junior in a multi-handed drugs production conspiracy, and ultimately as led junior at trial.
Carrie has a flair for dealing with the more vulnerable witnesses and clients; and is especially able to work closely with those dealing with personal challenges and vulnerabilities. She is a collaborative advocate, building rapport, showing empathy and understanding while remaining professional in her guidance and advice. Her ability to make witnesses feel at ease and comfortable in testing and often distressing situations has repeatedly been recognized by the judiciary, her own leaders and opposing counsel and Silks.
Carrie’s committed work ethic, combined with her professional, focused, yet flexible, approach to cases has lead to her being regularly described as “experienced beyond her call” and “a real standout performer amongst the junior Bar on Circuit”.
Key cases
R v CO, Leicester Crown Court [2026]
Junior alone for the Prosecution. Domestic violence trial including offences of Controlling and Coercive behaviour and strangulation. Vulnerable, anxious complainant attended for trial reluctant due to fear to give evidence. Listening to her concerns, explanation of the process followed by careful questioning through examination in chief allowed the complainant to give thorough and detailed evidence against the Defendant.
R v ST, Derby Crown Court [2025]
Junior alone for the Prosecution. Secured the conviction after trial of the Defendant for two counts of burglary against the same victim in the same evening. Involved careful cross examination utilising CCTV of events, and challenging inconsistencies in the Defendant’s account.
R v MV, Leicester Crown Court [2025-2026]
Junior alone for the Defendant. Appeared across multiple hearings up to sentence for this vulnerable Defendant. MV’s vulnerabilities were linked to mental health and learning difficulties. Careful communication was needed with MV to ensure understanding and to take instructions. Careful discussion allowed for successful mitigation when sentenced across multiple files for various offences, including assaults on vulnerable family members.
Operation Flashback, Nottingham Crown Court [2025]
Disclosure and Led junior for the Prosecution in multi-handed production of Cannabis Conspiracy. Multiple convictions secured. The case involved large volume of unused material, alongside phone evidence, Drug expert evidence and careful understanding of the connection between Defendants.
R v SS, Northampton Crown Court [2025]
Junior alone for the Prosecution. Secured conviction in a sensitive serious injury by careless driving trial. Both the complainant and defendant were vulnerable due to age. The Defendant had made partial admissions in interview, utilized in cross examination. The defendant was convicted
R v JF, Derby Crown Court [2025]
Junior alone for the Appellant. Appeal against conviction not opposed by the prosecution following successful application to admit non-Defendant bad character evidence relating to the Respondent. The bad character material related to untested counter allegations in ongoing neighbour harassment. The Appellant’s appeal was allowed.
R v AE, Nottingham Crown Court [2024]
Junior alone for the Defendant facing trial for Theft of copper wire from a railway. Careful consideration of unused material alongside the served defence statement resulted in disclosure issues being identified relating to possible alibi evidence. These issues lead the Crown to review their position and the Defendant was acquitted.
R v BG, Leicester Crown Court [2024]
Junior alone on behalf of a defendant at sentence for multiple IIOC offences including distribution of Category A with numerous aggravating factors. Structured, persuasive submissions in mitigation resulted in the Defendant receiving a suspended sentence order despite the significant level of the offending.
Further information
- The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
- Criminal Bar Association
- Midland Circuit
- Women in Criminal Law
- University of Law Bar Practice Course: Outstanding
- Graduate Diploma in Law: Competent
- The University of Leicester, BSc (Hons) Psychology: 2:1