Nicola is an experienced leading junior with a wealth of experience in criminal justice systems in six jurisdictions.  She has a particular interest in multi-handed OCG cases including Op Venetic (Encrochat), modern slavery, county lines drug conspiracies and gang related firearms dealing.   She has an aptitude for running complex cases involving multiple counsel and defendants.

Nicola also has extensive experience in complex multi complainant historic sexual abuse cases and is a qualified facilitator for training for the vulnerable witness advocacy training program.

Nicola has recently spent time prosecuting for the DPP of South Australia dealing with Operation Ironside cases and successfully prosecuted the first worldwide trial involving an FBI sting operation of the encrypted device platform “Anom” used by the Comanchero biker gangs.

As a retired RAF Legal Branch officer, Nicola has substantial courts-martial experience both defending and prosecuting.

Nicola accepts work and has experience in

  • Coronial work including Article 2 inquests.
  • LPP counsel.  She has experience in major operations for the SFO and HRMC
  • Public Inquiries – she has acted for core participants in 3 public inquiries in 3 jurisdictions.
  • Appeals in the Administrative Court against DBS Barring decisions.
  • Teacher Regulation Agency proceedings

In 2021 she spent 4 months designing and delivering training on case building and human rights for investigating and trial judges in Kurdistan and Iraq as part of an FCDO fair trials project.

Nicola is a qualified and admitted Jersey Advocate and is admitted as a solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of South Australia.  Nicola has significant experience in trial by judge alone.

CPS panel appointments 

Specialist Economic and Organised Crime Division      Level 4

RASSO                                                                       Level 4

General Crime                                                             Level 4

 

Key cases

R v Oatey – murder prosecution as leading junior involving issues of criminal competence and self-defence

Op Shark – leading junior in the CCU prosecution of 11 defendants in a case running for nearly 7 months involving county lines drug supply.

R v Karbauaskas – junior for prosecution in a murder trial where the case relied almost exclusively on voice recognition evidence.

R v Lavelle-Moore and others –  junior for prosecution in gang related revenge murder in a Nottingham nightclub.

Op Farrier – leading junior instructed by CCU EM – Op Venetic case involving the import export of in excess of 100 kg of cocaine and methamphetamine by an OCG based in the Lincoln area netting sentences of over 100 years handed down.

Op Rooster – prosecution of 5 defendants for the importation and money laundering of 54 kg of heroin via UK ports from Holland disguised as packages of frozen sorbet.

Op Musketeer – leading junior prosecuting Lithuanian nationals trafficking vulnerable Lithuanians to Corby where they were exploited and held in debt bondage. Case involved live evidence via courts in Lithuania.

Re MC – acting for the police as interested party in the six-week jury inquest involving the suicide in prison of a mentally vulnerable detainee.

R v Reynolds – complex hacking case involving allegations that a computer programmer had broken into the computer system of a previous employer and dismantled the servers wiping electronic traces of entry on exit.

Harry Dunn Inquest – acting for the local authority in relation to the publicized inquest involving the death of a young man at the hands of an American servicewoman.

Further information

Memberships

  • Lincoln’s Inn
  • Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of South Australia
  • Jersey Advocate
  • Admitted to the Bars of Cayman, St Helena, sovereign base area of Cyprus.
  • Criminal Bar Association

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