PracticeAnya is an experienced criminal defence practioner whose practice encompasses the full range of offences prosecuted in the criminal courts. She has a talent for spotting and arguing, often quite difficult, legal points and an ability to grasp easily complex and detailed papers. At the same time she has an approachable and down to earth manner which is effective before juries and with clients - particularly those who are young or vulnerable. Her case load over the last year has included a 3 handed possession of firearms with intent to endanger life trial; a £1 million mortgage fraud trial where the indictment was stayed following a successful abuse of process argument during the prosecution case; a 6 handed violent disorder case where the prosecution offered no evidence following a successful application to exclude identification evidence and trials involving offences of rape, s18 gbh and armed robbery. In addition she has achieved numerous non-custodial outcomes where defendants have pleaded guilty to serious offences such as fraud in breach of trust (value £65,000) and offering to supply Class A drugs (80 ecstasy tablets) and serious offences under the Companies Act. She has particular experience in the following areas:- - Fraud. Her fraud experience is extensive encompassing numerous large scale post office and benefit frauds; mortgage frauds; a multi million pound interstate VAT prosecution by HMCE; money laundering cases including a $38 million money laundering case (which was dismissed after lengthy legal argument at the outset of the case); factoring frauds and numerous contested confiscation hearings including 3 which have lasted up to a week;
- Sexual Offences. She represents defendants charged with the full range of sexual offences including rape and child abuse including cases involving historic allegations. She has experience of dealing with indecent images cases. She was led in one of the first prosecutions under section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 where the defendant was the victim of a News of the World sting operation . She has also been instructed on behalf of Trade Unions representing teachers facing allegations of involvement with school children;
- Serious Violence. She regularly represents those charged with grievous bodily harm and other serious violent crimes including armed robbery. She has been lead in a number of murders;
- Firearms. She has experience of representing those charged with serious firearms offences;
- Drugs. Anya regularly represents those accused with offences connected to Class A drugs including importation and possession with intent to supply. She has been led on a number of large scale drug importation cases and represented, without a leader, a defendant on trial for a £1 million drugs importation case;
- Public Protest. Anya has always enjoyed representing those involved in offences connected to public protest and the challenge of the legal issues which often accompany such cases. She was involved in representing a number of defendants involved in campaigning against the introduction of GM crops (in both the Magistrates and Crown Courts); She has also represented those involved in campaigning against the Iraq war, animal cruelty, arms fairs and other important issues. She continues to represent defendants in protest cases including most recently securing the acquittal of a defendant involved in the "Plane Stupid" campaign against aviation expansion;
- Other. Other relevant experience includes being involved for several years with a defendant accused of importing rare parrots in the UK in breach of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), a prosecution under the Medicines Act 1968 and Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and blackmail.
PublicationsContributing author Blackstones Guide of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 Societies Member of Liberty Member of CBA Trustee Women in Prison Notable CasesR v Zaidi and Others Kingston Crown Court (VHCC case dealing with offences under Medicines Act 1968 and Trade Descriptions Act 1968); R v Paul Marsh Inner London Crown Court (large scale Class A drug importation); R v Joseph Salmon Cardiff Crown Court (VHCC case large scale drug importation); R v Walkers and others Birmingham Crown Court (£35 million interstate VAT fraud); R v Hayani and Others (US$60 million money launder case); Tully v DPP [2001] EWCA Admin 821 (definition of aggravated trespass); R v Sissens [2000] CA EWCA Crim 67 (Effect of EC Directives); R v Hugh Christie (multiple historic allegations of rape and other sexual offences). BackgroundAnya was born and grew up in South Wales. She left Wales to attend University in Southampton before coming to London to study at the ICSL. She completed her first six months pupillage at Tooks Court Chambers from where she moved on to Garden Court where she has remained ever since. She lives in Brixton with her partner and children. (Last Updated: October 2009.)
|
