PracticeNerida has a wide-ranging criminal practice and is regularly instructed to lead in varied and complex criminal cases. She has built up considerable expertise as leading counsel in cases involving serious sexual offences, including child sex cases, money laundering and fraud and in murders and drug cases too. Her experience in sexual cases has involved the most violent offences including multiple and historic rapes, buggery and sexual crimes spanning multiple generations of the same family. Many of these cases are very complex with multiple complainants and involving huge numbers of witnesses. Nerida is highly skilled in cross-examining witnesses, many of whom are very young or vulnerable. She is particularly sensitive to their circumstances and able to draw on her vast experience to adapt her style and approach accordingly. Her experience is similarly broad in her fraud practice. She has led in a number of varied cases and is currently instructed to lead in a huge multi-handed mobile telephone fraud case. Her fraud related work has involved both telephone and internet fraud as well as banking fraud and money laundering. Her work has involved her in the most serious violent crime and she has defended in several murder cases (she represented one of the 3 defendants charged with the murder of Ben Kinsella), as well as other cases involving serious violence. She is currently instructed on a gang related conspiracy to murder and an attempted murder by a defendant with Aspergers syndrome (accused of stabbing a total stranger). Nerida practises in two other discrete areas: Mental Health; representing patients at Mental Health Review Tribunals and representing families at Inquests. She has represented a number of mentally disordered defendants on contested fitness to plead and trial of fact hearings and represented a number of women who have killed their children whilst suffering from mental disorders. She has published in this area too, contributing to a book entitled Forensic Medical Health, (published 2010, OUP) edited by two imminent forensic psychiatrists, Annie Bartlett and Gill McGauley.
Notable CasesFRAUD
Currently instructed on huge multi-handed mobile telephone fraud (forthcoming)
R v Kiala Southwark Crown Court (banking fraud)
R v Maharaj, Southwark CC (Million pound Post Office Fraud.)
R v Robinson, Kingston CC (14 handed Banking Fraud.)
R v Zaidi, Kingston CC (5 handed fraud concerning Medicines and trade marks.)
MURDER/HOMICIDE
R v Malachi Halstead and others, Hove Crown Court (conspiracy to murder. Represented, as sole advocate, a rap artist charged with 4 others with a "gangland contract shooting". Defendant was successfully acquitted).
R v Dhillion & another (attempted murder of homeless alcoholic by group resulting in multiple slash and stab wounds to neck/throat/head severing main arteries. Represented 18 year old vulnerable defendant in a cut throat defence with mentally disordered co-defendant. Resulted in unanimous not guilty on all counts for defendant).
R v McCarvill, Maidstone CC (murder by mother of her child)
R v Begum, Central Criminal Court (manslaughter/child cruelty)
R v Latta, Winchester CC (baby shaking murder of baby)
R v John Barrett, Central Criminal Court (stabbing of cyclist in park)
R v Rashid Alla, CCC (Gang stabbing)
R v Alan Hedgcock, Southwark CC (conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to rape in virtual reality)
R v Faisal Wangita, CCC (gang land mob stabbing)
R v Miah CCC (Mother accused of murder by shaking baby)
R v Braithwaite CCC ( Ist Defendant charged with the murder of Ben Kinsella) VIOLENCE (INCLUDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE) AGAINST THE PERSON
R v H (historic sex allegations 20 counts of rape and buggery of defendant's sister between ages 7-13 and son aged 5-13 spanning 15 year time period)
R v Ikram, (honour rape case across two jurisdictions - Pakistan and UK)
R v Ngola, Blackfriars CC (historic rape involving Congolese community, multi-complainant)
R v Minchin, St Albans CC (historic rape and indecent assault across 3 generations of family)
R v Kamarra, Inner London CC (non fatal stabbing by school boys)
R v Sheralam, Inner London CC (multiple stranger rapes)
R v Ostertag, Luton CC ( incest/rape between mother/son)
R v Szabavo, Middlesex Guildhall CC (people trafficking/false imprisonment)
R v Hotti, Harrow CC (child rape)
R v Palacios Blackfriars CC (historic child rape)
R v Ball Inner London CC (attempted murder, stabbing of stranger on a bus) DRUG OFFENCES
R v Capone & others (leading junior, leading Alex Rose,in 8 handed Conspiracy to supply crack and heroin, class A drugs throughout England)
R v Malvern & another, St Albans CC (conspiracy to import Cocaine)
R v Marchelleck, Luton CC (conspiracy to supply large consignment of Cannabis)
R v Ryan, Kingston CC (firearms and drugs)
R v Asonye, Woolwich CC (conspiracy to import Cannabis and Cocaine.)
R v Theodore, Kingston CC (conspiracy to manufacture class B drugs.) ANIMAL RIGHTS
R v Sean Kirtley, Birmingham CC (conspiracy to interfere with contractual relations)
Publications
Contributor to Forensic Medical Health, (2010, OUP) edited by two eminent forensic psychiatrists, Annie Bartlett (practices at Holloway) and Gill McGauley (practices at Broadmoor).
Background
Nerida started off in practise in general common law. In these early years she had considerable experience in both family law and personal injury and this background has been invaluable for much of the criminal work she has done, in particular where there has been complex medical evidence such as in the so called "baby shaking" cases but also cases of alleged child cruelty. Researching, preparing for and cross-examining forensic and medical experts are amongst her strengths. She sees it as important to establish an easy rapport with clients, particularly with younger, immature or inarticulate members of the public to enable them to have a voice and to articulate whatever they have to say. She will represent all who come to her to the best of her ability, regardless of the crime with which they are charged. Having done a lot of cases involving serious sexual assaults and serious and often fatal assaults on children she has a particular expertise in cross-examining medical and forensic experts. Nerida lives in North London with her partner and three sons, the latter take much of her time and attention outside of work. Prior to having children she was very active as an adviser at the Fulham Law Centre. SocietiesAmnesty International, JUSTICE and Criminal Bar Association. Profile updated March 2011
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