Practice Overview
Called to the Bar in 2019, Anna has quickly established herself as a talented junior with a busy criminal practice, appearing daily in the Crown Court in all stages of the criminal process.
She is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in a wide range of cases involving:
- Drugs offences
- Assault and other violent offences
- Sexual offences
- Dishonesty offences including burglary and robbery
- Motoring and vehicle offences
Anna is on the approved list of CPS advocates and therefore regularly prosecutes as much as she defends. She also has experience of appellate work having been instructed and assisted in appeals in the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. Anna’s written advocacy is as strong as her oral advocacy and, as such, she is regularly instructed to produce written advices on a range of matters.
Anna also has significant experience of driving cases, particularly involving arguments of exceptional hardship and special reasons. She has successfully acted in cases of dangerous driving, driving under the influence (drugs/ alcohol), failure to stop/report and associated document offences.
Anna came to the Bar from a successful career in teaching. Having worked for 5 years with 11-18 year olds, she is particularly passionate and adept at working with youths and the vulnerable. Anna has undertaken further training in youth justice and vulnerable witness handling to specialise even further in this area.
Anna is passionate about access to the Bar and continues to speak at panel events to promote equality and diversity in the profession.
Cases
Recent notable cases:
Criminal
- Successfully represented defendant charged with s.18 wounding – Judge at Bolton Crown Court refused the Crown’s application, forcing them to offer no evidence against the defendant who was immediately released from custody.
- Successfully prosecuted a man accused of Class A drugs conspiracy in Bolton after police raid finds almost 200k worth of drugs.
- Successfully prosecuted a prisoner at HMP Forest Bank for prison attack on officer.
- Successfully prosecuted Vietnamese foreign national found in cannabis farm worth up to £339,350.
- Successfully secured an acquittal for her client in a Covid-19 Bounce Back loan prosecution.
- Successfully appeared for 1 of 3 defendants charged with s.18 GBH at a retrial following a hung jury at the first trial. The defendants were accused of being part of a gang who spontaneously attacked the complainant whilst armed with weapons, including a machete, knuckle duster and cosh. The Crown produced CCTV and the complainant picked out the defendants in an ID parade. The issue in the case was identification. The defendant was acquitted when the case was withdrawn from the jury following a successful half time submission of no case to answer. Anna was instructed by Tahir Mahmood of Abrahams Solicitors.
- Successfully applied to vacate the guilty plea of a young woman with a multitude of mental health issues after she was charged with perverting the course of justice.
- Obtained a conditional discharge for a defendant who procured the renewal of a shotgun certificate under the Firearms Act 1968 after failing to disclose relevant medical information.
- Suspended sentence for a 22 year old defendant charged with 3 offences of possession of class A and B drugs with intent to supply.
- Suspended sentence for a defendant who supplied a 17 year old with class C drugs resulting in her being hospitalised.
Driving
- Successfully argued special reasons for a driver who hit a woman, who subsequently died, after she ran in to the road and he failed to stop at the scene of the accident. The driver was given an absolute discharge.
- Persuaded the court to give a suspended sentence of imprisonment to a woman who pleaded guilty to a serious charge of dangerous driving, driving with excess drugs, no insurance and driving whilst disqualified.
- Successfully argued exceptional hardship for a young driver who had been disqualified under the ‘totting up’ provisions and who would struggle to have worked without his license.
