Profile

Clare practises in Crime and Regulatory Crime both defending and acting for non-CPS prosecution agencies.

Clare has significant experience in serious crime as a leading and led junior.

Education

BA Oxon

Further Professional Information

Has also undertaken:
* Prison adjudications;
* Coroners Court appearances;
* Trustee Youth Legal Roehampton.

Middle Temple Scholarships:
* Astbury Pupillage Award
* Mona de Piro Prize
* Benefactors Award
* Harmsworth Entrance Award

Interests

Two young children. So – tidying up.

Practice Areas

Crime

Public

Cases

Defence Work:

Serious violence

* R v C [2022], instructed as led junior in an allegation of matricide at the Central Criminal Court.

* R v A [2021], instructed as leading junior to represent first defendant in allegations of organised crime firearms robberies conspiracies. Investigation with covert intrusive and directed surveillance by Flying Squad.

* R v P [2020], instructed to represent a former army soldier facing an allegation of the murder of his mother.

* R v R [2020], instructed as leading junior representing an employee of a care home in respect of an allegation of neglect of an elderly resident who subsequently died.

* R v S [2019], instructed as led junior in an allegation of murder by a grandfather of his wife where issues of diminished responsibility arise.

* R v Q [2019] instructed as led junior in case where defendant acquitted of murder having been accused of setting his wife on fire in the kitchen of the family home.

* R v D [2019] instructed as led junior representing a woman acquitted of murder of a teenager who was selling drugs from her flat as part of a county lines gang operation. Her partner was found guilty of murder. Described in national press as the ‘body in the loft’ case.

* R v S [2018] instructed as led junior for youth defendant acquitted of an allegation of joint enterprise murder with firearms.

* R v Y and others [2016] defendant acquitted of an allegation of kidnap with torture.

* R v A [2015] represented female charged with s18. Defendant was said to have branded the penis of the complainant with a hot iron in circumstances that included reference to witchcraft.

Serious sexual offences

* R v R [2018] allegations of sexual assault and child cruelty by step father.

* R v G [2017] an allegations of sexual assault by a step father on his step daughter aged under 13.

* R v R [2017] an allegation of rape.

* R v G [2014] a Nepalese Gurkha nurse facing an allegation of sexual assault on a patient.

Terrorism

* R v H [2016] led junior representing the first defendant in multi-handed allegation of entering into funding arrangements for Terrorism.

Financial crime

* Instructed as led junior in ongoing confiscation proceedings (R v Onuigbo) linked to the high profile proceedings of R v Ibori. Mr Ibori was the Nigerian governor of Delta State 1999-2007 . He was convicted in 2012 of money laundering multiple millions of £ in the UK. The ongoing proceedings include serious allegations of prosecutorial negligence. The sums sought in the confiscation from Ms Obuigbo are in excess of £20 million.

* Led in 2 month fraud trial of members of the traveller community in Luton Crown Court arising out of a joint prosecution by police and Trading Standards Authorities (dealing with Consumer Protection Regulations) (R v Connors and others 2011).

* Led in a 3 month multi-million pound tax evasion trial in Maidstone arising out of the international customs and exercise operation ‘Budget’; acting on behalf one of the main defendants; Confiscation proceedings that followed sought an available amount in excess of 1 million pounds and included an assertion as to hidden assets (R v Percy-Davis and others 2005, confiscation 2007).

Other

* Led Junior in high profile case of R v F [2015] charged with perverting course of justice arising from his allegation that he had been sexually assaulted by a prominent member of parliament.

* Regularly acts alone in proceedings for a wide range of criminal offences (including Fraud, Importation of Class A drugs, Firearms offences, Facilitation of illegal entry, Making of indecent pictures [All levels], Arson with intent to endanger life, s18 OAPA and Robbery).

* Appearances in Court of Appeal in respect of appeals against both Conviction and Sentence.

Prosecution Work:

Instructed in complex fraudulent benefits claim prosecutions brought by London Borough of Brent including:

* Leading Junior Counsel in large scale fraudulent claiming of benefits in excess of £100,000 (LBB v Kalloo 2011). Defendant claimed to be blind. Surveillance footage showed him driving.

* Instructed alone in multi-handed prosecution (6 defendants), confiscation proceedings to recover in excess of 1 million pounds available assets still active LBB v Gm [2011].

* Led Junior in a complex fraudulent benefits claim jointly prosecuted by London Borough of Brent and DWP (with losses circa £200,000 relating to Housing benefit, Council Tax, Income Support and Disability Living Allowance). Defendant claimed to be a bed-bound paraplegic. Photographs showed her holidaying around the world.

* Acting alone RSPCA prosecutions.