Practice Profile

CRIMINAL DEFENCE


Experience of a broad spectrum of criminal offences as sole junior counsel and led junior counsel. In particular, robberies, sexual offences, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering and confiscation proceedings. Lara has a particular interest in young offenders and has significant experience in representing young people in the Crown Court.

Experience and expertise in offences under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Expertise in immigration-related crime due to background in immigration and asylum work.

Extensive experience of Courts Martial work, representing soldiers both in the UK and abroad.

PRISONERS RIGHTS

Experience in all areas of prison law, including:
-Parole board hearings for lifers and those sentenced to IPP’s
-Recall hearings
-Prison disciplinary adjudications
-Written appeals against punishments of adjudicators
-Judicial review of all decisions relating to prisoners rights

Cases

CRIME:

DPP v Randy Toney [2005] EWHC 1865 (Admin)
Appeal by way of case stated from Wood Green Crown Court addressing the issue as whether a Defendant should be allowed to vacate his guilty plea where his admissions were so different to the Prosecution case and no basis of plea had been put forward.

R v Powell & others-Southwark Crown Court
A 3 month trial involving 5 Defendants. I was instructed as led junior counsel. My client was one of 5 defendants all charged with laundering the proceeds of a large-scale fraud. The first defendant was charged with fraudulent trading. My client and 3 other defendants were Directors of a company which claimed to invest money for members of the public in spread trading. In this way 3.2 million pounds was obtained from members of the public but never invested. He was acquitted in relation to all money laundering offences. He is awaiting a re-trial in relation to an offence under s.21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act.

R v Shea-Court of Appeal
Appeal against sentence of an extended sentence for public protection under the CJA 2003. The appellant was a persistent young offender who had been convicted after trial of a robbery on public transport. The issue was whether the finding of a significant risk of serious harm was justified. The appeal was allowed and a determinate sentence imposed.

R v O’Neill Davis & others-Bristol Crown Court
I was instructed as led junior counsel. My client was one of 9 defendants charged with a large-scale conspiracy to supply crack cocaine. The prosecution resulted from 3 separate police operations and concerned the continual supply of Class A drugs from London to Bristol between 1st March 2002 and 31st July 2003. My client was alleged to have been one of those involved in physically delivering drugs to Bristol.

Clingham v Kensington & Chelsea London Borough Council [2002] UK HL 39 (2002) 3 WLR 1313 : (2002) 4 All ER 593 : (2003) 1 Cr App R 27
Appeal to the House of Lords. At the time of the appeal, I was pupil to junior counsel, Alan Fraser, so conducted an enormous amount of research and preparation work, as well as attending the hearing at the House of Lords. The appeal dealt with whether ASBO proceedings were criminal or civil and the application of Article 6 to such proceedings.

IMMIGRATION/ASYLUM:

LM (Acholi – LRA – internal relocation) Uganda CG [2004] UKIAT 00107
Country guidance case dealing with the availability of internal relocation within Uganda for displaced members of the Acholi tribe.

FO (Albanians - Article 3) Serbia and Montenegro [2003] UKIAT 00069
Reported determination of the Tribunal dealing with the application of Article 3 of the Human Rights Act to Kosovan Albanians suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Publications

ILEX Journal: “The Wrong Approach to Real Problems”-December 2003
Re the significant changes introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003