Nicola is a Senior Junior practising exclusively in Crime.
She has a wealth of experience in all aspects of criminal law but she has a particular expertise in prosecuting and defending cases of a serious sexual nature including rape, abuse of children and vulnerable individuals and cases where the allegations are of a historic nature. She also prosecutes and defends in cases of serious violence including Murder, Manslaughter and cases involving very serious assaults.
She is a category 4 approved Prosecutor and a specialist Rape Prosecutor. She is on the Crown Prosecution Service approved list of Counsel to conduct cases of Rape and serious sexual offences and she is qualified to provide early pre charge advice to the police and to conduct pre -trial conferences with vulnerable witnesses. To that end, she has experience in dealing with all kinds of witnesses – young, old, those with gender identity issues and those who for one reason of another require the services of interpreters and intermediaries.
Given her wealth of experience in cases of this nature, she is the ‘go to’ Counsel for defence solicitors in South Wales. Her no – nonsense approach has gained her respect with her clients and solicitors alike. She is known to be approachable but firm.
Nicola is highly respected by both the CPS and defence solicitors across South Wales and beyond She has been previously described as an effective and persuasive advocate with a commanding presence in the court room.
When not in court Nicola spends down time with her family, garden and the many animals she has on her small holding.
- R v S 2024: Nicola prosecuted the stranger rape of a homeless woman which had a number of difficulties given she was anti police and prosecution. The case received widespread publicity throughout the trial and on the Defendant’s conviction and sentence.
- R v H 2021: Nicola prosecuted a case involving a bus driver grooming and raping a school girl. During the trial the young complainant admitted for the first time that her brother had also abused her. He was a main prosecution witness who worked with children. On being convicted at the re-trial Nicola received an e mail from the police stating she was “absolutely outstanding with the victim and the family”
- R v R 2020: Nicola prosecuted a Senior Rehabilitation Officer employed by Carmarthenshire County Council in respect of allegations of sexual abuse against elderly and partially sighted clients. Defendant was convicted at trial.
- R v C 2021: Nicola prosecuted this historic sexual abuse case where the complainant had changed gender as a result of abuse by the Defendant. The Defendant was convicted at trial.
- R v R 2022: Nicola defended the Head Iman of a mosque who had been accused of historically raping a young female pupil. The Defendant was found to be unfit to stand trial and after trial of whether he did the act, was given an absolute discharge.
- R v H 2023: Nicola prosecuted a serious case involving rape of three women. He befriended each of them and prayed on their vulnerabilities. The defendant was convicted at trial. The Judge described Nicola’s closing speech as “Outstanding”
- R v LL and C 2020: Nicola prosecuted this historic case where the complainant had been abused by her older autistic brother and his homosexual partner. Both Defendants were convicted at trial.
- R v G 2020: Nicola defended a rape where the allegations involved the slashing of a water bed, urinating in a child’s cot before alleged rape took place. The Defendant was acquitted at trial.
- R v M 2020: Case of an allegation of knife point rape of partner before she jumped out of window to escape. Nicola defended and the Defendant was acquitted at trial.
- R v G: Nicola prosecuted a rape of a recently elderly widowed victim by her best friend’s husband. The Defendant was convicted at trial.
- R v D: 2023 Nicola prosecuted a case of historic sexual abuse and rape of two victims twenty years apart. The Defendant was convicted at trial.
- R v L 2023: Nicola defended in a case of sexual abuse and rape of two sisters by father. The Defendant was acquitted at trial.
- R v T 2023: Nicola prosecuted a case of sexual abuse and attempted rape of 9 year old granddaughter. The Defendant was convicted at trial.
- R v R 2022: Nicola prosecuted a case of historic and recent sexual abuse of two boys thirty years apart. The Defendant was convicted at trial.
- R v F: Nicola was junior defence Counsel in a murder where she was led. The Defendant had spent almost thirty years of his life institutionalised in prison. Issue was diminished responsibility.
- R V S: Nicola defended alone in a one punch manslaughter which had widespread publicity across South Wales. The Defendant was acquitted at trial.
- R v J: Nicola defended alone in a one punch youth Manslaughter.
- R v G: A prosecution appeal to the Court of Appeal against a judge’s terminatory ruling in a historic sex case. The case was significant and reported [2017]EWCA1368(Crim) and the appeal was successful. C of A remitted the case to the Crown Court and Defendant was convicted.
- R v B: Robbery where young Defendant was wrongly sent for trial in Crown Court. Nicola defended and sought judicial review of the decision. The divisional court remitted the case back to the youth court for trial. This was a reported case setting out future guidance for Youth courts [2020] EWHC2888 (Admin)[2021] 1Cr.App.R(S.)62. The court observed that Nicola presented the case with “clarity and succinctness”
- R v T: Nicola defended in a historic case involving sexual abuse at children’s care homes. Complicated application to stay the indictment based on delay and health issues was successful.
- R v B: Nicola prosecuted a historic sexual abuse and rape involving the interpretation of complicated forensic evidence involving semen and DNA having been deposited on items twenty years earlier.
- R v M: Nicola prosecuted a sexual abuse case where the Defendant was claiming he had sleep apnoea. The Defendant was convicted at trial.
- Aberystwyth University, LLB (Hons) Law
- Criminal Bar Association
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