Shelly Burroughs:

Shelly represented our client at Croydon Youth Court after his 1st legal team had had to withdraw. Our client was charged with a robbery and motoring offences and had already pleaded guilty to some offences. Shelly made a successful application for those pleas to be vacated. At the trial Shelly proceeded to skilfully cross examine the officer who had purported to identify our client. She went on to make submissions that the identification evidence was in breach of Code D, PACE and should be excluded under s78 PACE. The Court excluded the evidence and our client was found not guilty

Shelly represented another young and vulnerable client who was in care who had been charged with assault. There were concerns about our client’s fitness to plead and stand trial. Shelly challenged the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to charge him arguing that they had not followed their own charging guidance. The prosecution discontinued the proceedings before Shelly could issue Judicial Review Proceedings. Our client remained a young man of good character.

Shelly recently won a special reasons submission for our client so that he was not disqualified from driving despite having pleaded guilty to drug driving. She was able to demonstrate to the court that our client had no option but to drive due to the emergency that he faced.

Shelly represented a young adult charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug. After skilful cross examination of a police officer and a police drug expert our client was found not guilty.

Shelly represented our client at trial in relation to an allegation of harassment. Our client denied the offence and had raised during his police interview that he was the one being harassed by the complainant. A defence statement was served as well as a s8 application which demonstrated that the defence were right. The prosecution discontinued the case against our client.

Shelly represented our client at trial for the offence of possession of a bladed article. Shelly ran the defence of ‘good reason’ for our client and was found not guilty after full trial.

Shelly represented our client who faced a charge of motor vehicle interference. Shelly instructed a psychiatrist and used the report to assist her in making written representations to the prosecution that it was not in the public interest to proceed. The prosecution discontinued the charge and our client remained a person of good character.

Shelly represented our client as Solicitor Advocate at Inner Crown Court. He faced 11 charges of knife point robberies and 1 offence of assault causing grievous bodily harm. The prosecution case against our client was based solely on cell site evidence. Shelly made a dismissal application to the Crown Court Judge. It was successful and all charges were dismissed.

Sophie Smith:

Sophie represented our client at trial for being in possession of a bladed article. He had bought a Stanley knife shortly before being stopped by police to help friend with DIY, the packaging still in his possession. He was found not guilty following full trial.

Sophie represented our client as Solicitor Advocate at the Crown Court. Our client had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and C drugs and possession of criminal property totalling over £7,000. Sophie instructed a neuropsychiatric report in respect of our client and was able to persuade the Judge to sentence him to a Suspended Sentence Order.

Sophie represented our client at trial for an offence of Malicious Communications against a police officer. Our client had been diagnosed with Autism and was in supported accommodation at the time he was alleged to have made a number of calls to the officer containing language said to be grossly offensive. After a full trial our client was found not guilty.

Sophie represented our client who faced a charge of possession of a bladed article, a knife. Our client had been diagnosed with a Personality Disorder and his defence was that he had taken the knife from a friend in order to prevent her from self-harming. He had run from officers because he had panicked due to previous traumatic experiences with police. Our client was found not guilty following full trial.

Sophie represented our client at Inner London Crown Court who faced a charge of production of cannabis. Cannabis plants had been found being grown upstairs in a property where our client was living downstairs during lockdown. Our client’s defence was that he had no knowledge of what was in the upstairs rooms as he did not venture upstairs during this period. The jury found him not guilty following trial. Sophie instructed Elena Papamichael of Garden Court Chambers’