Gudrun Young KC is a highly sought-after barrister specialising in criminal defence, inquests, serious fraud, regulatory law and professional discipline.
She is regularly instructed in the most serious and high-profile cases. Her criminal practice encompasses murder, sexual offences, organised crime, large scale drug conspiracies, money-laundering and complex fraud. She has particular expertise in conducting cases involving sexual allegations, often involving the cross-examination of young or vulnerable witnesses.
In the field of professional discipline, Gudrun has represented a wide variety of professionals including teachers, nurses, doctors and dentists. She also advises in respect of related appellate proceedings in the High Court.
Gudrun is regularly instructed in coronial proceedings for both individuals and companies.
She is known to be a first-class advocate with a fierce intelligence and a meticulous eye for detail. Her preparation is impeccable and she works tirelessly on behalf of her clients. She combines this with having an approachable manner and an air of calm confidence that puts clients at ease.
Judges whom she has appeared in front of have described her as “outstanding”, “highly intelligent” and a “formidable advocate”. One who recently tried a case in which she appeared for the defence commented that she did a “fantastic job” and that her client was “superbly represented”. Another said that her closing speech to the jury was the “the best I have ever heard”.
Gudrun’s rare combination of skills means that she regularly wins even the most difficult of cases. She is an advocate with a proven track record of providing exceptional representation to every one of her clients.
Gudrun accepts Direct Access instructions.
She was nominated as Crime Junior of the Year by Legal 500 2020.
The nature of her criminal fraud case load has given Gudrun extensive experience in matters of international corruption, large-scale investment fraud, excise duty and VAT fraud, insurance fraud and money laundering.
She is also a specialist in the proceeds of crime and asset recovery and has had considerable success in representing individuals in complex confiscation proceedings.
Gudrun undertakes personal injury cases with a particular emphasis on occupational disease litigation, including noise induced hearing loss and stress cases.
Recent cases include a complex case involving an employer of a large organisation suing a former employer for stress related psychiatric illness and one of the first “modern day slavery” cases, in which she represented a defendant company accused of trafficking workers from Lithuania and perpetrating a number of human rights abuses against them. The defendant company was widely reported in the press as being the “worst gangmaster in the UK”.
Gudrun is a highly specialised and experienced criminal defence advocate with a practice that encompasses the full spectrum of offences including murder, non-fatal violence, sexual offences, organised crime, money-laundering, fraud, confiscation and large-scale drug conspiracies. In recent years she has appeared in a large number of murder and manslaughter cases of the utmost gravity and complexity.
She has considerable expertise in defending serious sexual cases and has successfully represented a number of high-profile individuals charged with offences of this nature, including a music artist, a famous footballer, a TV presenter and a number of international businessmen.
Gudrun is very experienced in complex matters involving children and vulnerable witnesses and cases involving allegations of institutional and historic sexual abuse.
Gudrun has also written about and lectured extensively on the subject of sexual offences, as well as being interviewed on a number of radio and TV programs as an expert in this field.
A large amount of her work involves scientific and expert evidence requiring extensive knowledge and expertise of DNA, fibres, pathology, neuropathology, psychiatric issues and psychology. She has great skill and experience in cases involving mental health issues and expert evidence.
R v SW
Represented SW, a 19-year-old of good character, charged with murder under the joint enterprise doctrine after witnessing a fatal shooting and machete attack outside Pirate Studios, Tottenham. The prosecution alleged her involvement in transporting the firearm. SW denied all involvement. Following a re-trial, she was unanimously acquitted of both murder and possession of a firearm.
R v Dr K (2024)
A Harley Street Consultant, who stood trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of eight counts of sexual assault. He was unanimously acquitted by the jury on all eight counts after a trial lasting eight days.
Camilla Fayed (2024)
Camilla Fayed, who was declared not guilty of robbery after the prosecution offered no evidence. Camilla Fayed, a high-profile businesswoman and entrepreneur, faced an allegation of robbery along with three others in relation to an incident that had occurred in May 2021. The complainant was her estranged brother, Omar Fayed. The siblings are the children of the late Mohammed Al Fayed. The incident had already been the subject of a well-publicised civil litigation prior to criminal charges being brought. From the outset the defendants denied the allegation and stated that there was insufficient evidence and no public interest in the prosecution pursuing criminal proceedings over what was essentially a familial dispute occurring on private property. Following legal argument on disclosure, the prosecution’s failure to obtain relevant material and an application to stay the proceedings as an abuse of the process of the court, the prosecution finally accepted that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction. The proceedings concluded with formal verdicts of not guilty being entered by the Judge at Guildford Crown Court.
R v SW & Ors (2024)
Multi-handed murder with a firearm at the Central Criminal Court. Represented the only female defendant who is due to face a re-trial after having been severed from the case following legal argument.
R v JF (2024)
Young man of good character acquitted of an allegation of rape arising from an internet date.
R v Dr M (2024)
A Consultant Gynaecologist who was acquitted of several counts of sexual assault after historic allegations were brought by three former patients upon whom he had performed intimate examinations.
R v CC (2024)
Not guilty verdicts were entered in respect of a man charged with supplying a large amount of Class A drugs when the case was discontinued following legal argument.
R v JG & Ors (2023)
Multi-handed murder and conspiracy to murder at the Central Criminal Court involving a series of gang-related shootings.
R v AW (2023)
High profile murder – young woman charged with murder after running over her boyfriend with her car. The case attracted widescale press attention.
R v SB (2023)
American national working in the City of London acquitted of rape.
R v AO (2023)
Russian banker acquitted of voyeurism. Reported widely in the press.
R v GR (2023)
The defendant was charged with rape, which was initially stayed as an abuse of process. The prosecution successfully appealed the stay. The defendant was subsequently acquitted at the trial. The case was reported as Regina v ANP [2022] EWCA Crim 1111 and was the subject of legal commentary and analysis in a variety of publications.
R v DH (2023)
Successfully represented a stepfather accused of sexual offences against his step-daughter at a re-trial.
R v EG (2023)
Defendant who was a German national on holiday in the UK when he was accused of sexual offences after a night out. He was acquitted of all counts.
R v LC (2022)
A young woman charged with attempted murder of her boyfriend, a serving policeman. Following psychiatric reports being obtained, she eventually pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was given a suspended sentence.
R v CA (2022)
Murder – ‘joint enterprise’ stabbing. Represented the only defendant to be acquitted of all counts.
R v COW
Represented a young man charged with murder and section 18 GBH against two different victims.
R v AKL & Ors (2022)
Multi-handed case involving allegations of attempted murder/conspiracy to murder/possession of firearms against a background of gang-related violence. One of the allegations included the shooting of an innocent woman who was paralysed from the neck down when a stray bullet hit her during a confrontation in Broadway Market, London. The defendant, first on the indictment, was acquitted of all counts following a 3 month trial at the Central Criminal Court.
R v Imran Khan (2022)
Represented the Conservative MP for Wakefield charged with historic sexual offences in an extremely high-profile case attracting national and international press attention.
R v AF (2022)
Successfully represented a man charged with possession of firearms in a multi-handed case.
R v Dr HA (2021)
Represented a senior Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Norwich Hospital faced allegations of sexual assault against two patients following what were alleged to be inappropriate breast examinations. One count was dismissed at the close of the prosecution case. Acquitted of all remaining counts by the jury.
R v MH (2021)
A man convicted of a brutal murder and attempted murder following a serious psychotic episode.
R v NC (2021)
The defendant was acquitted of historic allegations of rape and sexual assault against his stepdaughter in the 1970’s.
R v John Leslie Stott (2020)
Successfully represented John Leslie, former Blue Peter presenter and TV personality who faced a historic accusation of sexual assault. The case was extremely high profile and attracted widespread reporting in the press.
R v AN (2020)
Proceedings for rape were discontinued against the defendant following defence expert evidence identifying the possibility that the complainant suffered from a rare sleep disorder (a form of sexsomnia enabling her to have sex in her sleep without knowledge or recollection). The case attracted widespread publicity when the complainant successfully appealed the decision of the CPS to drop the case. Because a not guilty plea had already been recorded when the police offered no evidence against the defendant, the proceedings could not be re-commenced despite the CPS apologizing to the complainant. The case featured in a BBC documentary entitled “Sexsomnia: Case Closed?”.
R v SW (2019)
The defendant was acquitted of harassment, attempted section 18 and sexual assault of his wife, having alleged to have subjected her to a campaign of terror and violence for many years.
R v YK (2019)
The defendant was acquitted of an allegation of raping a young girl 20 years ago, having fled the jurisdiction before the original trial could take place.
R v MA (2019)
Leading counsel for “career conman”, accused of a romance fraud in which he defrauded a woman out of her life savings in 2012. Having fled the country he was placed on the National Crime Agency’s “Top 10 Most Wanted List”. He was extradited from Switzerland to the UK in 2019. The case attracted widespread media attention and the defendant is the subject of an in depth Sky documentary.
R v PC (2019)
Acted on behalf of a defendant who was acquitted of attempted murder.
R v CC (2019)
A multi-handed conspiracy to defraud worth over £1 million.
R v M C-E
Represented a man accused of attempted murder, namely the “mercy killing” of his elderly mother who had suffered a catastrophic stroke 5 years previously. The defendant was convicted but his sentence was significantly reduced following an successful application to the Court of Appeal.
R v MY (2019)
Gudrun successfully defended a trans woman in what was described as the UK’s first prosecution for “transgender hate crime”. The Judge ruled that there was no case to answer on the basis that issues of freedom of speech enshrined in Article 10 of the ECHR were engaged.
Gudrun is regularly instructed in coronial proceedings for both individuals and companies. She is a member of the Coroners’ Inquests and Public Inquiries team in chambers and provides advice and representation in relation to these areas. Her recent experience includes representing the family of a patient who died in hospital in which a finding of neglect was made in relation to the sub-standard treatment he had received, a death in custody, and a high profile case involving a man who had committed suicide following significant failures in his psychiatric care.
Gudrun has been instructed on behalf of several care homes regarding deaths of elderly patients.
Inquest into the death of Abigail Elson
Inquest proceedings on behalf of superbike racer Sean Emmett in the inquest of his wife Abigail Elson, who fell to her death from a hotel room in Dubai when they were returning from their honeymoon in 2014.
Grand Canyon Helicopter Crash
Represented the family of Jonathan Udall, who along with his new wife and 3 of their friends was killed in a helicopter crash over the Grand Canyon whilst on honeymoon in February 2018.
Inquest touching upon the death of Una Davies
Gudrun represented the care home where Una Davies was an elderly patient with kidney disease. She died of kidney failure following a fall from her wheelchair whilst unaccompanied in her room after which members of staff had lifted her onto her bed. She sustained a number of broken bones and other injuries during the incident as a result of which she was unable to receive dialysis treatment leading to her death. The Coroner found that the actions of the care home had not caused or contributed to her death.
Inquest touching upon the death of VH
Gudrun represented a Consultant General Surgeon who was involved with the care of a 54 year old woman who died in hospital of bowel obstruction following a catalogue of missed opportunities to diagnose and treat the problem. The inquest was originally opened in 2012 but then adjourned following a consideration by the CPS as to whether or not to bring charges of gross negligent manslaughter against some of the doctors.
Gudrun has been instructed by individuals and corporate clients to advise on the merits of bringing private prosecutions and has advised at all stages of the process. She also acts for the defence and has lectured on how to successfully defend private prosecutions.
GK v Linda Bellos OBE
Gudrun successfully defended Linda Bellos OBE, a leading feminist and anti-racist campaigner against a private prosecution bought by a trans activist who claimed that the defendant was guilty of a public order offence for expressing her political views at a public meeting arranged to debate the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Following detailed submissions to the CPS, including that the defendant had a defence of freedom of speech under Article 10 of the ECHR, the CPS exercised its statutory powers to take over the prosecution and discontinued it. The case attracted widespread publicity.
Gudrun has a successful practice in the area of professional disciplinary work. She has been instructed in cases before the General Medical Council, the General Optical Council, the General Chiropractic Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
GMC v Dr A
Allegations of sexually motivated touching of patients.
GMC v Dr R
Doctor cleared of sexually motivated touching of patients.
GMC v Dr C
Doctor cleared of sexual communications with a child.
GDC v Dr AA (2021)
Defence of a dentist facing allegations of sexual assault upon a dental nurse. None of the allegations were found proved and he was entirely exonerated of any misconduct.
GMC v Dr SM
Defence of a doctor following his conviction for assaulting his then-girlfriend, also a doctor.
GMC v Dr LO
Defence of a doctor facing multiple allegations of serious sexual assault upon a vulnerable patient whilst she was in inpatient in hospital in his care. At his fitness to practice hearing all of the serious allegations of sexual assault were found not proven against him, and he was found guilty only of having had some limited inappropriate telephone contract with the patient following her discharge.
GDC v Dr MH
Represented MH, a dentist alleged to have behaved unprofessionally and in a sexually motivated manner towards a patient. Following a fitness to practice hearing he was completed exonerated of all allegations and the GDC were asked to review why the proceedings had been brought against him.
GMC v Dr JJ
Represented a senior Consultant in proceedings before the GMC regarding his fitness to practice due to personal and health difficulties.
GMC v Dr LA (2020)
Represented a doctor in the disciplinary proceedings following on from criminal proceedings in which he pleaded guilty to serious offences of dishonesty regarding the misuse of funds relating to his practice as a GP.
GMC v Dr YR (2020)
Defence of a doctor accused of sexually assaulting the daughter of an elderly patient in his care. The allegations of sexual assault were not proven, although he was found to have failed in some aspects of his clinical care towards the patient by not instituting an end of life plan at an earlier stage and issued with a warning.
GMC v Dr R (2020)
Proceedings discontinued following a successful application to exclude evidence in the case of a doctor accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards a junior colleague.
SRA v SK (2019)
Defence of a solicitor facing multiple allegations of dishonestly allowing his firms’ accounts to be used to further fraudulent investment schemes and to launder money.
GDC v Dr B (2019)
Defence of a dentist facing multiple allegations of clinical failings and incompetence leading to irreparable damage to an elderly patient’s teeth. Following representations the proceedings were discontinued.
ARB v PG (2019)
Defence of an architect accused of professional misconduct in relation to his work restoring a Grade II listed building.
SW, 19 at the time and of good character, was accused of taking part in…
Gudrun Young KC represented Dr K, a Harley Street Consultant in geriatric medicine, who stood…
Camilla Fayed was declared not guilty of robbery after the prosecution offered no evidence. Camilla…
