Gudrun Young KC

Criminal Defence

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, 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 particular expertise in conducting serious sexual cases, acting as both leading and junior counsel. She is very experienced in complex matters involving children and vulnerable witnesses and cases involving allegations of institutional and historic sexual abuse and is particularly sought after in this field.

Gudrun has also written about and lectured extensively on the subject of sexual offences.

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.

Recent Cases include:

R v Lee-Walton (2021 ongoing)

Multi-handed attempted murder/conspiracy for murder due for trial in August 2021.

R v  Dr HA (2021 ongoing)

Consultant charged with sexual assault due for trial Nov 2021.

R v Michael Hand (2021)

Junior counsel in a high profile case involving allegations of murder and attempted murder, due for trial in September 2021.

R v Nicholas Cook (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 Alen Nisovvica (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).

R v Sean Waters (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 Ylli Kalemi (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 Mark Acklom (2019)

Leading counsel on behalf of “career conman” Mark Acklom, 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 Paul Cane (2019)

Acted on behalf of a defendant who was acquitted of attempted murder.

R v Carl Carolan & Ors (2019)

A multi-handed conspiracy to defraud worth over £1 million

R v JA (2019)

Gudrun was junior counsel to David Whittaker QC. They successfully defended a young man accused of attempted murder following a group attack upon a passerby during which he was stabbed multiple times.

R v Mark Calvert-Eliot (2019)

Junior alone representing 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 Miranda Yardley (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.

Giuliana Kendal v Linda Bellos (2018)

Gudrun successfully defended Linda Bellos OBE, a leading feminist and anti-racist campaigner in a private prosecution brought by a trans woman who accused her of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour contrary to section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Following detailed representations that the prosecution was effectively an attempt to silence an ideological opponent, the CPS took over the prosecution and discontinued it.

R v KA (2018)

Successfully defended Dr K, a trainee GP charged with one count of assault by penetration and six counts of sexual assault. He was alleged to have assaulted four different women over a nine week period. All of the allegations related to what the Crown said were “unnecessary” intimate examinations performed in the course of patient consultations. He was unanimously acquitted of all counts by the jury.

R v PM (2018)

Successfully defended a well-known photographer accused of various counts of sexual assault said to have been committed against aspiring models and actresses in the course of professional photoshoots. He was unanimously acquitted of all counts after two separate trials. The case was extensively reported in the press.

R v Melia Kaya (2018)

Represented a young woman accused of causing death by dangerous driving as a result of a collision in which her younger sister was killed in an extremely sensitive and difficult case that was widely publicized.

R v Ronald Jones (2018)

Successfully defended a grandfather accused of historic familial child sex offences.

R v Patrick Brooks & Ors (2018)

Several defendants charged with the grooming, systematic abuse and rape of a vulnerable 12 year old girl with severe learning difficulties and autism. The complainant had to be cross-examined very sensitively and carefully through an intermediary. Gudrun’s client was the only one to be acquitted.

R v Sothilingham & Ors (2017)

Led by David Jeremy QC in a multi-handed murder involving a complicated history of gang violence between rival Tamil gangs in London, culminating in a brutal attack in a car park involving machetes, samurai swords and axes. The defendant was acquitted   of murder following a two month trial at the Central Criminal Court.

R v Stephen Watts (2017)

Successfully defended a man accused of multiple accusations of familial rape and abuse said to have been committed 50 years ago.

R v David Regan (2017) 

The defendant was a respected and successful solicitor specialising in family law who was arrested following links to a notorious paedophile ring. He was accused of a large number of offences relating to the possession and distribution of images of such abuse, described in court as the most horrific and disturbing case of its kind.

R v Fen Chen & Ors (2017)

A large-scale conspiracy to launder money involving Chinese and Albanian criminal gangs involved in criminal activity on an international scale. The gang were arrested following several months of surveillance culminating in a two week period during which over £1.8 million was paid into dozens of High Street banks. Benhadir Shabani whom Gudrun represented was the only defendant to be acquitted.

R v Fiona Smith (2017)

 A prison officer accused of misfeasance in a public office who was acquitted at trial, having been told by a judge that she had “no defence”, following the uncovering of the fact that documents used to incriminate her had been tampered with by her employers.

Osman Ahmed v R (2017)

Successful appeal against conviction (leave having been refused by the Single Judge) on the basis that the defendant had been negligently represented at his first trial. The case raised complex issues of law concerning legal professional privilege and adverse inferences. The conviction was quashed and the appellant was subsequently acquitted at his re-trial.

R v Robert Meekoms (2016)

Successfully represented a man accused of historic sexual offences allegedly committed against his daughter who suffered from severe learning difficulties and autism.

R v Adam Johnson (2016)

Junior Counsel on behalf of Sunderland and England footballer, Adam Johnson at his trial on two charges of sexual activity with a child, relating to an incident between him and a 15 year old fan. Following a 3 week trial at Bradford Crown Court he was unanimously acquitted of the most serious charge, but convicted of a lesser charge of digital penetration. The case attracted widespread publicity in the national and international press.