"Sarah is a really, really good cross-examiner: she keeps you on the edge of your seat and is devastating."
Sarah was appointed as Treasury Counsel in 2020. She is a grade 4 advocate and is appointed to the serious crime group panel, terrorism panel and rape panel. She is instructed as leading counsel and as junior to Queen’s Counsel, as well as acting alone.
Her prosecution practice is focussed upon serious, complex, organised and sensitive crime. She is regularly instructed to prosecute cases of murder, people trafficking, fraud, firearms, drug importation and rape. Sarah is regularly instructed in multi-defendant and multi-offence cases, often prosecuting Organised Crime Networks (OCNs), following a proactive investigation. She is familiar with the investigative techniques deployed by specialist police teams and is adept at dealing with surveillance evidence, telephone data including Encrochat material, cell site and attribution, complex scientific evidence, the obtaining and use of evidence from abroad, and bad character evidence in the context of gang prosecutions and otherwise. She was recently instructed to prosecute allegations arising from the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi.
Given the nature of her practice, Sarah has advised upon and routinely deals with extremely sensitive disclosure issues. She has particular expertise in PII and the handling of sensitive material relating to investigative techniques and third party disclosure issues. Sarah is DV cleared.
Sarah has a particular interest in cases involving serious sexual offending and offences against women and girls. She has recently advised at pre-charge stage on an investigation into female genital multilation. She advised the Attorney General of Jersey on the island’s first sex trafficking prosecution, leading to a conviction.
Sarah has also prosecuted on behalf of the Specialist Fraud Division and other CPS CCUs in matters relating to VAT and tax fraud (see Business Crime Section) and is experienced in dealing with matters relating to Proceeds of Crime and confiscation, recently advising the CPS East of England Proceeds of Crime Team in relation to a restraint issue.
Sarah appears regularly in the Court of Appeal, acting in her own cases, for the Attorney General and on discrete instructions from the Appeals Unit.
R v Dennis McGrory
This defendant was charged with offences of murder and rape and was convicted on 19.12.2022, the oldest double jeopardy case so far prosecuted.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64029555
R v Osborne
Prosecuted Finsbury Park attacker Darren Osborne who ran over a group of Muslims returning from prayers during Ramadan. Osborne was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 43 years following his convictions for murder and attempted murder.
R v Vyas
Instructed to prosecute the E17 ’night stalker’, convicted of serial rape and murder in Walthamstow in 2009.
R v Bowskill
Bowskill abused and kidnapped his girlfriend, Angel Lynn, who sustained life-changing injuries escaping from his van. Sentence increased following a successful argument that the term imposed was unduly lenient.
R v Omoworare & others
Prosecuted 3 defendants accused of conspiring to supply commercial quantities of cocaine and cannabis. The conspiracy was revealed following after police infiltrated the ‘Encrochat’ communication network which revealed the open discussion of kilo quantities of cocaine and cannabis being supplied around the coutry. The defendants were convicted on all counts. Leading Fiona Robertson.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23694857.suffolk-three-jailed-conspiracy-supply-drugs/
R v Slepcik & others (Operation Svanetia)
Prosecuted a network of Slovakian traffickers for bringing women from Eastern Europe to the UK for the purposes of sham marriage and prostitution.
R v Rooftop Rooms
Prosecuted a company, its directors and the site foreman for manslaughter and health and safety offences following the death of an apprentice.
R v Acourt & Others
Prosecuted Jamie and Neil Acourt, who were accused but not convicted of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, for conspiracy to supply controlled drugs following a two-year surveillance operation.
29th Sep 2023 Read more
1st Sep 2022 Read more
18th Mar 2022 Read more
See all news18th Oct 2023 Read more
26th May 2021 Read more
2nd Nov 2020 Read more
Barrister Portfolio [10]
