Sophia Dower

Criminal Defence

Sophia has a strong criminal defence practice, defending cases in both the Magistrates and Crown Court. She has experience representing clients at all stages of the criminal justice process.

She has developed a wealth of experience covering a broad spectrum of offences, including murder, serious violence, sexual offences, possession and supply of drugs, sexual offences, financial crime and weapons offences. Sophia also has extensive knowledge and experience of driving offences, ranging from cases of speeding and no insurance to dangerous driving and fatal road traffic collisions.

Sophia is recognised for her thorough preparation and for providing tactical, clear advice to both professional and lay clients.  She is a robust and tenacious advocate who is committed to achieving the best results for her clients.

Notable cases:

R v FN (2023)

Successfully renewed application for leave to appeal resulting in Full Court finding the operational period of FN’s suspended sentence manifestly excessive and therefore quashed.

R v AR (2023)

R v JB, York Crown Court (2022)

The jury unanimously acquitted Sophia’s client of causing death by dangerous driving.

R v AD, Reading Crown Court (2022)

Successful defence of woman charged with the kidnap by fraud of a vulnerable child in the Romanian gypsy community.  AD was just one of two defendants, out of eight, to be acquitted by a jury after a 6 week trial.

R v TK, Caernarfon Crown Court (2021)

Suspended sentence imposed for Ryanair airline captain convicted of dangerous driving having driven at speeds over 100mph in his Porsche through the rural Snowdonia roads.

R v MC, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) (2021)                                                                                                                

Successful appeal against sentence for a serial dwelling burglar with 32 previous convictions for the same offence. His sentence for 3 further dwelling burglaries and criminal damage worth over £200,000 (after crashing a car into the showroom for Joe Macari High Performance Cars at 80mph) was substantially reduced from 8 years 8 months to 5 years 9 months.

R v AB, Westminster Magistrates Court (2021)

Secured the acquittal of a professional businesswoman charged with racially and religiously aggravated assault of a vulnerable complainant at the “Magic Mike” show.

R v VF (2021)

Represented client charged with murder, led by Zubair Ahmad QC.  As result of a carefully drafted basis of plea to manslaughter (loss of control) which was accepted by the Crown shortly before trial, the client received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

R v B, Peterborough Crown Court (2020)

Acting as junior alone in this exceptionally tragic case Sophia represented Mr B, an 83 year old man of previous good character who was charged with causing the death of 99 year old Mrs C by dangerous driving. Resulted in suspended sentence.

R v D, Chelmsford Crown Court (2020)

Instructed as junior counsel to Mark Graffius QC in the successful defence of Mr D in a historic murder trial. Mr D was alleged to have fatally stabbed Mr B in a revenge attack outside a Boxing Day party in 1998. Mr D fled the country for almost 20 years until he returned to the UK to hand himself in to police. Mr Donnelly was acquitted after trial.

R v A, Bristol Crown Court (2019)

Instructed as junior counsel to Gudrun Young, also of 2 Hare Court, to defend in a “romance fraud” which attracted significant media attention. The case involved complex analysis of issues relating to extradition, foreign convictions and bad character provisions.

R v W, Wimbledon Magistrates Court (2019)

W, a teacher who was of previous good character, was alleged to have assaulted a child in the context of a road-rage incident. Both the child, her mother and an independent eye-witness gave evidence for the Crown at trial. Sophia successfully applied to exclude a significant aspect of the Crown’s case relating to an earlier allegation of assault against the mother and secured the acquittal of W.