Rhiannon is a dynamic advocate with broad experience in criminal, court martial and regulatory law. A persuasive negotiator with exceptional communication skills, she is analytical, pragmatic and personable – and puts her heart and soul into cases.
She has been recommended in Chambers & Partners every year since 2009 – as well as in Legal 500.
Background Expertise
Rhiannon is a Grade 4 prosecutor, regularly appearing at Crown courts to prosecute complex cases including conspiracies, serious violent and sexual offences, and fraud.
Her defence practice has taken Rhiannon all over the country. She has successfully defended in a succession of ‘multi-handed’ drugs cases (including conspiracy to supply cocaine; an international plot to import drugs from the Caribbean; and conspiracy to cultivate cannabis).
Other notable successful defence instructions have included trials relating to honour-based kidnap and false imprisonment; cigarette smuggling; and firearms.
Rhiannon is adept at dealing with cases with vast amounts of documentation (including VHCC) and is regularly instructed in matters that involve highly technical evidential, legal, or jurisdictional angles.
Rhiannon is a highly skilled junior and has been led in cases at both the Court of Appeal and Crown Court – including murder, conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to steal and handle, conspiracy to reverse people traffic, conspiracy to import (drugs and firearms) and wholesale theft to order of military weapons.
She conducts her practice with enthusiasm, professionalism and skill – irrespective of case, client or location.
Notable Cases
D v Rex, 2024
[2024] EWCA Crim 409, Court of Appeal, Criminal Division
Counsel for Appellant; Appeal allowed.
Appeal sentence (inappropriate terms of SHPO).
R v Regina, 2013
[2013] EWCA Crim 2406, Court of Appeal, Criminal Division
Counsel for Respondent; Appeal refused.
Appeal against conviction (identification evidence).
S v Regina, 2011
[2011] EWCA Crim 1098, Court of Appeal, Criminal Division
Counsel for Appellant; Appeal allowed
Appeal conviction (misdirection adverse inferences).
R v B and others, 2018
Led Junior for defence.
The defendant was the second of three defendants (one of whom was a serving UK Border Agency Officer) who faced an indictment alleging importation of cocaine, heroin and prohibited firearms. The defendants were part of a much larger network of criminals who conspired to bring in vast quantities of narcotics and dangerous weaponry in from Europe and the case arose from a joint surveillance operation undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service, The National Crime Agency and the French Police.
Isleworth Crown Court
R v L, 2017
Defence counsel for first defendant
D1 in four-handed trial for cigarette smuggling, involving a client who instructed counsel in his absence from abroad for medical reasons. Acquitted of conspiracy to import cigarettes.
Blackfriars Crown Court
DrugsR v V and J, 2024
Leading Junior for the Crown
Southwark Crown Court
R v A, J, K and K, 2024
Leading Junior for the Crown
Southwark Crown Court
R v B, R and F, 2023
Leading Junior for the Crown
Basildon Crown Court
Betting frauds (£290k) were committed by opening multiple online accounts in other people’s names in order to bet without the limitations involved had they only been using one account in their own name, and thereby harvesting bonus offering to which they would never otherwise have been entitled. B created, ran and purported to be people he was not. He sourced individuals personal details to create betting accounts and impersonated them in emails, calls and correspondence. He also made the County Court claim pretending to be someone else.
B used his partner at the time to speak to Bet365 pretending to be other people as well as transferring money through Paysafe and bank accounts.
F’s role included recruiting, operating a relevant email address at points and receiving/paying money in to and from Paysafe and bank accounts.
R v H, G and N, 2023
Leading Junior for the Crown
H impersonated at least 307 people by opening and running betting accounts (£327k) in third party names. He also recruited others to fulfil a variety of roles; from sourcing clients to sell their personal details, to getting them to impersonate other people. The money which he made then was laundered through Paysafe and onwards to his wife and friend.
In the midst of the offending he also conspired with the friend by being ‘put on the books’ at his friend’s company, though he did not work there and received fake pay slips to support his mortgage application (£650k).
Basildon Crown Court
RSPCA v B, S, S and B 2023
Defence counsel for third defendant in £500k puppy farm fraud.
R v A & others, 2019
Junior Counsel for the Crown.
St Albans Crown Court
The defendants laundered £250,000 from the fraudulent sale of a property. The monies were transferred from the conveyancing solicitors to companies as well as individuals, some of whom were duped whilst others recruited to make a profit. Three defendants were convicted, another had previously pleaded and turned QE.
R v M and others, 2018
Led junior for defence (VHCC)
6-handed conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation whereby the Directors of a company fraudulently obtained millions of pounds in funding from further education training colleges. Two of the defendants were ex professional footballers and utilised their contacts in this industry. The prosecution claimed that the value of the fraud totalled £5,090,876.50.
Southwark Crown Court
R v L and Others, 2016
Junior Counsel for the Crown
Five-handed trial for conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to handle cars and parts worth in excess of £500,000. Case involved extensive covert surveillance and expert evidence; Rhiannon was commended for preparation of extensive schedules for use in presenting the case to the jury.
Snaresbrook Crown Court
Financial CrimeR v L and Others, 2019
Led Junior for first defendant
The defendant who was a former police officer and a former army officer, with a keen interest in firearms. He was alleged to have stolen weapons, and parts of weapons - including SA80 rifles, sniper rifles and Lee Enfield rifles - belonging to the Army during his time at the Small Arms School Core Collection in Warminster. The value of the thefts was alleged to be in excess of £100,000. Acquitted on 7 counts, jury unable to reach verdicts on remaining 4 counts.
Winchester Crown Court
FirearmsR v S & Others, 2013
Defence counsel for first defendant
Sikh father accused of an honour-based kidnap and false imprisonment involving his daughter’s secret boyfriend. Acquitted.
Isleworth Crown Court
R v M and Others, 2009
Led junior for defence
12 week, 10-handed trial in relation to conspiracy to steal caravans. Acquitted.
Winchester Crown Court
CrimeR v T and others, 2016-2017
Led Junior for defence
40-day, seven-handed trial for conspiracy to facilitate the unlawful immigration of non-EU citizens from the UK to France (reverse people trafficking) – arising from an undercover operation by journalists working for the Sun.
Isleworth Crown Court
R v B and M (Youths), 2023
Junior Counsel for Crown
The two defendants (14 and 15) were charged with the murder of Rohan (Fred) Shand. Mid-afternoon on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 a 16 year old school boy was stabbed with a rambo knife in a revenge attack in the middle of Northampton witnessed by his young friend, girlfriend and many members of the public. 14 year old convicted.
Northampton Crown Court
R v J, 2023
Junior Counsel for Crown
16 year old mother administered a lethal dose of adult paracetamol to her 5 week old son. Upon examination at post mortem, he was discovered to have two fractures to his leg and foot most likely CML fractures indicative of non accidental injury.
Luton Crown Court
R v D, B, A and A, 2022 - 2023
Junior Counsel for Crown
7 week Murder and Conspiracy to rob trial. The female defendant, D, made contact with the victim via Instagram, after he posted pictures of himself wearing 2 Rolex watches. Arrangements were made for D and another female defendant, A, to meet with the victim at his home address. This was a honey trap.
The 4 defendants travelled to Luton in order to steal items believed to be of high value. They were mob handed and armed. They were aware that the victim would be present and could not have expected him to give up his watches without resistance. They agreed to the use of threats or force in order to steal. They also agreed to the use of a sedative substance, in this case GHB. In the course of that enterprise the victim was stabbed and died. A (male) convicted of murder, remaining 3 defendants manslaughter.
Luton Crown Court
R v L and M, 2022
Junior Counsel for the Crown
The two defendants forced entry into the victim’s property carrying a Rambo knife, in the early hours of the morning. They stabbed the victim in the region of 27 times. Both defendants convicted.
Chelmsford Crown Court
R v CM and M, 2021
Junior Counsel for the Crown
The victim, a 42 year old alcoholic, staggered into a friend’s garden one afternoon. He collapsed within moments and was rendered unconscious. He was found to have a stab wound to the back and head injuries, from which he died 9 days later. The victim’s property had been the subject of cuckooing. Both defendants accepted presence at the victim’s property earlier that afternoon and one admitted stabbing the victim in the back, albeit in self defence. Defendants pleaded guilty on 2nd day of trial to manslaughter and assisting an offender.
Kingston Crown Court
R v D and Others, 2019
Led Junior for Defence
The prosecution alleged that this Defendant (alleged stabber), along with 8 co-defendants, was responsible for the murder of one victim and the wounding with intent of another during a large-scale and overwhelming attack involving knives, a large axe and hammers on 11th December 2018. The Crown stated “Even by modern standards, the scale of the violence is terrifying and out of all proportion to the root cause of the trouble, namely that GH had broken up her relationship with DG”. Acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter.
Central Criminal Court
Murder and Manslaughter
Achievements
- CBA
- South Eastern circuit
- Sussex Bar Mess
- North London Bar Mess
- CPS Panel (Grade 4)
- Association of Military Court Advocates – committee member
- BVC, The College of Law, London, 2003–04
- LLB (Hons) in Law, Kingston University 2000–03
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Pupil supervisor