Letitia is a solicitor, and former barrister, who has over 20 years of experience in criminal law.  Letitia joined the firm in 2022 having started her legal career in the North of England in 2002. She was called to the Bar in 2006 and then completed the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test to become a solicitor in 2011. She is a qualified Duty Solicitor and Higher Rights Advocate able to represent clients at all stages of the criminal proceedings, from police station through to the Youth, Magistrates’ and Crown Courts and Court of Appeal and is a keen and impressive trial advocate, attracting on occasion, personal commendations to the firm from the Crown Court Judge presiding in respect of her advocacy skills and legal arguments.

Letitia brings a wealth of additional legal experience with her having previously worked in a central London criminal defence firm. She also worked in civil, social welfare and public law areas.  She spent 5 months in North Carolina (USA), working for the Capital Defenders Office, where she worked on the defence of a double homicide death penalty trial at first instance. She also worked in Kuala Lumpur with a Non-Governmental Organisation combatting modern day slavery and human trafficking as part of her Masters course.

Letitia knows that each case is important in the life of her client. She is dedicated to her clients and securing for them the best possible result, conducting each case with an extremely thorough level of preparation.

Letitia is a member of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association. She is also a founding member of Women in Criminal Law and is part of the Race Equality Sub-Committee.

Letitia has been involved in providing legal themed workshops to young people in schools and pupil referral units. She is also keen to mentor young people wishing to enter into the legal field and offers work experience to those especially from backgrounds facing barriers to entry into the legal field.

Her recent notable cases include:

• 2023 R v Y Highbury Corner Youth Court
Case involving vulnerable youth client involved in dishonesty offences. Client deemed to be a trafficked child. Sucessfully made  representations to the CPS and case was  discontinued in relation to all charges.

• 2022 R v C Southwark Crown Court
Successful defence of a client accused of human trafficking and money laundering. Client was one of 7 defendants facing charges of modern slavery and money laundering. Successful submission of no case to answer after a 3 month trial. Client was acquitted of all charges.

• 2022 R v M Kingston Crown Court
Client charged with murder and drug supply charges. Crown accept plea to assisting an offender and drug offences. Murder charge withdrawn.

• 2022 R v N Croydon Magistrates Court
As advocate. Successful defence of client charged with public order offences. Defence raised an abuse of process argument as police had failed to obtain and preserve important relevant evidence (video evidence). The Judge ruled that the police had failed in their statutory duties to secure and preserve the evidence, but allowed the trial. At trial the Crown were ultimately forced to offer no evidence. Client was acquitted of the charges.

• 2021 R v R Kingston Crown Court
Client was charged with affray which involved threats to stab police officers. Client was suffering from severe mental health issues at the time of the offence. Representations made to the crown regarding it not being in the public interest to pursue the prosecution. These representations were eventually accepted by the Crown who offered no evidence. Client was acquitted of the charge.

• 2020 R v N Kingston Crown Court
As advocate, successful defence of client accused of conveying drugs and prohibited articles into prison. Use of s.45 Modern Slavery Act defence. Conclusive grounds decision by the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) that the client was a victim of human trafficking. Following defence submissions, the Crown withdrew the evidence against client and not guilty verdict obtained.

• 2020 R v W Croydon Youth Court
As advocate, successful defence of young client accused of arson with reckless intent to endanger life and assaults on emergency workers. Involved significant damage and danger to life being caused. Following mitigation being advanced on behalf of the young client, the Judge was convinced to take an exceptional course to sentencing and impose a conditional discharge.

• 2020 R v K Bromley Magistrates Court
As advocate, successful mitigation advanced on behalf of client accused of possessing a knife in public place. After defence submissions the client was sentenced to a conditional discharge, the Magistrates were convinced to go outside the usual sentencing guidelines in favour of the client.

• 2019 R v D Westminster Crown Court
Successful bail application as advocate in case where client was charged possession of firearm with intent to endanger life. Client granted conditional bail pending trial.

• 2019 R v C Blackfriars Crown Court
As advocate, successful defence of client charged with 10 counts of possession of class A & B drugs with intent to supply. This case involved a significant quantity of drugs found inside client’s home address. Acquitted of all 10 counts by jury after Crown Court trial.

• 2019 R v P Aylesbury Crown Court
As advocate, successful defence of client accused of blackmail. The case involved alleged threats to kill and demands for money involving vulnerable witnesses. Client acquitted by jury after Crown Court trial.

• 2019 R v F Southwark Crown Court
As advocate, successful defence of client accused of possession of a bladed article used to threaten and cause injury. This case involved an alleged disturbance in street where client accused of stabbing victim several times. Client acquitted of possession of a knife by jury after Crown Court trial.

• 2019 R v O Maidstone Crown Court
As advocate, successful defence of client accused of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH). It was alleged that the client had unlawfully assaulted the victim causing brain injury. Defence of lawful self-defence raised in trial, which involved cross-examination of several prosecution witnesses exposing credibility issues. Client acquitted by jury after Crown Court trial.

• 2018 R v D Woolwich Crown Court
As advocate, successfully defended a domestic burglary allegation where the primary evidence was a positive identification of the suspect from CCTV by a serving police officer. Legal argument in relation to the admissibility of the evidence resulted in the exclusion of the police officer’s evidence, leading to the Crown offering no evidence and a not guilty verdict. The Judge commending Letitia’s advocacy skills and legal arguments.

• 2018  R v BH  Blackfriars Crown Court
As advocate, achieved an exceptional sentence in a money laundering case where the defendant was conditionally discharged following mitigation after trial, persuading the Judge to go outside the usual sentencing guidelines.

• 2017  R v J Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court
Represented a severely mentally ill defendant charged with aggravated stalking. Made successful representations to the CPS to offer no evidence based on the Public Interest Test.

• 2016 R v L Central Criminal Court
Defence of a youth accused of murder involving a stabbing with a so-called “Zombie Killer” knife. Client acquitted of murder, convicted of manslaughter.

• 2015 R v S Central Criminal Court
News International case – defence of a journalist prosecuted for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office involving payments to a soldier. Conviction quashed successfully on appeal to the Court of Appeal.

• 2015 R v S Central Criminal Court
News International case – defence of a journalist prosecuted for conspiracy to commitmisconduct in public office involving payments to a police officer. Initial trial resulted in a hung jury, following which the Crown Prosecution withdrew from a retrial and a Not Guilty verdict was directed.

• 2015  R v N  Woolwich Crown Court
Successful defence of client accused of murder and attempted murder (x2) in a gang related shooting. Represented client at police station interview under caution through to the conclusion of the Crown Court proceedings.

• 2015  R v F  Guildford Crown Court
Defence of a client accused of sexual assault. Not guilty following trial.