Clerking team

Mark Robinson

Senior Clerk Chester

Greg Brooker

Lead Criminal Clerk

Avril Vaughan

Criminal Clerk

Rhian Jennings

Junior Criminal Clerk

Debra is an established and experienced Criminal Defence Practitioner. She specialises in serious crime and has a strong reputation for being a determined and tenacious advocate.

With extensive experience of representing vulnerable defendants, Debra is sensitive to lay clients’ difficulties and works hard to protect their interests. She has successfully defended people with mental health problems, people with learning difficulties and children.

She accepts Legally Aided and Privately Funded cases in the Crown Court and has a developing practice in Courts Martial.

Debra does not shy away from challenging judicial rulings. She has recently appeared in the Court of Appeal in two important and significant cases

Crown Court & appeals

Court of Appeal Cases

R v Fanning [2016] 2 Cr. App. R. 19 

The leading case dealing with ‘Inconsistent Verdicts’.

R v M [2016] 4 W.L.R. 146

An important case dealing with the principle of Doli Incapax.

[Both reported cases in Archbold 2017]

Attempted Murder

R v W & OTHERS: Birmingham Crown Court (2016)

W was charged (together with an other) with Attempted Murder of an inmate at HMP Birmingham (Winson Green). W was acquitted following a five-week trial. His co-defendant was convicted. W was retried for Causing Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent. W was acquitted after trial.

Conspiracy To Murder

R v M & others: Stafford Crown Court (2017)

A case involving a young defendant charged with an allegation of torture and permanent maiming of a male and thereafter a conspiracy to murder him. M (& others) pleaded guilty to a lesser charge which substantially reduced the length of his sentence. [Led by Tim Moloney QC. (Deputy Head of Doughty Street Chambers)]

Other Serious Violence

R v H – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2015): Wounding with Intent

An elderly male originally arrested for attempting to murder his wife and then charged with Wounding with Intent. Acquitted after trial.

R v R (& others) –Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Causing Grievous Bodily harm with intent

A female charged (together with others) of inflicting injury on a male thought to have sexually assaulted a child of one of the accused. The charge was reduced to a much less serious one and a non-custodial sentence was imposed.

R v S – Stafford Crown Court (2015): Threats to Kill/Possession of a Firearm

A male charged with threatening to kill his partner and possession of a firearm – Acquitted after trial.

R v L – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): False Imprisonment/Assault

A male charged with falsely imprisoning and subjecting his partner to a series of assaults. Acquitted.

R v W – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Armed Robbery of a shop with a firearm.

R v O – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Armed Robbery of a take-away with a knife.

R v F – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2017): Knife Point Robbery of a taxi driver.

R v T – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Violent Disorder

R v W – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Violent Disorder

Rape

Crown Court

R v L – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): A violent stranger rape involving complex forensic evidence. Guilty plea.

R v E – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Rape (young defendant) – An 18-year-old male accused of raping a 13-year-old girl at a family party. Acquitted after trial.

R v D – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Rape (young defendant) – An 18-year-old male accused of raping a 17-year-old girl on the street after they had both consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. The case was discontinued.

R v O – Stafford Crown Court (2016): Rape – A male charged with raping a female following a night out. Acquitted after trial.

R v A – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): A male charged with Rape, reduced to Sexual Activity with a Child. Secured a Suspended Sentence of Imprisonment through careful use of the law and sentencing guidelines.

R v H (& others) – Mold Crown Court (2015): Operation Pallial – Rape (multi-handed complex case) – A case investigated by the National Crime Agency (and prosecuted by leading and junior counsel) involving serious sexual offences said to be part of an alleged paedophile ring in North Wales in the 1980s. This was a three-month trial involving seven defendants.

R v K – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2015): Rape (very young defendant and complainant) -A 12-year-old boy charged with raping a four-year-old girl. The case involved a multitude of complex legal issues and the cross-examination of an extremely young complainant. 

Other Serious Sexual Assaults

R v P – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Assault by Penetration – A case involving a 16-year-old defendant charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at a party. The charge was reduced in seriousness and the defendant was given a Conditional Discharge.

R v C – Mold Crown Court (2016): Sexual Assault – A case involving a defendant with Asperger’s and Autism charged with Sexual Assault. The case was discontinued.

R v C – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Sexual Activity with a Child – A case involving a 19-year-old male charged with Sexual Activity with a 13-year-old girl. A guilty plea. Suspended sentence of imprisonment imposed.

R v S – Shrewsbury Crown Court (2016): Sexual Activity with a Child – A case involving an 18-year-old male charged with Sexual Activity with a 13-year-old girl. A guilty plea. Suspended sentence of imprisonment imposed.

Other Serious Offences

Conspiracy to Money Launder

R v B (& others) – Birmingham Crown Court (2016): (complex multi-handed case) – A case investigated by the National Crime Agency involving (and prosecuted by Leading and Junior Counsel) concerning the supply of Class A drugs and money laundering from the proceeds.

Conspiracy to Defraud

R v F (& Others) – Manchester Crown Court (2015): (complex multi-handed case) – A ‘Crash for Cash’ case investigated by the National Crime Agency (and prosecuted by Leading and Junior counsel) concerning an intricate conspiracy to defraud insurance companies. The trial involved 14 defendants and lasted for three months.

Courts martial & service law

R v A – Catterick Garrison (2017): Historic Rape – An extremely complex case involving an allegation of rape within marriage over 38 years ago. The case involved law covering more than one jurisdictions and a number of intricate legal issues. Acquitted after trial.

Debra is currently involved in a Fraud case where the defendant is a Major based in barracks in the Worcester area.