Christine is exclusively a criminal practitioner, with a caseload comprising a mix of prosecution and defence work.

Christine specialises in murders, internet-based crime, large scale drugs cases with related asset recovery, and serious sexual abuse. She has a particular interest in cases with a mental health aspect and is frequently instructed in multi-agency cases, and has prosecuted a number of cases with Security Service involvment. She has a reputation for hard work, outstanding client-handling skills and alot of good Scottish common sense!

Christine is an expert in covert and intrusive police methods as governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), and has frequently acted as a guest Lecturer and Trainer on RIPA Application Authorising Officers Courses (Superintendent level and above) at the National Specialist Law Enforcement Centre, Wyboston.

She sits as a Recorder and is authorised to try serious sexual offences and acts as Counsel on Bar Standards Board tribunals.

Christine has contributed to Channel 4 News (Home Affairs) on the issues of mercy killing and assisted suicide.

In her free time Christine practises her cooking skills on a local charity for the homeless; in case that is just adding to their plight, she is also on the fundraising committee for the same project, which means press-ganging all her friends into quiz nights, salsa evenings and the odd spot of Scottish country dancing! It is mere coincidence that she is currently learning how to play the accordion.

Recent Notable Cases:

R v Malesza & Ors - Hove Crown Court -   Prosecution of 4 men charged with the murder of a homeless man. The trial occupied the court for 6 weeks.

http://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2011/10/three-jailed-for-life-for-brighton-murder/

R v Donnison - Lewes Crown Court - Prosecution of the Sussex mother who killed her two young children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14459954

R v Gall - Lewes Crown Court - Prosecution of serial attacker for 15 offences of violence spanning a 3 year period.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4533409.Car_salesman_jailed_for_Hastings_stalker_attacks/

R v Genestin - Lewes Crown Court - Prosecution of "body in the roof box" murderer. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7400914.stm

R v Langford - Central Criminal Court - Prosecution of father for attempted murder of 2 sons by setting fire to them in his car.

R v Budgen & Ors - Lewes Crown Court - Prosecution of 5 youths for murder by kicking a homeless man to death.

R v Campbell - Chichester Crown Court - Successful prosecution of the "Bobcat" rapist for 21 offences spanning an 11 year period. Substantial disclosure issues regarding some 40,000 items of unused material, and police failures at an earlier stage in the investigation. Case heavily dependant on proving similar facts between offences.

R v Haddock, Jones and Ors - Lewes Crown Court - Prosecution of major internet-based paedophile ring, arising out of an investigation undertaken by 5 police areas; resulting in 23 life sentences.

R v Jones and 4 ors - Hove Crown Court - Defence of the ring leader in gang of 5 who murdered a father in the street.

R v RN - Lewes Crown Court - Defence in attempted murder in circumstances of "mercy killing", reduced to aiding and abetting a suicide.

R v Cook - Lewes Crown Court - Prosecution of murder case reduced to manslaughter in circumstances of "mercy killing"

R v Khatimi & 7 Ors - Central Criminal Court - Successful defence of one of 4 defendants charged wit terrorist offences, and together with a further 4 defendants, fraud offences in excess of £1 million.

Reported Cases:

R v Jones [2007] EWCA Crim 1118 - Upholding successful prosecution relating to statutory interpretation of s.9 Sexual Offences Act 2003, and ambit of police entrapment.

R v Hoare & Pierce [2004] EWCA Crim 784 - Upholding successful prosecution of large scale Class A drugs "factory" - decision led to change in JSB standard direction on s.34 adverse inferences from a "no comment" interview.

R v Luttrell & Ors [2004] EWCA crim 1344 - establishing the admissibility of lip reading evidence.