The areas of work in which we have particular expertise, experience and excellence
The areas of work in which we have particular expertise, experience and excellence
Barristers
Call 2017
"The client was a bag of nerves but you really settled him down. You have done a fantastic job and thank you for your excellent work".
Samantha Ball practises in all areas of criminal and extradition law in publicly and privately funded cases.
She is known to meticulously prepare her cases, including navigating complex legal and factual issues. She is regularly successful in making, and responding to, legal arguments. She is a capable and friendly trial advocate who is quickly able to gain the trust of her clients. She was recently awarded a Criminal Bar Association bursary for excellence in advocacy.
Samantha joined chambers in May 2021 after a successful pupillage. Prior to this, she worked as a paralegal for a number of leading criminal defence firms. She gained particular experience of financial and serious crime cases during this time. She also worked as a paralegal at the Infected Blood Inquiry and has a good understanding of public and inquiry law.
Samantha teaches advocacy and aids legal education through her work with projects involving school and university students. She also volunteers with charities to provide understanding of associated areas of criminal law, particularly on county lines drugs cases and modern slavery legislation.
Samantha regularly defends clients accused of violent offences in the Crown, Youth and Magistrates’ courts. She has defended in complex and grave cases in the Youth Court, especially in cases involving GBH s. 18, GBH s. 20, robbery and weapons offences.
R v CB (2021)
Secured acquittals at Harrow Crown Court on two counts: assault on an emergency worker and racially aggravated intentional harassment trial. The complainants were police officers.
R v HC (2021)
Secured an acquittal by making a successful submission of no case to answer in a harassment with intent case.
R v JE (2021)
Secured an acquittal in respect of an alleged assault by beating deriving from a ‘road rage’ incident in which a weapon was used. The issue was self-defence.
R v JO (2021)
Persuaded the Crown to offer no evidence to GBH s. 18 and affray charges in the Youth Court by submitting that they could not prove there was a joint enterprise.
R v GE (2020)
Successfully opposed the Crown’s bad character application and secured GE’s acquittal of a domestic common assault.
R v FS (2020)
Secured the acquittal of a youth accused of GBH s. 20 on a joint enterprise basis.
R v OK (2020)
Secured acquittals in respect of two common assaults. The alleged assaults were said to have been captured on CCTV.
Through previous paralegal experience specialising in financial crime, Samantha understands the complexities such cases can involve. She is currently instructed in a case in which her client is accused of defrauding, burgling, and sending malicious communications to a family member. Samantha also has experience in cases involving commercial fraud e.g. she acted in a case involving an employee of a betting shop who processed fraudulent bets.
R v HG (2021)
HG was accused of two counts of fraud by abuse of position after allegedly processing fraudulent refunds in the shop where they worked as a sales assistant. The Crown offered no evidence on the second trial date, despite the prosecution witnesses attending court. Legal argument was made that the Defendant’s confession had been obtained by oppression and therefore should be excluded.
R v MG (2020)
Secured a 12-month conditional discharge for a youth convicted of three frauds, dangerous driving, failure to provide a specimen, and driving without a license or insurance.
Samantha has defended in confiscation and proceeds of crime cases in the Crown Court, primarily in drugs cases. She takes particular care to ensure that clients understand the procedure, and her negotiation skills have resulted in orders being agreed on the day without a final contested hearing being necessary.
Samantha also has experience in cash seizure and asset recovery, having been engaged in proceedings under s. 295 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Before commencing her career at the Bar, she was a paralegal specialising in confiscation. She therefore understands the process at all stages, including the benefit of providing early advice.
Samantha regularly defends in drugs cases, including supply, production and possession for personal use. She is also often instructed in burglary and robbery cases. She also represents individuals being prosecuted by the Environment Agency.
R v AG (2021)
Successful legal argument to exclude a large portion of the prosecution evidence, including messages said to show drug supply arrangements on AG’s phone and a co-defendant’s phone download.
R v MW (2021)
Secured an acquittal in an Environment Agency fly-tipping case, despite hundreds of photographs of MW at the site.
R v DL (2021)
Successfully opposed the Crown’s application to admit DL’s 13 previous convictions for the same kind of drugs offence.
R v AG (2021)
Represented AG in a Newton Hearing in respect of a robbery. The Crown accepted his basis of plea during the hearing after errors in their case were drawn out.
R v CH (2020)
Secured a youth’s acquittal when he was accused of taking a moped without the owner’s consent.
Samantha acts in an array of road traffic and motoring offences, instructed by both individuals and companies. She has acted in cases including dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention, failing to provide a specimen, and drink and drug driving. She has experience in raising technical defences. She ably cross-examines expert witnesses and advises on when defence expert reports should be obtained.
R v CW (2021)
Secured an acquittal in a dangerous driving case in which CW disputed that he was the driver. His DNA had been found on the airbag.
R v RH (2020)
Secured acquittals in respect of charges of dangerous driving, failing to stop for a police officer, failing to stop at a red light and failing to comply with a traffic sign.
R v MG (2020)
Secured a 12-month conditional discharge for a youth convicted of dangerous driving, failure to provide a specimen, driving without a license or insurance, and three fraud charges.
Samantha has acted in an array of extradition cases involving numerous issues and countries. These include Poland, Romania, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria and Belgium.
Notably, she has successfully argued Article 8 submissions resulting in proceedings being discharged after the final hearing.
Samantha Ball, instructed by Hazel Hannan of Pickwick Solicitors, represented a client at Wood Green Crown Court. Before the end of the prosecution case, Samantha made a successful early submission of no case to answer…
In a trial at Manchester Crown Court lasting eight weeks, Andrew Horsell and Samantha Ball, instructed by Ben Kaufman at Abbey Solicitors, represented a Manchester rap artist who was acquitted of a conspiracy to possess…
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
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