Sophie is an outstanding counsel. Her attention to detail is second-to-none, she has the most approachable manner when dealing with clients, and her advocacy style is fluid and sincere and she is able to put her case in a clear and concise manner, filling not only her clients with confidence, but also her instructing solicitor.”
Legal 500 2025 Rising star in Crime (Fraud and General)
Sophie is an established and well-regarded junior specialising in all areas of serious crime.
She is regularly instructed in complex cases, acting for both the prosecution and defence, in a wide variety of matters that are often undertaken by considerably more senior counsel. Her regular instructions include drug conspiracies, serious violence (including firearms offences) and sexual offences.
Sophie is registered with the Bar’s national charity Advocate and undertakes work on a ‘pro bono’ basis through their services.
Sophie enjoys a busy criminal practice and is regularly instructed to both prosecute and defend across the full spectrum of proceedings, including the most serious sexual and violent offences. She has built a solid reputation as an effective and assiduous junior and has been praised for her thorough preparation and ability to deal with sensitive issues with compassion and tact. Her pragmatic and perceptive approach enables her to quickly build a rapport with clients, even when delivering difficult advice.
Sophie has developed a wide and varied practice in actions on behalf of the police, local authorities and other organisations, including firearms licensing, serious crime prevention orders, sexual risk orders, and anti-social behaviour injunctions, amongst others. She is also regularly instructed in matters concerning dangerous dogs and associated applications. She is adept at dealing with litigants in person and her sensible and down-to-earth approach is particularly effective when dealing with sensitive matters.
Sophie is also developing her regulatory and inquest practice. She has assisted with both the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and the Covid-19 Inquiry, whilst a member of the Attorney General’s Junior Junior Scheme and has undertaken several inquests acting for bereaved families or interested parties.
Of note, she represented an Interested Person in a series of inquests invoking Article 2, heard concurrently over a 9-week period concerning the deaths of six elderly care home residents, with live issues including neglect, the Protection of Vulnerable Adults and inter-agency working. She was commended by the Coroner for her diligent preparation and effective advocacy, both oral and in writing. Her closing submissions were described as “integral” to the Coroner’s determination that findings of unlawful killing were not appropriate in the circumstances.
OPERATION WHEENGE (1) – Bolton Crown – Junior alone, prosecuting a multi-handed conspiracy to convert and supply firearms across the UK (ongoing)
R v AW and DC – Manchester Minshull Street – represented defendant charged with possession of a firearm, where wider case concerned an escape from lawful custody and other firearms offences (acceptable pleas entered)
OPERATION WHEENGE (2) – Bolton Crown – Junior alone, prosecuting a multi-handed conspiracy to produce Class A drugs (methamphetamine) (ongoing)
OPERATION VEMTOR – Cardiff Crown – Led Junior, defending in a “County Lines” conspiracy to supply Class A drugs between South Wales and Greater Manchester (acceptable pleas entered)
R v WB – Bolton Crown – Junior alone, prosecuted defendant for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs over 2-year period (5kg+ cocaine and heroin) (convicted)
R v BH and Others – Manchester Minshull Street – representing defendant charged in multi-handed conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (ongoing)
R v KD – Bolton Crown – Junior alone, prosecuted defendant charged with conspiracy to supply and being concerned in supply of Class A drugs over 3-year period (10kg+ cocaine and heroin) (convicted)
OPERATION DELAWARE – Preston Crown – Led Junior, prosecuted “one-punch” manslaughter (convicted)
OPERATION ALBUM – Manchester Crown Square – represented defendant charged in multi-handed conspiracy to kidnap in order to steal cryptocurrency to a value in excess of >£600,000 – plea to transferring criminal property was accepted by the prosecution, and defendant was sentenced to 28 months (whilst co-defendants received sentences ranging from 7 to 20 years)
R v TO, BW and EU – Manchester Crown Square – Junior alone, prosecuting youth attempted murder; ultimately pleas were accepted to s.18 GBH and possession of machetes from 2 defendants, 1 pleaded guilty to violent disorder (acceptable pleas entered)
R v ZD – Manchester Crown Square – representing defendant charged with two offences of organised knife point robbery with machetes, following false advertisement of goods for sale on Facebook Marketplace (ongoing)
R v CM and EL – Manchester Crown Square – represented mother charged with gross negligence manslaughter and child neglect, following death of child (plea to child neglect deemed acceptable)
OPERATION CAMERLEY – Manchester Crown Square – Led Junior, prosecuting organised child sexual exploitation, namely forced child prostitution including threats with firearm (convicted)
OPERATION TAPETON – Leeds Crown – Led Junior, defending allegations of non-recent child sexual exploitation in the West Yorkshire area
R v MW and KS – Bolton Crown – Led Junior, prosecuting 70+ count indictment alleging inter-familial sexual abuse (ongoing)
R v TCS – Manchester Crown Square – Junior alone, prosecuted allegations of rape and sexual assault by single defendant against two complainants, following night out in Bolton (convicted)
R v MH – Bolton Crown – represented youth defendant accused of ‘stranger rape’ of a female in a park (acquitted)
R v NR – Manchester Minshull Street – representing defendant accused of rape (ongoing)
R v MI – Bolton Crown – Junior alone, prosecuted defendant charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving (convicted)
R v JB – Manchester Minshull Street – Junior alone, prosecuted defendant charged with attempt section 18 (x2), namely “ramming” a couple into a wall with a vehicle (convicted)
R v GJ and Others – Manchester Crown Square – Junior alone, prosecuted defendants charged with a conspiracy to commit commercial burglary of industrial equipment worth in excess of £250,000 (convicted)
R v LH – Manchester Minshull Street – represented defendant charged with allegations of serious violence; psychiatric report identified a misdiagnosis of ADHD and diagnosed bipolar disorder, which had meant the defendant had been wrongly prescribed medication that had led to an episode of prescription drug-induced psychosis at the time of the offending (prosecution offered no evidence in light of psychiatric report)
OPERATION JASMINE – represented a senior employee of the relevant Health Board in a series of inquests concerning the deaths of elderly care home residents; live issues included neglect, the Protection of Vulnerable Adults and inter-agency working – involved written and oral submissions on the engagement of Article 2, ‘Neglect’ riders, the concept of aggregation and ‘unlawful killing’ – written submissions described by the Coroner as “integral… to [the] conclusion that it would not be safe to reach a conclusion of unlawful killing”
Level 3 – CPS Advocate Panel (General Crime)
RaSSO Panel
Inner Temple, Major Scholarship
Inner Temple, Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award
BPP Manchester, Regional Programme Leader’s Award
BPP Manchester, Advocacy Award
University of Law Manchester, GDL
Loughborough University, BSc
BPP Manchester, BPTC
Criminal Bar Association
Women in Law UK
Advocate
Northern Circuit
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