Anisha Kiri

Anisha is a charming advocate who relentlessly fights for her clients. She has a busy practice and is routinely instructed to defend in complex cases across a range of increasingly serious charges.

Anisha has represented clients across the full spectrum of allegations including violence and sexual assault, as well as drug and acquisitive offences.

She is a sought-after junior advocate due to her energetic and efficient approach in grasping cases and has been led in a number of high-profile cases. Recently, Anisha was led in an Attempted Murder at the Old Bailey. This case involved technical legal argument surrounding the admissibility of out-of-court statements made by co-defendants against other co-defendants. Successful legal arguments led to the learned judge acceding to a submission of “no case to answer”. Anisha has built expertise in handling technical evidence such as scheduling vast amounts of call and messaging data and reviewing hours of CCTV.

Anisha is part of the recruitment committee for chambers and a member of the Kalisher Trust’s Early Career Group, championing diversity at the Bar.

Expertise

Notable Crime cases

R v J [2024] Central Criminal Court

Led by Ben Hargreaves to represent alleged shooter in Attempted murder trial. The case concerned a group of defendants who conspired to steal drugs from an estate. However, this did not go to plan when the group were chased out of the block by the complainant who was armed with a knife. The crown’s case was that Ben and Anisha’s client reacted by shooting the complainant. The crown sought to rely on the police interview of a co-defendant claiming their client to be the shooter as well as prison calls recorded between another co-defendant and their friend whilst remanded. Following legal argument objecting to the admissibility of this evidence against their client, the judge found in their favour. This subsequently led to a successful submission of no case to answer.

R v C [2023 - 2024] St Albans Crown Court

Currently led by Houzla Rawat in case involving allegations of exploitation under Modern Slavery Act 2015.

R v N [2023] Brighton Crown Court

Secured acquittal for client in a multi-handed aggravated burglary. The prosecution’s case was that Anisha’s client had been observed by covert intelligence officers to be part of a trio involved in stealing a bike from a garage. Covert officers alerted uniformed police who immediately attended and caught the three suspects who fled in different directions. Anisha advanced that her client had been walking home from the dentist and innocently substituted the third perpetrator who had successfully managed to flee.

R v O [2023] Southampton Crown Court

Successfully secured suspended sentence for client charged with possessing vast amount of money obtained by email interception fraud. Anisha persuaded the sentencing Judge not to impose immediate custody by highlighting her client’s previous good character, the age of the offence, and the steps taken in the interim to address the root of his offending.

R v A [2023] Cardiff Crown Court

Led by senior counsel to represent the first Defendant on the indictment in a large scale EncroChat drugs conspiracy.

R v K [2022 – 2023] Snaresbrook Crown Court

Led by Charles Bott KC to represent the first Defendant on the indictment in a multi-handed human trafficking case.

R v M [2022] Isleworth Crown Court

Secured an acquittal for a client who had been charged with possession of a bladed article. The client, a Millwall supporter, was stopped by security at Heathrow Airport for having a hunting knife in his hand luggage. The prosecution case was that the client planned to travel to Germany for the England vs Germany football match and intentionally took the knife to cause disorder. Despite the client’s three previous convictions for weapons being adduced in evidence, Anisha successfully advanced that the client had no prior knowledge of the knife in his bag.

R v P [2022] Portsmouth Crown Court

Anisha secured an acquittal for a client facing the mandatory minimum in a third strike dwelling burglary. The prosecution advanced the case on the doctrine of recent possession as her client was found to be in possession of the stolen goods just over an hour of the items being burgled. Anisha put forward that her client had not been involved in the burglary and rather, had been given the stolen goods by a third party.

R v S [2022] Inner London Crown Court

Represented client charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs in a Newton Hearing. Anisha advanced the case that her client was in possession of cocaine as a result of pooling his money together with his friends in order to buy in bulk. The learned judge found in favour of Anisha’s client and sentenced him on the basis that he fell into category 4, lesser role on the sentencing guidelines.

R v K [2022] Staines Youth Court

Successfully secured acquittal on all counts for her 17-year-old client facing charges of assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault. The offences were alleged to have taken place on school premises. The client was accused of assaulting the complainant—a fellow pupil at the school—in the corridor before forcibly escalating matters into a cubicle within the girls’ changing rooms.

R v R [2021] Snaresbrook Crown Court

Client successfully acquitted of robbery. Anisha’s client was alleged to have been intoxicated and unruly in a taxi to the point where the taxi driver refused to complete the journey. As a result, the client was alleged to have assaulted the taxi driver and stolen his money. Anisha advanced the defence that the taxi driver was fabricating the robbery.

R v R [2021] Woolwich Crown Court

Successfully represented a young woman charged with multiple substantial money laundering offences arising out of an EncroChat investigation.

R v Y [2021] Norwich Crown Court

Secured a 6 month suspended sentence for a client facing charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

R v B [2021] Inner London Crown Court

Secured acquittal for client charged with s.20 GBH, joint enterprise. The client was working as security at a night club where he was caught on CCTV, allegedly participating in a brutal attack against a customer who incurred life changing injuries as a result. Anisha advanced self-defence and a denial of any involvement in the joint-enterprise whether as a principal or accessory.

R v B [2021] Aylesbury Crown Court

Secured acquittal for client charged with assault against an emergency worker by successfully advancing the defence that the client lacked the requisite mens rea, acting on reflex to regain his balance after the complainant officer pushed him.

R v M [2021] Isleworth Crown Court

Prosecuted a sex worker from Brazil who had smuggled 1.2 kilograms of cocaine into Heathrow Airport. Evening Standard and Daily Mail (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9202925/Man-31-caught-Heathrow-2-6lb-cocaine-stomach.html)

R v P [2021] Reading Magistrates Court

Secured a suspended sentence for client charged with stalking involving serious harm and harassment. The client’s offending was said to be prolonged and sustained over a period of time, including following the victim and her child from school to extracurricular activities. The client also had a number of convictions for breaching a non-molestation orders that related to two previous relationships.