Mountford Chambers delivers a nationwide and international service to clients, who are assured quality advice, advocacy and representation at all levels.
Mountford Chambers delivers a nationwide and international service to clients, who are assured quality advice, advocacy and representation at all levels.
Vanessa is instructed in all areas of criminal law. She has experience in complex and sensitive cases, including cases of serious violence, sexual offences, drug trafficking, weapons, and financial crime. Vanessa has specialised training in working with children and other vulnerable witnesses and defendants.
R v J [2023] Woolwich Crown Court
Secured double acquittal for client charged with assault and ABH in a case involving a dispute over an American Bully XL dog.
R v S [2022] Croydon Crown Court
Secured an unusually low sentence of 4 years’ custody for a client convicted of possessing 12kg of cocaine with intent to supply. The cocaine was determined to be import-grade purity (90-93%) with an estimated street value of £400,000.
R v H [2022] Isleworth Crown Court
Secured acquittal on the more serious charge for client charged with multiple knife-related offences.
R v M [2022] Isleworth Crown Court
Secured a rare suspended sentence for a client convicted of perverting the course of justice.
R v N [2021] Bromley Youth Court
Secured acquittals on all nine offences for 17-year-old client charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin and possession of multiple knives by successfully advancing a defence under s.45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
R v S [2021] Westminster Magistrates Court
Secured acquittal and successfully opposed Crown’s application for restraining order upon acquittal in document-heavy online malicious communications case.
R v W [2021] Reading Magistrates Court
Secured acquittal for client charged with stalking an ex-partner in the midst of contentious family law proceedings.
R v B [2020] Uxbridge Youth Court
Secured acquittal for 17-year-old defendant charged with dwelling burglary of goods worth £10,000 who had been independently identified by two different officers based on CCTV footage of the incident. Cross-examined both officers regarding lack of compliance with PACE Code D and made submissions addressing the weakness of the identification evidence.
R v D [2020] Staines Magistrates Court
Represented vulnerable client charged with serious assault in which expert evidence of the defendant’s acute psychosis at the time of the incident was relied upon at trial.
R v C [2020] Uxbridge Magistrates Court
Conducted successful Newton hearing in assault on emergency worker case in which the complainant-officer suffered a gash across the forehead requiring stitches. After cross-examination of three police officers, persuaded the Court that the complainant-officer had been the aggressor in the encounter and secured a penalty of a simple fine for the defendant.
R v J [2020] Stratford Youth Court
Conducted successful Newton hearing for 17-year-old defendant charged with four group robberies involving the brandishing of a knife and violence resulting in injury.
Vanessa has extensive experience in a wide range of professional regulatory cases, including serious cases involving sexual misconduct, fraud, theft of controlled drugs, and patient death.
TRA v J [2023]
Represented the TRA in a final hearing of a Teacher found to have engaged in sexually motivated conduct with a Year 9 pupil.
HCPC v T [2022]
Represented the HCPC in a complex multi-week final hearing of a paramedic accused of sexually motivated provision of a clinical drug to a child, sexually motivated inappropriate touching of a child, and sexually motivated communications with multiple children. All factual allegations were found proven and the registrant was struck off.
NMC v J [2022]
Represented the NMC in a case in which a registered nurse managing a care home was accused of failing to report or address serious allegations of physical, mental, and sexual abuse of adult residential patients with learning disabilities.
HCPC v B [2021]
Represented the HCPC in an 8-day final hearing of paramedic accused of misconduct and incompetence following the death of a prisoner-patient.
HCPC v P [2021]
Presented case at final hearing involving falsification of numerous patient records and fraudulent misappropriation of over £16,000.
HCPC v S [2021]
Represented HCPC at final professional disciplinary hearing of radiographer accused of sexually harassing and inappropriately accessing patient records of dozens of female patients.
HCPC v D [2021]
Presented case at final hearing for paramedic accused of fraudulently misappropriating and using morphine while on duty over an extensive period of time, including while driving an ambulance and while in charge of patients.
Vanessa has been a member of the California bar since 2010. She practiced for three years as a litigator at Latham and Watkins in San Francisco where she represented individual and corporate clients subject to regulatory scrutiny and criminal investigations. Prior to joining Mountford Chambers, Vanessa worked for the White Collar Crime Centre at Bright Line Law and the White Collar Defence and Investigations team at Wilmer Hale in London. Vanessa has represented clients in antitrust, fraud, bribery, and conspiracy actions in both the U.S. and across international jurisdictions including Singapore, Australia, Nigeria, and South Korea.
Vanessa has a specialism in Public Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has advised in public law proceedings such as judicial reviews and prisoners’ rights claims.
