Sarah qualified as a solicitor in September 2022 and joined JMW in October 2022 as a solicitor in the Business Crime and Regulatory team in the London office before moving to the Manchester office in December 2022.
Criminal
Sarah has experience of matters encompassing all aspects of criminal law together with the preparation of cases before the Magistrates’ Courts and the Crown Courts.
Sarah acts in a wide variety of cases involving allegations of serious criminal offending including serious violence, rape and other serious sexual offences, firearms and drugs offences.
Notable criminal cases
R v MT – The client faced allegations of sexual assault by touching and harassment. After representations made to the prosecution, the prosecution eventually accepted that there was no evidence in relation to the sexual assault and accepted the defendant’s not guilty plea to this charge, and his guilty plea to the lesser harassment charge. The client received a conditional discharge.
R v BM – The client faced allegations for possession of a firearm. The judge accepted that this was an exceptional case and used their discretion to depart from the 5-year mandatory minimum sentence. The client avoided an immediate custodial sentence.
Police misconduct
Sarah also has experience of police misconduct investigations and proceedings. Sarah has dealt with cases across the spectrum, including: confidentiality, computer misuse, honesty and integrity, sexual allegations, harassment and discrimination.
Notable police misconduct cases
Re LT – PC faced Gross Misconduct allegations of exchanging racist text messages with another officer, and sexually assaulting an officer by touching. Following the interview stage, the sexual assault allegation was dropped and the PC’s conduct was assessed as Misconduct rather than Gross Misconduct, resulting in the PC keeping her job.
Re DB – PC alleged to have breached the standards of Honesty and Integrity; Authority, Respect and Courtesy; and Discreditable Conduct. The allegations primarily related to a relationship the PC formed with a victim he met during the course of his duties, and with which he now had a family. Following a Gross Misconduct Hearing, the PC avoided dismissal and received a final written warning.
Re SM – Police Staff Member alleged to have misused police computer systems and sending an image of a police computer screen to a member of the public. The client was acquitted of all allegations.
Background
Prior to joining JMW, Sarah graduated from the University of Leeds with an undergraduate degree in English and European Law, completing a year abroad at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Sarah then went on to study a masters in Human Rights Law at the London School of Economics before working as an intern at UN Women in New York. Sarah then returned to the UK and worked as a paralegal for two years before completing her training contract at Kingsley Napley LLP in London where she spent time in both the criminal defence and regulatory teams.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys performing in Amateur Dramatics Musical Theatre productions in various theatres in Manchester and surrounding areas.