About

Abbe is regularly instructed in both defence and prosecution work; as leading and junior counsel. This work includes cases of armed robbery, arson, serious violence, large scale drug trafficking, serious and complex fraud, as well as a whole range of sex offences.

As a grade 3 prosecutor, she has conducted several multi-handed trials, and has appeared as junior counsel in several high-profile cases.

Abbe is used to dealing with factually complex cases, that often involve the use of expert evidence. When defending, she has successfully challenged and won cases in which the prosecution heavily relied on expert evidence.

Advising on applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission are one of Abbe’s specialties. She has dealt with a large volume of Appeals against both conviction and sentence. These have involved cases of murder, armed robbery, GBH and large-scale drug importations.

Throughout her practice, Abbe has represented many private clients - securing acquittals in prosecutions for serious sexual, violent, and road traffic offences. Similarly, where Defendants have opted not to contest the charges, she has represented private clients at sentencing hearings for large scale drugs importations, sex offences and offences of dishonesty – securing very favorable sentences on their behalf.

Experience

Examples of work recently undertaken include:

Representing a defendant in a multi-million pound, 8-handed, conspiracy to burgle. The case involved a sophisticated, Romanian network, that specialised in stealing high-value rare books of international and cultural significance.

Representing a defendant charged with a series of firearm offences, GBH and aggravated burglaries. The most serious allegation of aggravated burglary with a firearm was successfully dismissed on application.

Prosecuting a s.18 GBH, in a case where the defence had instructed Queens Counsel, and securing a conviction.

Securing an acquittal in a multi-kilo drugs conspiracy, in which her client had the drugs in his possession and his DNA was recovered from the drugs’ wrappings.

Examples of the type of sex offences work recently undertaken are:

Successfully defending a 14 year old boy accused of raping a 7 year old.

Allegations of sexual assault/attempted rape by a father on his daughter.

High profile sexual assault of an MP’s assistant by a male randomly attacking her in the street.

Sensitive sexual assault case, involving an autistic complainant.

Representing a grandfather facing multiple accounts of serious sexual assaults on his granddaughter from the age of 4 to 16. The case was widely reported in daily newspapers.

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Notable Cases

R v D – Sole junior representing a defendant charged with a number of cash-in-transit robberies; subsequently appeared in the Court of Appeal on this case, which became a guideline sentencing case.

R v A – Led junior in a human trafficking case.

R v W – Successfully defended an armed robbery in which the allegation involved threats with weapons including meat cleavers.

R v H – Successfully defended an employer facing allegations of sexual assault.

R v R – Led junior in a multi-rape/multi-complainant case.

R v T– Prosecuted a multi-handed fraud conspiracy.

R v R – Led Junior on a case of GBH on an infant. This was a re-trial after the Court of Appeal overturned the original conviction.

R v E – Led Junior in a conspiracy to burgle, involving a sophisticated multimillion pound network.

R v C – Representing a defendant facing an allegation of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

R v C - Represented a defendant facing an allegation of GBH within a prison environment, the allegation concerned a cut across the face with an adapted blade.

R v U – Represented a defendant facing a conspiracy in a multi kilo drugs conspiracy operating drugs lines in and out of London.

R v – Privately represented a defendant facing a large-scale drugs’ importation.

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