Andrea Parnham

Andrea Parnham, barrister
Year of call:

2013

Education:

2010 - Nottingham Trent University LLB First Class Honours

2013 - University of Warwick Post Grad Diploma in Police Leadership and Management

2013 - BPP Leeds, Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) Very Competent

Career:

2002-2006 - Police officer, Sussex Police

2006-2013 - Police officer, Lincolnshire Police (rank of inspector)

2013 - Pupillage at Sovereign Chambers, Leeds

2014 - Tenant at Sovereign Chambers

2015 - Sovereign Chambers becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

2014 - Trainer of Expert Witnesses for West Yorkshire Police

2019 - List C of the Panel of Specialist Regulatory Advocates

Grade 4 prosecutor

Awards:

Lord Denning Scholarship - Lincoln's Inn -

Hardwicke Scholarship - Lincoln's Inn -

Nottingham Trent University Vice Chancellors Award - Outstanding dedication, motivation and commitment

Andrea Parnham regularly appears in the crown court on behalf of the prosecution or the defence. She has been instructed in a wide variety of cases including assaults, drug cases, burglary, robbery, aggravated burglary, firearms, sexual and homicide offences.  She is known for her approachable style when dealing with witnesses and clients, and she takes care to ensure that they fully understand the proceedings of which they are to be a part. Andrea is adept at dealing with cases that involve both vulnerable and intimidated witnesses as well as vulnerable Defendants.

“Worked over and above anything she was instructed to do always being proactive, endlessly reassuring, efficient and cheerful” – CPS Lawyer

Andrea has been instructed as disclosure junior in large scale operations involving high numbers of both complainants and defendants. She has ably dealt with various complex issues that have arisen pre-trial and during proceedings.

Andrea has had great success arguing exceptional circumstances when representing clients facing statutory minimum sentences, successfully persuading Judges that any sentence could not only be blow the minimum term, but could also be properly suspended.

Andrea has represented several prosecuting authorities including the CPS, the Department of Rural, Health and Welfare, the Child Support Agency, the police, the Environment Agency, Fire Service and HMRC.

Andrea has been instructed for both the prosecution and the defence in several complex confiscation matters including issues such as third party interests, tainted gifts and hidden assets.

Andrea was called to the Bar after an 11-year career in the police service involving operational, investigative and executive roles. She was a detective and attained the rank of inspector. Her previous experience and thorough working knowledge of police policy and procedure has often proved invaluable and has helped shape her exceptional people skills and her forensic approach to detail in cases.

Andrea undertook a common-law pupillage under the supervision of Matthew SmithCraig Hassall and Sally Beaumont.

Notable Cases

  • R v Mvlia Kiongazi 2018 – Junior to Richard Wright QC – murder
  • R v Nawaz & Nawaz 2018 – prosecuted complex confiscation proceeds dealing with third party interests, tainted gifts and hidden assets
  • R v Littlewood 2018 – Disclosure junior to Caroline Wigin in sexual abuse in a children’s home case
  • R v Tapping 2018 – successfully argued exceptional circumstances avoiding the statutory minimum term.
  • R v S and others 2018 – Disclosure junior to Richard Wirght QC and Kate Batty in large scale grooming case
  • R v B 2017 – successfully Defendant uncle charged with sex offences against his niece.
  • R v Hardy 2017 – successfully argued exceptional circumstances avoiding the statutory minimum term.
  • R v F 2017 – Successfully defendant man charged with offences in relation to threats to kill children and firearms offences.
  • R v Hughes 2016– Andrea successfully argued that a sentence of imprisonment could be suspended in the case of a teacher who was systematically stealing and selling on books from the school where she worked
  • R v Robinson2015– Andrea successfully made a half time submission in relation to no case to answer for both perverting the course of justice and burglary offences.
  • R v Aujla2015– POCA case where Andrea successfully argued that her clients ‘benefit’ amount was just over £2,000 compared to the £715,000 asserted by the Crown.

Contact Andrea’s clerks

Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202

Gina Hawkins on 0113 213 5205

Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203

Hannah Dempsey on 0113 213 5211

Lucy Finney on 0113 213 5220

Andrea Parnham is has a C-List Specialist Regulatory Advocate. She has a wide-ranging regulatory practise and has prosecuted on behalf of a variety of regulatory bodies. This enables her to turn her hand effectively to many different regulatory regimes for the prosecution or the defence.

Andrea is adept at handling large scale cases and is able to pinpoint the real issues in the cases accurately and comprehensively.

In 2015 Andrea undertook a secondment to the Environment Agency working along prosecutors within the Agency, she gained invaluable experience and knowledge of the relevant law as well as advising on complex issues and appearing in the Magistrates Court.

In 2016 Andrea undertook a secondment with Humberside Police. During her secondment, she worked on a wide variety of police matters from Dangerous dogs to domestic violence protection orders to Police discipline. She advised the police on a wide variety of matters. Andrea developed a particular specialism in Sexual Harm Prevention Orders advising the force on applications for new orders as well as variations to existing orders. Andrea also represented the Chief Constable of Humberside Police in both the crown court and the magistrates court in relation to a variety of matters.

Andrea was called to the Bar after an 11-year career in the police service involving operational, investigative and executive roles. She was a detective and attained the rank of inspector. Her previous experience and thorough working knowledge of police policy and procedure has often proved invaluable. Her last posting was as the inspector in the Professional Standards Department dealing with all matters of police complaints and discipline. She has a credible working knowledge of police regulations, policies and procedures. Her experience has helped shape her exceptional people skills and her forensic approach to detail in cases.

During her pupillage, she was supervised by Craig Hassall and experienced first-hand a variety of cases involving regulatory and financial aspects.

 

Andrea undertook a common-law pupillage under the supervision of Matthew Smith, Craig Hassall and Sally Beaumont.

Notable Cases

  • North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service v Sloping Tactic 2018 – Acted for the Fire Service successfully opposing an appeal against sentence in a case where the lower court had imposed a large fine.
  • Chief Constable of Humberside Police v Ben Lumby 2016 – Andrea made a successful application for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The hearing involved complex issues and vulnerable witnesses. In a first for Humberside Police the order was granted despite the respondent not having and previous convictions for sexual offences.
  • Chief Constable of Humberside Police v David Cheatle 2016 – Andrea successfully argued against an application to discharge the order and ensured that the conditions imposed enabled the Police to manage the applicant appropriately.

Contact Andrea’s clerks

Madeleine Gray on 0113 202 8603

Patrick Urbina on 0113 213 5250

Imogen Brown on 0113 2135225