Ranked in The Legal 500 (2025) for Crime as a Leading Junior.
“‘An eloquent advocate with natural flair. She is engaging to a jury.’ – The Legal 500 (2025)
“Holly is a very proficient and effective counsel in heavyweight cases of fraud and serious crime. She has a disarming advocacy style which is very persuasive to judges and the jury alike. An asset to those who instruct her” – The Legal 500 (2024)
“Holly is an excellent junior, combining skilled advocacy, intellectual prowess and an engaging manner that wins over clients and judges. She has a natural, engaging manner in court.” – The Legal 500 (2023)
Holly has quickly developed a strong practice in all areas of criminal law. She is a CPS Level Three Prosecutor and regularly appears in the Crown Court on behalf of both the Prosecution and Defence.
Holly adopts a clear and robust approach in court and is adept at looking ahead in any case in order to plan for a range of eventualities. She is known for her calm and approachable manner when dealing with clients and witnesses. She has experience dealing with vulnerable clients and witnesses and has completed the Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training course, which focuses on training for Ground Rules Hearings, child witnesses and cases that fall within the Section 28 provisions.
Holly has appeared in numerous Crown Court trials, both prosecuting and defending, across a wide spectrum of criminal law including fraud, burglary, robbery, serious assaults, sexual offences, driving offences, drugs and firearms offences and cases involving homicide. She has experience of complex multi-handed cases and cases involving vulnerable witnesses, children and Defendants with mental health difficulties, along with cases requiring expert witnesses.
Holly has been instructed as Junior Counsel for the Prosecution and Defence on cases involving grooming and drugs conspiracies. She has been Disclosure Junior on a number of high profile murder cases and firearms conspiracies, being led by Richard Wright QC, Peter Moulson QC and Ben Nolan QC.
Holly also accepts instructions on cases involving the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and private prosecutions including those relating to complex statute and regulations.
Notable Cases
- R v M & others– Defence Junior to Chris Moran on a historic grooming case involving multiple complainants.
- R v Linton – Disclosure Junior to Richard Wright QC and Simon Clegg (no relation) on a historic ‘cold-case’ murder which took place in 2001. The case involved the shooting of a taxi driver by a Jamaican national who had to be extradited to the UK in order to stand his trial. He was extradited from the US where he was serving a life sentence for a different murder committed in New York.
- R v Pettitt and others– Prosecution Junior to Laura Addy on a complex drugs conspiracy case.
- R v Khan, Awan and others- Disclosure Junior to Ben Nolan QC and Allan Armbrister in a large scale firearms conspiracy. The case involved armed robbery and multiple counts of attempt murder.
- R v Bates and others – Disclosure Junior to Peter Moulson QC and Simon Clegg in a multi-handed drug related murder.
- R v Khan and others – Disclosure Junior to Richard Wright QC and Simon Clegg in a multi-handed case involving the brutal torture and murder of Mohammed Feazan Ayaz at Denholme Business Centre in Bradford.
- R v Freeland – Junior to Richard Woolfall in a case involving grooming and multiple sex offences against children.
- R v Brooksby and others- Prosecuted a 6 day, multi-handed Affray involving complex legal arguments.
- R v P- Prosecuted a man charged with assaulting his 4 year old child who gave evidence during the trial under the s28 provisions.
- R v Edge – Prosecuted a man who staged a 5 hour rooftop protest in Hull.
- R v Hutchinson– Defended in a 4 day trial involving Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm on a Prison officer by a prisoner serving a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection.
- R v Zanetti- Defended a man accused of s18 assault.
- R v Betts- Defended a man accused of blackmail.
- R v Smith– Defended in a 2 day Burglary trial involving various written and oral legal arguments on admissibility of evidence and PACE breaches.
- Ranked as Tier 1 for Business & Regulatory Crime (including Health & Safety) and Inquests and Inquiries and Ranked as a Leading Junior for Crime (general and fraud)- Legal 500 (2025)
‘Holly is always scrupulously prepared and on top of her brief, no matter how complex the case. Her advocacy is just as good as her preparation. She is commanding, engaging and adaptable’, ‘A confident barrister with a pleasant court demeanour. She is practical and focused, doesn’t ask unnecessary, irrelevant questions and her submissions are grounded, reasonable and well-researched. An excellent advocate.’, ‘An eloquent advocate with natural flair. She is engaging to a jury.’ and ‘very knowledgeable’ – The Legal 500 (2025)
Holly has a strong and developing practice in all Regulatory and Public Law matters and has wide-ranging experience of these areas.
Holly was appointed to the Specialist Regulatory Panel of Advocates in 2019 and has been instructed on behalf of government bodies on the Regulatory List since her appointment. She has also conducted work for the Government Legal Department and various Local Councils.
Holly has acted for both the Prosecution and the Defence in numerous cases brought by private agencies including local councils, the Environment Agency, The Home Office, HSE, RSPCA, DVLA, HMRC and FSA. She has experience of dealing with complicated regulations, factual issues and cross-examining expert witnesses in the Magistrates Court, Crown Court and in Specialist Tribunals.
Holly has undertaken secondments with the Police and the Clinical Commissioning Group in York. She has received instructions from the Police in relation to matters involving Judicial Review and she has delivered training to West Yorkshire Fire Brigade. Holly has also represented numerous clients at Mental Health Tribunals and parole hearings.
Having undertaken work for numerous government bodies Holly is familiar with internal policies and potential interactions between various government organisations. She is able to turn her hand to complex Regulatory and Governmental matters, in both an advisory role and as a court advocate.
Contact Holly’s Clerks
Madeleine Gray on 0113 202 8603
Patrick Urbina on 0113 213 5250
Notable Cases
- The Environment Agency v Cooling & others – Disclosure junior on a large scale multi-handed operation into illegal waste disposal.
- HSE v Lee Taylor– Prosecuted on behalf of the HSE in a case involving unregistered gas work and building regulation breaches.
- HSE v Brooke Ren Ltd– Represented a construction company on an HSE prosecution on the collapse of a building.
- Grayston v The Director of Border Revenue– Instructed on behalf of the Home Office in an appeal against confiscation in the First Tier Tax Tribunal.
- RSPCA v Husband– Representing the Defendant on a 2 day trial on animal cruelty and neglect in Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
- R (Calderdale Council) v Ramsden– Represented a Defendant facing charges brought under the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (England) Regulations 2010 and The Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 2011.
- FSA v Hussein– The Bowood Farms Slaughterhouse cruelty case- Holly Defended one of the slaughtermen on an offence of animal cruelty brought by the Food Standards Agency.
- Ranked as Tier 1 for Business & Regulatory Crime (including Health & Safety) and Inquests and Inquiries and Ranked as a Leading Junior for Crime (general and fraud)- Legal 500 (2025)
‘Holly is always scrupulously prepared and on top of her brief, no matter how complex the case. Her advocacy is just as good as her preparation. She is commanding, engaging and adaptable’, ‘A confident barrister with a pleasant court demeanour. She is practical and focused, doesn’t ask unnecessary, irrelevant questions and her submissions are grounded, reasonable and well-researched. An excellent advocate.’, ‘An eloquent advocate with natural flair. She is engaging to a jury.’ and ‘very knowledgeable’ – The Legal 500 (2025)
‘Holly is a skilled and sensitive advocate in the most difficult of circumstances. A strong, focused barrister very much at home in the inquest arena.’ Legal 500 (2024)
‘A very thoughtful and confident advocate. She is motivated and thoroughly well prepared, with excellent interpersonal skills.’ Legal 500 (2023)
Holly has established a strong Inquest Practice and regularly undertakes work in the Coroner’s Court, acting for a wide range of interested persons.
Holly regularly appears in ‘Article 2’ inquests and those involving a Jury. She has experience of dealing with complicated legal and medical issues that commonly arise in these types of inquest. She has appeared for the Police and local Councils on numerous occasions and receives regular instructions on behalf of prison healthcare. Her inquest practice complements her Regulatory and Criminal work and provides Holly with a practical and in depth knowledge of prison and policing protocols and procedure.
Holly’s calm and approachable manner is well suited to the Coroner’s Court and she is adept at identifying potential issues in cases at an early stage, allowing time for better case preparation and management of any potential Regulation 28 issues (Reports to Prevent Future Deaths). Her thorough and delicate approach ensures that both lay and professional clients feel at ease and their best interests are sensitively dealt with and reflected throughout the proceedings.
Holly regularly presents seminars and lectures on Coronial law and is available to represent any interested party including bereaved families, public bodies and those who have been made an interested person by the Coroner due to their Professional roles.
Notable Cases
- Instructed by the Police in an Inquest into the death of a patient at a hospital who was placed in custody after assaulting members of hospital staff, upon release he was found dead at his home following an overdose.
- Instructed by the Police in a case involving suicide and a thorough investigation due to the deceased being a victim of domestic violence in the past.
- Instructed by Prison Healthcare in numerous cases involving a drug related deaths in custody.
- Represented a local authority at an Inquest touching into the death of a care home resident who sadly passed away in her armchair following her lunch. The Coroner concluded that the cause of death having been Oesophageal impaction of food material.
- Instructed to appear at an Inquest involving the death of a farm worker who was subjected to a lethal electrical current when the arm of his tractor was raised and connected with overhead power cables.
- Instructed by the Police in an Inquest into the death of man who was struck by a car on a dark, country lane.