Laura Addy undertakes criminal work at all levels in the criminal justice system. Laura’s work is predominately defence work in the Crown Court. She is routinely instructed to defend in serious criminal cases regularly dealing with conspiracies, serious violence and dishonesty as well as sexual offences whether they are historic, stranger or recent.
Laura is known to have a gentle, patient and understanding manner with clients and witnesses. She regularly is briefed to represent those who have their own challenges including those who are suffering from significant mental health difficulties. Laura’s Court manner is such that she affords trust and respect from the Judges who know Laura can be relied upon to present her case carefully, thoroughly, properly and with a persuasive turn of phrase. Laura’s passion is to ensure that her clients cases are presented in the best possible way and to ensure the best outcome for each and every one. Every client’s case is given the personal touch as everybody’s case is individual and unique and Laura appreciates how significant Court cases are in the lives of her clients.
Like her defence work, Laura’s prosecution work regularly sees her deal with serious offences, including child image offences, arson, serious violence and drugs offences. Most recently Laura has prosecuted six prisoners for arson at Newhall Prison when they stripped, barricaded themselves into the exercise yard and destroyed the benches within the yard and set them alight. Laura was able to deal with this case and present the evidence clearly, concisely and with ease after conducting careful analysis of the 8 hours of footage of the offence. Laura is always fully prepared, able to deal with the unexpected, she thinks quickly on her feet and the Court and her clients appreciate her ability and professionalism such that she has repeat clients that routinely ask for her to represent them again and Judges ask Laura to assist the Court where Defendants are unrepresented.
Laura also undertakes court martial work.
Notable Cases
- R v Wilson – Defendant faced two gunpoint robberies in the early hours of the morning. Mixed profile DNA evidence ruled out on voir dire.
- R v Martin – Defendant charged with sexual assault of a child under 13. Acquitted after mother conceded in cross-examination that she had doubt when her daughter reported the incident.
- R v Stanley and others – charged with arson when a group of female prisoners barricaded themselves in the exercise yard at Newhall prison and stripped then set fire to the benches over a 4 hour period.
- R v Cudine – Defendant charged with rape of his friend. Significant disclosure issues due to copious text messages exchanged between the complainant and Defendant before and following the incident. Following several disclosure requests, a disclosure hearing and an aborted trial the telephone evidence was ultimately served and was heavily relied upon during cross-examination of the complainant.
- R v O’Hare and Millar – on going prosecution involving allegations of non-accidental injuries.
- R v Cpl Wykes –case involving fighting at the Akrotiri Arms.
Public Access
Laura Addy may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.
Contact Laura’s clerks
Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202
Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203
Laura Addy is a B-List Specialist Regulatory Advocate.
Laura has a background in general criminal. This has led her to successfully develop a practice in areas of regulatory crime. She has significant experience in prosecuting and defending in local-authority prosecutions dealing with varying matters from noise abatement appeals, environmental matters to fishing law. More recently such work has found Laura representing Defendants in a number of different cases who have faced trading standards offences and dealing with cases of judicial review.
Notable cases
- R v Danter – East Yorkshire builder who assisted York residents in the Christmas floods was prosecuted for fraud when he undertook remedial work on the flooded properties and asked for money for items he then did not purchase for the work. Flooded homes were left in a worse state of repaid than after they were flooded and the complainants were £48,000 out of pocket.
- R v Butler – repeated Contempt of Court Act proceedings for breach of restraint order.
- R v Lee – trading standards prosecution for fraud where horses obtained under false pretenses and then resold with false paperwork and representations.
- GSPK v Harrogate Borough Council – prosecuted a noise abatement appeal in which following the Court being advised of the legal tests the Defence conceded the case after hearing the evidence of the first witness.
- Kershaw v The Crown court at York – Judicial review.
- Hillsborough prosecution disclosure work – Tasked to review large volume of disclosure documents and assess whether the status of those documents.
Coronial law
Laura has also developed a particular interest and expertise in inquest work, including those with a jury. She has represented the local authority and care homes in cases where the death of an individual in their care has raised human-rights issues. Laura has most recently represented a paramedic in the highly publicised case concerning the death of Hayley Gascoigne, a young mother who suffered a cardiac arrest at Hull Crown Court and Mr Smith incorrectly identified Miss Gascoigne’s heart rhythm. It was found that Mr Smith’s error did not contribute to the death as Mr Gascoigne’s chances of survival at the time he arrived were less than 50%. As a result of this case the Coroner recommended that all Court buildings should have defibrillators. So every time one is seen in the Court building it can be said that this is due to this case.
Laura Addy has significant experience for both sides in local-authority prosecutions dealing with the Environmental Protection Act
Notable cases
- Inquest touching upon the death of James Nigel Butterfield – jury inquest in to the death of a hotel porter when the Harrogate Majestic hotel suffered devastating fire. Death deemed an accident.
- Inquest touching upon the death of Terence Hunter – an inquest into the death of a man who was in supported housing where Article 2 was engaged as a carer visited and left Hunter after she found him slumped over the television, but due to his alcoholism thought he was just asleep rather than dead. Inquest considered whether his life could have been saved if he had been given medical attention at this point, but due to the fact that the time of death was uncertain it could not be said on the balance of probabilities that intervention at this stage could have saved him.
Public Access
Laura Addy may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.
