Susan Hirst

Year of call:

2001

Education:

2001 - Northumbria University: LLB (Hons) incorporating the Bar Vocational Course (1st Class)

Career:

2002 - Pupil at New Court Chambers

2003-2016 - Tenant at New Court Chambers

2016-2023 - Tenant at Trinity Chambers

2023 - Tenant at Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

Judge of the First Tier Tribunal – Social Entitlement Chamber

Grade 4 CPS Prosecutor

Grade 4 Specialist Fraud Panel Prosecutor

Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Prosecutor

Advocacy Trainer for the North Eastern Circuit

Pupil Supervisor

Circuit Junior 2015 – 2016, North Eastern Circuit

Attorney General’s List of Prosecuting Counsel – List C (2005 – 2012)

Memberships:

North Eastern Circuit

Criminal Bar Association

Crime  

Sue is a very experienced criminal practitioner. She prosecutes and defends serious and complex cases. Her practice covers the full range of criminal offences including homicide, sexual offences, drugs conspiracies, fraud, serious violence and firearms offences.

In recent years Sue has been instructed to prosecute Attempted Murders and Conspiracy to Murder as the leading advocate. She has also been instructed as the junior advocate in a number of murder trials.

Sue has a particular interest in cases involving technical evidence and medical evidence. She is regularly instructed in cases of Death by Dangerous Driving and also has experience in respect of grievous bodily harm inflicted on infants.

Sue has developed a strong practice in dealing with the most serious sexual offences, often in large-scale child abuse cases. She has extensive experience in dealing with vulnerable clients and witnesses and understands the sensitivity which is often required in such cases.

Her strength lies in her detailed preparation of every case and she prides herself on the level of client care she provides.

In 2020 she was appointed a (Fee Paid) Judge of the First Tier Tribunal.

 

Notable cases:

R v S & Ors: Prosecuted (as leading junior) a Conspiracy to Murder involving seven Defendants.

BBC News Coverage

Local News Coverage

Durham Constabulary Coverage

R v R & L: Prosecuted (as leading junior) defendants accused of Kidnapping and drugs Conspiracies.

R v C: Defended a woman accused of allowing her partner to seriously injure her baby.

R v B: Defended the main defendant of four young men accused of grooming and  sexually abusing a 13 year-old girl.

R v N: Defended a man accused of sexually abusing his young sister-in-law.

R v M: Prosecuted an allegation of Attempted Murder involving a man who travelled to Teesside from Coventry and broke into his estranged wife’s house to attack her. Click Here for news coverage

R v S & Ors: Advised on and then acted as junior counsel in a seven-defendant Conspiracy to Kidnap involving a firearm and £3million Drugs Conspiracy. Click Here for news coverage

R v B: Defended a man accused of historical allegations of sexual abuse in respect of his step-daughter and child cruelty in respect of his step-son.

R v A & D: Prosecuted a £1.2million fraud involving the employees of a national building company.

R v M: Instructed as junior counsel for the defence in a three-month trial at the Old Bailey. The defendant was already serving a sentence for murder when he was charged with Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice in respect of a shooting at a nightclub.

R v A: Defended a member of the far-right terrorist organisation ‘National Action’.

 

Contact Susan’s clerks

Dan Foulger on 01642 232523

Claire Gibson on 01642 232523

Emma Gibson on 01642 232523