University of Liverpool, LLB (Hons), First Class (2016)
Bar Professional Training Course, BPP Manchester, Very Competent (2017)
Middle Temple Pupillage Award (2019)
Harmsworth Scholar, Middle Temple (2016)
Blackstone Entrance Exhibition Award (2016)
The Honourable Society of Middle Temple
The Northern Circuit
The Criminal Bar Association
Women in Criminal Law
| Betsy joined chambers in September 2022 after completing her pupillage in October 2020 with another Manchester set.
Betsy has developed a busy criminal practice, both prosecuting and defending and is a Level 2 Crown Prosecutor. Her practice spans all areas and levels of crime including sexual offences, drugs, violence, fraud and firearms. Betsy has and is currently instructed on several Controlling and Coercive behaviour cases. Her understanding of this complex and still unfamiliar area of law is invaluable and recently led to the offence being withdrawn from a Jury mid-trial, following legal arguments. Betsy has also recently appeared as defence counsel in a multi-defendant County-lines drug trafficking trial which involved vital DNA evidence being deemed inconclusive following challenges made by Betsy to the forensic experts’ initial evidence and findings. Betsy has vulnerable witness experience and has been instructed counsel on multiple sex trials requiring s.28 hearings. Betsy is particularly client-focused and is assisted by her approachable manner and ability to build immediate rapport with whomever she is communicating. Betsy is eager to continue building on her relationships with existing and new instructing solicitors and clients. Betsy is available to take instructions in all areas of crime.
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| R v RE 2022 – Successful application to dismiss two counts on indictment arguing the evidence was too tenuous to continue.
R v CP 2022 – Successfully defended a male charged with requiring his partner to perform forced or compulsory labour under s.1 the Modern Slavery Act. R v NW 2022 – Successful submission of no case to answer in a two-day appeal conviction (made and allowed out of time) which had been proven in absence in the lower court whilst the defendant had been detained in a mental health hospital for several months. R v SN 2021 – Successfully pursued a s.45 Modern Slavery defence leading to the prosecution offering no evidence on the day of trial and secured my client’s transfer from custody to a safe house. R v AK 2021 – Successful submission of no case to answer relating to a lengthy count of controlling and coercive behaviour and secured an acquittal on all four remaining counts which included alleged violence and breaches of court orders. R v AG 2021 – Secured a suspended sentence for a s.16A Firearms offence involving threats made to children. R v DH 2021 – Secured lowest possible sentence on a County-lines drug case after arguing exceptional mitigation points. R v MCW 2020 – Secured a suspended sentence for a burglary where the defendant had 180 previous convictions for similar offences and had only been released from custody 2 weeks prior to the new offending.
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