Nikki Coombe
Criminal Law
Overview
Nikki is a well – respected, diligent and persuasive jury advocate, having practiced criminal law since 1994 in London and Oxford before moving to the Western Circuit.
Nikki has substantial experience and expertise, both prosecuting and defending the full range of serious criminal offences including rapes, violence (including murder and manslaughter), the importation and supply of drugs, firearms and frauds. Nikki is regularly instructed in complicated or multi-handed cases, sometimes appearing against King’s Counsel (either alone or as leading counsel).
She is used to assimilating large volumes of material quickly, identifying key issues and advancing the interests of those instructing her. She has called and cross–examined expert witnesses in the fields of Paediatrics, Forensic Pathology, Radiology, Neurology and Forensic Odontology. This has required a detailed understanding of those areas of expert evidence, and how best to adduce or challenge them.
Nikki has often been praised for taking the time to deal sensitively and appropriately with defendants or complainants who are vulnerable due to their youth, background or mental health issues.
Cases involving serious violence or death
R v. K: Defended a man accused of causing life changing injuries to an infant (cut-throat defendants), which involved challenging a large number of expert witnesses.
R v. C, H and T: leading counsel, prosecuting 3 county-lines drug dealers for attempted murder and other linked offences.
R v. M: defended a vulnerable youth in a multi-handed County lines related attempted murder, prosecuted by King’s Counsel.
R v O: Successfully prosecuted a man who had committed very serious offences against his partner, including threats to kill, false imprisonment, and attempted GBH.
R v C: Prosecuted a man who used a car as a weapon, attempting to murder a rival drug dealer
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Sexual offences
R v. M: successfully prosecuted (as leading counsel) a man who had raped his infant daughter, building a case based on expert evidence and bad character evidence (including indecent images)
R v. N: successfully defended a man accused of familial rapes, prosecuted by Queen’s Counsel
R v G: Successfully defended a young man accused of multiple rapes and serious sexual assaults against 3 recent girlfriends. One complainant’s case was dismissed following legal argument, D was then acquitted on all other counts following a 7 day trial.
R v. K: defended a man accused of multiple rapes of 2 relatives and 2 former partners, securing acquittals in many of the complainants or counts.
R v P: Prosecuted at trial and upheld on appeal against convictions (on the grounds of fresh evidence and flawed legal rulings), a man who had committed numerous historic sexual offences against his younger sister in the 1970s.
R v S: Instructed as a late return (on the day of trial) to defend a man accused of a recent rape. He was acquitted following a 5 day trial.
R v J: Successfully prosecuted a rape trial involving very vulnerable witnesses, who were physically and sexually abused by their father in the 1970’s
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Drugs cases
R v A and Others: Successfully defended in a long multi-handed trial, a man accused of conspiracy with 10 others to import and supply £7 million of heroin. One of only 2 defendants acquitted. Others received sentences exceeding 20 years’ imprisonment.
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Frauds and kindred offences
R v D and Others: Successfully prosecuted a multi-handed case involving a conspiracy to rob around 20 elderly victims in their homes. One of the complainants died as a result of her injuries.
R v L: Defended a woman who was accused of defrauding over 30 victims by selling them non-existent holidays.
R v L and L: Prosecuting a husband and wife who ran brothels in 6 towns, with complex POCA proceedings following convictions (the scheme had generated over £6 million profit over several years).
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Family Law
Overview
In more recent years, Nikki has also developed a successful family practice, acting for local authorities, parents and children in both private and public law cases. She has found that many of the skills learned over the years practicing in crime (advocacy, legal analysis and negotiating), are cross – transferrable between the jurisdictions. Nikki’s experience in both jurisdictions has been very useful in advising on and making disclosure applications, seeking evidence in one set of proceedings which is often found to be undermining of allegations in the other.
Biographical and Other Information
- Criminal and Family Barrister
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