Nikki Coombe

Year of Call
1994

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).

Recent work +Close –

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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Criminal Law team members

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Lee Bremridge

Year Of Call : 2003; Head of Chambers

Lee Bremridge is Head of Chambers at Walnut House and a criminal barrister experienced in all areas of complex and serious crime. Lee is known for dealing with serious cases, defending and prosecuting in equal measure.

lee.bremridge@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Simon Laws KC

Year Of Call : 1991

In May 2021, Simon Laws KC was instructed to represent the victims in a trial in The Hague in which the former President of Kosovo and three others are being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The proceedings are ongoing and Mr Laws is therefore currently unable to accept other instructions.

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Bill Baker KC

Year Of Call : 1991; Door Tenant

Bill is a Door Tenant of Walnut House, with family connections to the South West. He is also a member of Lincoln House Chambers in Manchester. Bill has been a dedicated criminal advocate for more than 30 years. He prosecutes and defends the most serious, complicated and high profile criminal cases.

clerks@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Paul Cavin KC

Year Of Call : 1995; Door Tenant

Paul is a Door Tenant of Walnut House, with family connections to the South West. He is also Head of Chambers at 2 Harcourt Buildings in London. Paul specialises in homicide, fraud, corporate crime – particularly bribery and corruption but also money laundering, cyber crime, and proceeds of crime.
He is regularly instructed by the CPS and the SFO and was on the Attorney General’s Criminal List for many years. Before his call to the bar he trained as a solicitor at a city firm (where he gained experience in all aspects of commercial law before qualifying in the commercial litigation/fraud group). He is a member of the Private Prosecutors’ Association and the Fraud Lawyers Association.

paul.cavin@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Simon Burns

Year Of Call : 1992

Simon Burns is a specialist in criminal law undertaking prosecution and defence work.

simon.burns@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Peter Coombe

Year Of Call : 1993

Peter is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and other cases of serious violence.

peter.coombe@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Heather Hope

Year Of Call : 1993

Heather was called in 1993 and after having practiced in a leading criminal set in London for 22yrs, moved to the South West in 2015. Heather has prosecuted and defended in large-scale drug cases, gang violence and firearms cases along with rape and serious sexual offences. Heather has also defended and prosecuted as a led junior in murder trials at the Central Criminal Court and as leading junior counsel in numerous trials more recently. Grade 4 and RASSO panel Counsel.

heather.hope@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Mary McCarthy

Year Of Call : 1994

Mary is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, rape and fraud.

“She’s an extremely good advocate, brilliant at cross-examination and very good tactically; she knows how to destroy the opposition.”
Chambers and Partners 2018

mary.mccarthy@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Nikki Coombe

Year Of Call : 1994

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).

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Mary Aspinall-Miles

Year Of Call : 1999; Door Tenant

Mary is a door tenant at Walnut House.

We are happy to accept instructions on her behalf for any matters that are relevant to the Western Circuit. Her main Chambers are 12 College Place Barristers in Southampton and Mary’s full profile can be found through their site.

Mary accepts instructions for the defence and is a Grade 4 Prosecutor and on the RASSO Panel.

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Kelly Scrivener

Year Of Call : 2001

Kelly appears for both the Prosecution and Defence in all matters before the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division).

kelly.scrivener@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Bathsheba Cassel

Year Of Call : 2005

Bathsheba is a criminal barrister with a wealth of experience across all areas of complex and serious crime.

bathsheba.cassel@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Joss Ticehurst

Year Of Call : 2006

Joss Ticehurst is instructed to defend and prosecute in cases involving the most serious criminal offences in the Crown Court, particularly those relating to allegations of rape, attempted murder, multi-defendant cases involving drugs and murder, and multi-defendant cases of fraud and drug conspiracies.

joss.ticehurst@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Dan Pawson-Pounds

Year Of Call : 2007; Head of Crime / Deputy HoC

Dan has wide experience in all aspects of criminal law, quasi-criminal regulatory law, corporate investigations and international war crimes. He specialises in business crime, criminal law, terrorism and private prosecutions, both in court and in an advisory role.

Legal 500 2025 – Leading Junior Tier 1
Chambers & Partners 2025 – Band 3
Recorder (Crown Court) 2023

dan.pawson-pounds@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Will Parkhill

Year Of Call : 2015

Defends serious crime.

will.parkhill@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Brian FitzHerbert

Year Of Call : 2008

Brian prosecutes and defends in all areas of criminal law. His practice encompasses murder, manslaughter, sexual offences, serious violence and organised crime. He is a Grade Four advocate on the Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel and is also on the RASSO and Serious Crime Panels.

brian.fitzherbert@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Felicity Payne

Year Of Call : 2010

Felicity is a common law barrister with an established and varied practice in all aspects of criminal and civil law. Felicity is thorough, practical and robust in her approach, whilst remaining personable.

felicity.payne@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Frederick Hookway

Year Of Call : 2011; Door Tenant

Frederick is a door tenant at Walnut House and lives in the South West. We are happy to accept instructions on his behalf for any matters that are relevant to the Western Circuit. His main Chambers is 5 King’s Bench Walk in London and his full profile can be found through their site.

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Catherine Daly

Year Of Call : 2015

Catherine recently accepted an invitation to join Walnut House as a tenant after a short period as door tenant.

She is also a door tenant of MC Chambers in London.

catherine.daly@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Evie Dean

Year Of Call : 2019

Evie accepts instructions in both criminal and family law. She regularly appears in the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts where she prosecutes and defends in all stages of proceedings. She also acts for parents in both private and care proceedings from application stage through to contested interim and final hearings.

Since joining Walnut House after successfully completing a twelve-month pupillage in chambers, Evie has continued to enjoy a busy and varied practice. She has been complimented on her pragmatic and personable manner with her clients.

evie.dean@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Zoe Kuyken

Year Of Call : 2021

Zoe joined chambers after successfully completing a 12 month pupillage in 2022.

Zoe accepts instructions in criminal and family law.

zoe.kuyken@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Azzam Bhatti

Year Of Call : 2017

Azzam has a mixed Civil, Criminal and Family practice at Walnut House.

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Bethany Rickerby

Year Of Call : 2024

Beth has recently joined chambers after working for the Crown Prosecution Service for the past two years as an in-house barrister.
Prior to becoming a barrister, Beth was a solicitor for 7 years holding both civil and criminal higher rights. During her time as a solicitor Beth gained experience in criminal defence and private family work.
Beth now regularly appears in the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts where she prosecutes and defends all criminal cases.
Beth is a Level 2 CPS prosecutor. She is regularly instructed by the CPS and the police.
Beth accepts instructions in both criminal and family law.

bethany.rickerby@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile