Rebecca Austin

Practice area

Crime

Year of call: 2002

Rebecca has been admitted to the CPS panel as a Grade 4 prosecutor and is a member of both the Serious Crime Group Specialist Panel and the RASSO Panel.

Rebecca is routinely instructed to prosecute complex cases involving serious organised crime networks. These cases require an ability to Marshall evidence from a number of sources such as call data; ANPR; covert and intrusive surveillance and expert evidence. Rebecca has been commended by Trial Judges for her meticulous preparation, her exceptional presentation of these cases to jurors and ability to challenge expert witnesses.

In R v B [2021] EWCA Crim 731, Rebecca acted as Leading Junior for the crown at the trial in 2020. B was one of 14 defendants prosecuted for their part in a drugs line supplying cocaine. The decision to continue despite the prosecution of B, despite the positive decision from the SCA in relation to his defence of modern was challenged but the conviction was upheld by the court  of appeal following a careful analysis of the justification provided by the  prosecution to continue the case and the judgement provides clarity as to the admissibility of the decision of the SCA in such cases.

Rebecca has more recently successfully prosecuted number of cases resulting  from Operation Venetic.

 

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Rebecca is highly sought after by both the CPS and defence in cases  involving allegations of serious sexual violence. Rebecca has been described as  being “highly empathetic” when representing  those accused of these crimes  and highly effective in establishing the inconsistency in the prosecution  evidence without alienated judges or jurors.

Rebecca is particularly known for her expertise in the cross examination of  expert witnesses and prides herself on the exemplary service she provides to  both professional and lay clients.

Recent Cases

  • R v B & others [2021] EWCA Crim 731 – Leading junior counsel for the crown at trial of a 14 handed drugs conspiracy at Woolwich Crown Court. Junior to Benjamin Douglas-Jones QC at the subsequent hearing at the Court of Appeal. The judgement provided clarity in relation to the admissibility of the  a decision of the Single Competent Authority in relation to the defence of modern slavery.
  • R v A & others [2021] – Leading junior counsel for the crown in relation to an investigation by the Metropolitan police into an organised crime network. The evidence was based on surveillance, probe evidence and the product of Operation Venetic and the produced of encrochat handles.
  • Rv Y & others – [2021] – Leading junior counsel for the crown in relation to an investigation by the NCA into the importation of 55 kilos of Class A drugs from the Netherlands.
  • R v Collins -[2021] – Prosecuted at trial a defence Silk and Junior at Guildford Crown Court in relation to a multi complainant investigation into allegations of rape, violence and cohesive and controlling behaviour.
  • R v Woods – [2021] – Prosecuted at trial in Reading Crown Court a multi-complainant case involving allegations of sexual activity with a child and sexual communication with a child. The defendant was a gymnastics teacher who trained the GB National Gymnastics Team.
  • R v Barnard and others [2021] – Junior counsel for the crown. The defendants were convicted after trial of murder and perverting the course of justice. Two of the defendants started a fire at a residential address. A mother and her four year old child were killed. A male escaped with life threatening injuries. The prosecution was based entirely on circumstantial evidence and relied on forensic evidence, call data, ANPR and an extensive police investigation to eliminate over 50 other possible suspects.
  • R v Spires & others – [2019] – Prosecuted at trial at Blackfriars Crown Court an investigation by the NCA into a conspiracy in relation to the largest attempted importation of Firearms
  • R v Eves – [2019] – Junior Counsel for the crown at trial. Mr Eves was convicted of the murder of his seven week old daughter. The case relied on the medical evidence in relation to the systemic abuse of the deceased which led to her death.
  • R v Browne [2019] – Prosecution at trial of Leon Browne. The defendant was convicted after trial of a conspiracy to transfer a firearm and ammunition.
  • R v Coombes [2019] – Prosecution of a defendant alleged to have attempted to murder, falsely imprisoned and raped his estranged wife. This investigation featured in the Crime and Punishment Channel four documentary series
  • R v Duke-Cohen [2018] – Prosecution following investigation by the NCA into a series of fake bomb threats that targeted thousands of schools in the UK and US and a subsequent fake hi-jacking threat that led to the diversion of an American Airline passenger plane.
  • Operation Vocare 2017-2019 – A series of six linked trials in relation to an Metropolitan police investigation into an Organised Crime Network who in a conspiracy that involved 17 aggravated burglaries of mobile phone stores in London and stole stock worth over £1million

Education

  • LLB (Hons) University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 2.1

Inn

  • Middle Temple (Jules Thorn Scholar 2001, Accommodation Award 2001)