Rebecca Austin

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Overview

Rebecca Austin is an experienced senior junior. Called to the bar in 2002, Rebecca specialises in prosecuting and defending the most serious criminal cases including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, death by dangerous driving, multi-handed organised criminal conspiracies involving the commercial importation and supply of drugs, multi-handed organised criminal conspiracies involving the importation and transfer of firearms and both recent and historic sexual offences including child rape and allegations involving modern slavery and human trafficking.

Rebecca is a Grade 4 prosecutor and has been a member of the CPS Serious Crime Group panel at Grade four since 2018:

Advocates on the Serious Crime Group Panel advise on and prosecute cases on behalf of the Central Casework Divisions relating to:

Special Crime - serious and sensitive casework as set out in the referral criteria, including deaths in custody, assisted suicides, serious criminal allegations against police officers, gross negligence manslaughter and election offences.

Organised Crime - members of the most serious organised crime groups and cases typically investigated by the National Crime Agency, as well as other law enforcement bodies such as Home Office Immigration Enforcement and specialist Police units, and often involving organised drugs, international firearms conspiracies, immigration, modern slavery, sexual exploitation and cyber-crime.

Rebecca is also a Grade four prosecutor on the Rape and Sexual Offences panel.

Crime

Recent cases

Op Bullshark – 2024 – Leading Junior for Crown
Multi-handed conspiracy to supply Cocaine from London to the Southwest. Case relied on detailed phone analysis including cell cite, encrypted messages, ANPR, data from Operation Venetic and surveillance evidence
Op Herta – 2024 – Leading Junior for crown
Conspiracy to supply Cocaine and heroin. The evidence relied on detailed analysis of phone evidence including cell site, encrypted messages, ANPR and forensic evidence
Op Leadpool – 2024 – Prosecution counsel
Multi-handed conspiracy to supply Cocaine. Case relied on detailed phone analysis including cell cite, encrypted messages, ANPR, data from Operation Venetic
R v Jones – 2024 -Defence Junior to K.C. in murder
Case involving highly vulnerable defendant and complex medical presentation
Operation Transit – 2024 – Prosecution counsel
Multi-handed conspiracy to supply Cocaine. Case relied on detailed phone analysis including cell cite, encrypted messages, ANPR, data from Operation Venetic
Op Boxhedge – 2023/ 2024 – Leading junior for crown
Series of three trials involving conspiracy to supply controlled drugs including cocaine, cannabis, heroin and amphetamines and money laundering offences. The evidence relied on detailed analysis of phone evidence including cell site, encrypted messages, data obtained from Operation Venetic, ANPR and forensic evidence
Operation Porto – 2023 – Leading Junior for crown
Conspiracy to supply cocaine and transfer firearms. The evidence identified a conspiracy to supply up to 700 kilos of cocaine and relied on detailed analysis of phone evidence including cell site, encrypted messages, ANPR and data from Operation Venetic
R v Thurley – 2023 – Leading Junior for the crown
Prosecution of serving Hampshire police officer for perverting the course of justice. The defendant fabricated an assailant and alleged that she was repeatedly attacked in her own home. The case involved presentation of surveillance evidence and internal contradictions in her evidence to establish that she had presented with self-inflicted injuries to support her false allegations.
R v Z – 2023 – Prosecution counsel
The defendant sexually assaulted young, isolated and vulnerable women. Seven victims were identified. The evidence relied on CCTV, identification evidence and multiple strands of circumstantial evidence
R v M&M – 2023 – Defence counsel
Defendant charged with her husband for inflicting serious injury, including multiple limb fractures to 7 week-old baby. Evidence included complicated medical presentation, review of extensive medical records and cross examination of two expert paediatrician and pathologists
Operation Beesting – 2023 – Leading Junior for crown
Multi-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine and transfer firearms. The evidence identified a conspiracy to supply up to 600 kilos of cocaine and relied on detailed analysis of phone evidence including cell site, encrypted messages, ANPR and data from Operation Venetic
R v S – 2023 – Prosecution counsel
Attempted murder. The defendant was one of a gang who set on the victim with a knife. The defendant fled the area and was identified though forensic evidence, ANPR, detailed phone work and eye witness accounts
Operation Porch -2023 – Leading Junior for crown
Multi-handed attempted murder. Victim was attacked from behind with a machete. The attack was partially captured on CCTV and relied on analysis of the phone data, CCTV and multiple strands of circumstantial evidence to place attackers and distractors at the scene
Op Lunched – 2023 – Leading Junior for crown
Multi-handed conspiracy to supply cocaine from London to the Southwest. Case relied on detailed phone analysis including cell cite, encrypted messages, ANPR, data from operation venetic and surveillance evidence
Op Agetone – 2023 – Prosecution counsel
Once punch manslaughter case. The offence was committed on streets of London in broad daylight

Other recent cases

R v R – 2022 – Leading Junior for defence
Defendant was charged with fabricating over fifty allegations of rape against three suspects over period of six months.
R v H – 2022 – Prosecution counsel
The defendant was responsible for the supply of commercial quantities of Class A drugs, the transfer of a firearm and a conspiracy to commit GBH by kneecapping a rival with a firearm. The defence was attribution and the evidence was based on evidence from Operation Venetic and required multiple strings of circumstantial evidence.
R v Coles- 2022 – Prosecution counsel
The defendant was charged with attempted murder following an unprovoked machete attack on a male. The victim refuse to give evidence and the defence of self-defence was rejected by the jury after careful presentation of the CCTV evidence and medical evidence.
Operation Funky – 2022 – Leading Junior for crown
Conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and transfer firearms. The evidence relied on detailed analysis of phone evidence including cell site, encrypted messages, surveillance evidence, covert recording evidence, ANPR forensic evidence. This case was one of the first to rely on the encrypted evidence from Operation Venetic
Operation Garnett – 2021 – prosecution counsel
The 21 year defendant had committed a series of physical and sexual assaults including multiple offences of rape against his three teenage partners. Defended by a leading Silk and junior, the defendant was sentenced to an extended sentence after trial. Commendation awarded
R v Jones & others – 2021 – prosecution counsel
NCA investigation into a paedophile couple who abused their own children and streamed abuse of other children
Operation Flounced – 2021 – Leading Junior for the crown
NCA investigation into the importation of 55 kilos of Class A drugs. Case used intercept obtained by the Dutch, analysis of phone evidence, covert surveillance including covert recording devices and evidence obtained as a result of Operation Venetic
Operation Drummond – 2021 – Led Junior to KC for crown
Two defendants were convicted of the murder of a mother and her four year old son and the attempted murder of a male by setting their house on fire as they slept. The motive was a £400 drug debt. The complex investigation identified over 60 potential suspects and the extradition of the main suspect. A third male was convicted of perverting the course of justice. The evidence relied on analysis of phone evidence, ANPR, cell site, complex forensic analysis and evidence in relation to the fire.
Operation Kipling ( R v Brecani)2020/ 2021 – Leading Junior for crown
Conspiracy to supply cocaine. The investigation by the Kent Constabulary identified an organised criminal network, that was supplying cocaine via a dedicated drugs network from Kent to Essex. One of the defendants was Kevin Brecani, a youth who alleged he was a victim of trafficking. The case on appeal is the leading authority as to the admissibility of the decision of the Single competent authority and the scope of the admissibility of expert evidence when defendants rely on Modern Slavery as a defence. R v Brecani [2021] EWCA Crim 731
Operation Vocare – 2015 – 2018 – Led junior for the crown
A series of six trials of an organised crime network uncovered by the police who were responsible for targeted attacks in London. Armed with knives and firearms the gang stole stoke valued at over £1million. Commendation from the assistant chief commissioner for the Metropolitan Police
R v Spires – 2019 – Prosecution counsel
A complex investigation was able to intercept the largest importation of firearms into the UK. The convictions were largely based on the analysis of the phone data and the identification by the police of earlier importation
R v Eves – 2019 – Led prosecution junior to K.C.
Mr Eves was convicted of the murder of his seven week old daughter. The defendant had a previous conviction for GBH in relation to a toddler and the case relied heavily on the evidence of the child’s mother who until shortly before trial had been charged with her daughter’s death
R v Coombes – 2019 – Prosecution counsel
The defendant was charged with the attempted murder, false imprisonment and multiple rapes of his estranged wife. The offences took place over the course of one night when the defendant attacked his victim and held her captive. Case features on the Channel four series Crime and Punishment
R v Duke-Cohen – 2018 – Prosecution counsel
Investigation by the NCA into a series of fake bomb threats that targeted thousands of schools in the UK and USA. The defendant was a teenager whose advanced computer skills frustrated his identification for months. His final attack was to fake a hi-jacking of an American Airline passenger plan causing the plane to be diverted causing an estimated loss approaching $1million.
R v Martin – 2015 – Led prosecution junior to K.C.
The defendant was a teenager accused of the murder of his eight week old daughter. The postmortem found 38 separate fracture sites. The case relied on analysis of the medical evidence in relation to the cause of death as the defence sought to establish the resuscitation was responsible for the injury.