Catherine
Picardo
Catherine is a personable but tenacious advocate who is particularly adept at dealing with vulnerable and young witnesses.
Member of Grays Inn & Criminal Bar Association.
Level 2 CPS Panel Advocate
Catherine
Picardo
Catherine practised in London and the South East for several years before returning to her native Midlands.
Catherine is a personable and approachable advocate with a particular sensitivity for vulnerable witnesses and clients.
Catherine’s legal career started in the City of London where she qualified as a Corporate Commercial Solicitor and used her languages in international cases, also working in Paris. She is familiar with banking and company law and is on the Fraud Panel.
She became a Crown advocate after 8 years with the Crown Prosecution Service when she decided to practise criminal law and was lead reviewing lawyer on a drugs test purchase operation, Operation Stratum, which involved witness anonymity orders. Catherine has experience of cases involving the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, including money laundering and confiscation.
Catherine regularly prosecutes at the Crown Court on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, the Probation Service, the Secretary of State for Transport (DVLA), British Transport Police, Transport for London, the Department for Work and Pensions. She has also defended clients facing charges by these authorities.
She has appeared as prosecution Counsel in all areas for level 2 and prosecuted jury trials of drugs supply, violence, theft, fraud and burglary and multi-handed cases. She has covered all Sentencing/POCA hearings for the Crown including firearms. She has defended jury trials beyond this including rape, sexual assaults and serious violence.
Catherine has experience of prosecuting and defending nurses and midwives who have faced disciplinary hearings at the Nursing and Midwifery Council in London.
Catherine has given seminars to Therapists dealing with sexual offences and the criminal justice system and how it affects families. She is a mentor to undergraduates wishing to pursue a legal career at her former college at Cambridge University.
Catherine has experience in Extradition and has appeared at Westminster MC and obtained evidence from abroad including France and Spain. She has advised on Appeals against Deportation. She is a member of Stonewall and prosecutes Homophobic and Transgender crimes. She has prosecuted and defended cases involving the RSPCA and Animal Rights.
Education
Modern & Medieval Languages MA (Cantab) 1996
Roll of Solicitors 2001
Called 2008 (Lincoln’s Inn)
Violence
R v TN. Nottingham CC
Catherine defended a convicted murderer serving life in a S18 jury trial involving a knifing of an inmate in prison. The defence was mistaken identity.
Wood Green CC.
Catherine prosecuted the Sentencing of this imitation firearms case in a climate of terrorism owing to the Islamic dress of the defendant. News Article
Fraud & Complex Fraud
Catherine was seconded to the SFO (Serious Fraud Office) and used her experience in shipping law and French to interpret unused material in a complex case of international fraud involving Bribery and Corruption.
Rape & Serious Sexual Offences
R v TR Wood Green CC
Catherine successfully defended a step-father accused of rape and sexual assault.
R v MO Basildon CC
Catherine secured an acquittal in a multi-handed rape trial for her Romanian client who was jointly accused with his friend of gang-rape.
R v JH Lincoln YC
She successfully prosecuted a 14 year old who had sexually assaulted his siblings aged 4, 8 and 9. The case required a Ground Rules Hearing and use of an intermediary.
Vulnerable witnesses
R v J E-K. Portsmouth CC
Catherine advised instructing solicitors and the client who had severe MH and autism and was deemed unfit to plead who faced charges of supplying Class A in a “cuckoo case” involving County Lines.
R v L-F. Cambridge CC
She successfully prosecuted a defendant facing drugs charges with learning disabilities who required an intermediary.
CPS East Midlands
Catherine regularly prosecutes cases involving drug production (cannabis farms), Class A and B supply and the defence of human trafficking and “Modern Slavery.”
