Year of Call
2024Biography
Helena recently became a tenant at 5 Pump Court following successful completion of a mixed common law pupillage. She accepts instructions across all of Chambers' key practice areas, and has received great feedback from solicitors including "Just wanted to let you know that Helena was very good. Great to work with. I look forward to instructing her in the future." Helena has completed the Pupil Pledge for Advocate.
Before pupillage, Helena worked as a paralegal at Stewarts for almost three years, assisting a Partner who specialised in catastrophic brain and spinal cord injury. Helena was later appointed Paralegal Co-ordinator in which role she delivered training to paralegals joining the firm.
Helena has also volunteered for various organisations including the Free Representation Unit, where she successfully represented her client at the Employment Tribunal, and for several social mobility charities. She also provided representation for CAIWU, representing members at disciplinary hearings and through written advocacy.
Helena is good at absorbing and analysing large amounts of information quickly, and distilling it into key legal arguments. She frequently works with vulnerable clients in very stressful circumstances and is able to communicate complex legal and factual issues to them in an appropriate manner.
Education
- 2020-2021: BPP University BTC
- 2019-2020: BPP University GDL
- 2014-2018: University of Oxford, Classics
Prizes
- Queen Mother Scholarship, Middle Temple (2020)
- Lord Justice Sachs Entrance Exhibition, Middle Temple (2020)
- BPP Advocacy Scholarship (2020)
- Winner of the Red Lion Chambers Mock Trial (KCLBMS) (2020)
- Winner of the KCL Advocacy Writing Competition (2020)
- BPP Career Commitment Scholarship (2019 and 2020)
Languages
- French (business)
- Spanish (upper intermediate)
- Italian (intermediate)
Notable Cases
R v R: Represented a defendant at sentence charged with multiple breaches of a restraining order, the breach of two suspended sentence orders and the breach of a conditional discharge. Following Helena’s mitigation highlighting the defendant’s considerable vulnerability and the tragic circumstances surrounding the restraining order breaches, the court passed a significantly reduced sentence, which, once calculations had been made for time served in custody and on qualifying curfew, allowed the defendant to be released from custody that same day contrary to expectations.
R v B: Represented a defendant at an exceptional hardship hearing. Upon making submissions highlighting the impact that disqualification would have on the defendant’s family members and employee, the court exercised their discretion to find that exceptional hardship applied, saving the defendant from disqualification.
R v (1) NC (2) LAN: Represented a defendant (D1) who was charged with dwelling burglary. Helena successfully persuaded the CPS to replace the charge with a charge of non-dwelling burglary. However, D1’s co-defendant (D2) had already pleaded guilty to dwelling burglary for which he had received a custodial sentence. Helena successfully represented D2 at his appeal against conviction, which led to his sentence being reduced from 9 months to 6 months.
R v Ebanks: Successfully prosecuted a burglary case which resulted in a sentence of 7 years 6 months for the Defendant. A report of the case can be found here.