As a specialist CPS rape and serious sexual offences advocate, Felicia has significant experience prosecuting and defending the most serious and sensitive sexual cases. These include multi-complainant cases often alleging historic sexual abuse and those involving very young or vulnerable witnesses.

Felicia has undertaken specialist training in the use of intermediaries and is skilled in the handling of vulnerable witnesses of all ages in court.

• R v Talbot-Bailey (2016) Prosecuted a 5-child (ages 6-14) complainant case involving allegations of child rape and child cruelty. Case involved extensive use of intermediary.
• R v Stannard and Stannard (2016) Junior prosecution counsel in a 6-complainant case involving historic sexual offences and child cruelty dating back to the 50s, 60s and 70s.  Case involved use of intermediary.
• R v Joseph and Joseph (2015) Junior prosecution counsel in a 9-complainant case involving historic allegations of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse and child cruelty.
• R v SH (2015-6) Successfully defended multiple counts of rape, sexual penetration and sexual assault.
• R v FC (2014-15) Prosecuted doctor charged with sexually assaulting male patients suffering from erectile dysfunction and related complaints.

Felicia has extensive experience of cases involving alleged organised crime groups (OCG) in relation to drugs importation and supply; immigration conspiracies on a commercial scale and for the trafficking of females; international money laundering; and conspiracies to steal and to rob. In 2012, she was appointed a Specialist Serious and Organised Crime advocate.

• R v JI and others (2015-2016) Successfully defended as leading junior the alleged main protagonist in a complex sham marriage conspiracy concerning Slovakian females trafficked into the UK to marry non-EU males living in the Rochdale area who sought leave to remain.
• R v Sanchez and others (2015-2016) (Special Casework prosecution). Defended alleged OCG member of a Manchester drugs gang which supplied Class A drugs across south east England.
• R v HSM (2008-2012) (SOCA prosecution). Defence junior in trilogy of cases: conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin; associated money laundering and mortgage fraud.
• R v M and others (2009-2011) (SOCA prosecution). Successfully defended complex, multi-handed money laundering conspiracies involving the theft and subsequent conversion/laundering of £15m stolen from a German bank by international OCG.

Over the past 10 years, Felicia has been instructed to defend or assist in a number of high profile murder cases, frequently involving complex evidential issues.  In addition, Felicia is frequently instructed in multi-handed gang-related cases involving cut-throat defences, kidnap, false imprisonment and torture.  Significant cases in that period include:

• R v SO Successfully defended D charged with stabbing his father in law to death in front of his wife:  expert psychiatric evidence on diminished responsibility and loss of control. (Def Jnr)
• R v Aulakh and others Husband alleged to have arranged and taken part in his wife’s murder.  (Def Jnr)
• R v Bhayani, Kutner, Eastham and others Murder of a wealthy business woman whose body was dismembered and found in the boot of a lock up in south west London.  (Jnr alone)
• R v Kulkonovs Cut throat murder involving significant expert forensic issues. (Def Jnr)
• R v A and others Successfully defended husband alleged to have killed and set fire to his wife’s body.  Sole and decisive hearsay evidence excluded.  (Def jnr)
• R v L Successfully defended D alleged to have bludgeoned his partner to death before setting fire to her body whilst her two children slept upstairs.   (Def jnr)
• R v B Successfully defended youth charged with murder allegedly by stabbing the deceased twice before seeking to dispose of the knife.  (Def jnr).

Felicia has acted in a number of cases concerning allegations of death by dangerous driving, frequently involving technical expert evidence and difficult tactical decisions.

• R v C (2017) Prosecuted allegations of modern day slavery (servitude and forced labour).
• R v JI and others (2015-16) Successful defence as leading junior of alleged main orchestrator of a complex sham marriage conspiracy concerning Slovakian females trafficked into the UK in a mail order type system to marry non-EU males living in the Rochdale area seeking leave to remain.

Felicia has a wealth of experience both prosecuting and defending cases concerning serious fraud where a mastery of the facts and attention to detail are key. She is adept at preparing and presenting cases involving voluminous and complex financial material; complex corporate structures; multiple off-shore or jurisdictional bank accounts and entities through which alleged fraudulent funds are passed. Felicia is used to working closely with the entire case team in such cases, providing ongoing advice on all aspects of case presentation and management.

Since 2009 Felicia has been appointed to the SFO’s specialist panel of advocates and more recently to the CPS specialist Fraud Panel.

Given the nature of her practice, almost all the cases in which she is instructed involve POCA related issues, including restraint, cash seizure and/or complex confiscation proceedings.

• R v BP (2017) Currently instructed in complex VAT and tax fraud arising out of the sale of novel psychoactive substances or “legal highs” involving legal argument on the interpretation of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and “high value dealers”. (Def Jnr)
• R v J and others (2013-2015) (SFO Pros. Jnr) Multi-handed conspiracy to make corrupt payments to Nigerian Tax officials on behalf of multinational company providing manpower to the gas/oil industry worldwide. Appeal on a point of law (meaning of corruptly for the purpose of s.1 Prevention of Corruption Act 1906) [2014] 1 Cr App R 21.
• R v SD and others (2012-2014) (Operation Savate): Successful defence in one of the largest CIS/construction VAT frauds. (Def Jnr).
• R v JM and others (2012) Successfully defended complex allegations of insider dealing/money laundering brought by the FCA:  legal argument as to jurisdictional ambit of insider dealing legislation. (Jnr alone prosecuted by QC/Jnr)
• R v MKN and others (2011-2012) (Operation Inertia) – Defence junior in one of the largest HMRC VAT/MTIC frauds with alleged loss to the Revenue of over £120m.
• R v Bajwa and others (2011) Guideline confiscation case as to the interpretation of the lifestyle provisions under POCA. Successful appeal to CACD resulting in multi-million pound confiscation order being quashed: [2011] EWCA Crim 1093 (Def Jnr).