Jane Bickerstaff KC

Defended a mother charged with murder of her severely disabled son. A plea was accepted to Manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The mother developed a mental disorder due to the strain of caring for her son with minimal help during lockdown. The judge said her son was "an indirect victim of interruption to normal life caused by the Covid-19 pandemic." The Defendant was sentenced to a hospital order with restriction under the Mental Health Act without a limit of time. Central Criminal Court.

News report here.

Leading Tessa Shroff in baby shaking murder trial representing defendant with learning and cognitive difficulties. St Albans Crown Court.

New report here.

Defending a French National charged with rape. Offence had allegedly taken place in front of the young children of the defendant and the complainant. Acquitted. Stafford Crown Court.

Prosecution of a youth for the murder by stabbing of his drug dealer. Complicated sentencing exercise due to age of defendant. Central Criminal Court.

Prosecution of a woman for the manslaughter of her baby by shaking. As well as the usual difficult medical issues arising from shaken baby cases, this baby was 15 weeks premature, with attendant health problems. The defendant had an extremely low IQ and required an intermediary for the whole trial. Reading Crown Court.

Prosecution of a man for the murder of his partner. The murder was exceptionally violent and took place in his home address. He suffered for many years from depression and anxiety and ran the defence of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Central Criminal Court.

Elize Stevens death: Man jailed for murdering partner - BBC News

Defence of a pharmacist for alleged sexual assaults on the Saturday Girl who worked in his chemist. She was a vulnerable witness, suffering from mental health issues. There was an abuse of process argument over lost/missing CCTV evidence. Defendant acquitted. Northampton Crown Court.

Defence of a man now in his seventies for rape and serious sexual offences against two foster daughters during the eighties and nineties. The case involved analysis of large quantities of social care records which demonstrated significant failings in the recollections and assertions of the witnesses. The complexity of the case was increased as the defendant admitted in police interview to some sexual conduct with one of the complainants but only by consent and when she had reached the age of sixteen. He was jointly charged with his wife who faced child cruelty allegations. The case involved cross examining with some sensitivity extremely damaged adults who had suffered physical and mental health issues as an alleged result of the abuse they complained of. Aylesbury Crown Court

Defence of a man for dangerous act manslaughter and aggravated burglary. In the course of an intrusion at knifepoint into the home of a drug dealer, in order to steal from him drugs/money, the victim escaped by jumping head first from a fourth floor window. He landed on concrete and died. The case involved extensive legal submissions on the law in this area. Central Criminal Court

Defence of a church pastor for the repeated rape and sexual assault of his 11 year old daughter. The witness made timely complaint and was only 12 years when she gave evidence. The case involved full use of vulnerable witness protocol including submission of questions for cross examination in writing. Snaresbrook Crown Court

Prosecution of 5 teenage defendants for the joint enterprise murder by stabbing of another teenager. The incident was a retributive attack following a confrontation in the street between one of the defendants and the victim. The defendants all played different roles and although three were directly involved in the stabbing it was not possible to prove who delivered the fatal blow. The defendants advanced self defence. All involved in the stabbing were convicted of murder. Central Criminal Court

Prosecution of female defendant for the murder of her sister. This was an astonishingly violent attack in the home address and in the presence of the victim’s four young children. The motive was jealousy as the defendant was having an affair with her sister’s husband. The defendant reported the offence to police and spun a false story of an intruder to the home having attacked her sister. The case involved meticulous investigation forensically, of mobile telephone messages and local CCTV to uncover the truth. The defendant then sought to run mental health defences but eventually pleaded guilty to murder at trial. Central Criminal Court