Rhiannon Sadler

Introduction

Rhiannon is a dynamic advocate with broad experience in criminal, court martial and regulatory law. A persuasive negotiator with exceptional communication skills, she is analytical, pragmatic and personable – and puts her heart and soul into cases.

She has been recommended in Chambers & Partners every year since 2009 – as well as in Legal 500.

Background and expertise

Rhiannon is a Grade 4 prosecutor, regularly appearing at Crown courts to prosecute complex cases including conspiracies, serious violent and sexual offences, and fraud.

Her defence practice has taken Rhiannon all over the country. She has successfully defended in a succession of ‘multi-handed’ drugs cases (including conspiracy to supply cocaine; an international plot to import drugs from the Caribbean; and conspiracy to cultivate cannabis).

Other notable successful defence instructions have included trials relating to honour-based kidnap and false imprisonment; cigarette smuggling; and firearms.

Rhiannon is adept at dealing with cases with vast amounts of documentation (including VHCC) and is regularly instructed in matters that involve highly technical evidential, legal, or jurisdictional angles.

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Notable cases

R v Lee and McKay 2022

Junior Counsel for the Crown.

The two defendants forced entry into the victim’s property carrying a Rambo knife, in the early hours of the morning.  They stabbed the victim in the region of 27 times one of which, a 28 cm long wound, passed under his arm, through the left lung, through his aorta and into the right lung and collar bone.

Both defendants were found guilty.

R v Charles-Mario and Mitchell 2021

The victim, a 42 year old alcholic, staggered into a friend’s garden one afternoon.  He collapsed within moments and rendered unconscious.  He was found to have a stab wound to the back and head injuries, from which he died 9 days later.  Following local intel and forensics, the two defendants were identified and arrested after a ‘man hunt’.  It very quickly became apparent that they had been cuckooing at the victim’s property.  Both men accepted presence a the victim’s property and one admitted stabbing the victim in the back, albeit in self defence.  Initially the medical evidence suggested that the victim has sustained head injuries at his home address (the Crown would say perpetrated by the defendants) and managed to escape to his friend’s 0.5 miles away.  A causation issue arose very late in the day however, after instruction of a Consultant Neurosurgeon who reviewed all the evidence.  He concluded the injuries to the head were not in fact caused at the victim’s property as first thought, but as a result of an undefended fall on to a patio at the friend’s house.  He maintained however that “but for” the stab and collapsing lung, he would not have subsequently fallen to the floor.

Defendants pleaded guilty on 2nd day of trial to manslaughter and assisting an offender.

R v A & others, 2019

Junior Counsel for the Crown. The defendants laundered £250,000 from the fraudulent sale of a property.  The monies were transferred from the conveyancing solicitors to companies as well as individuals, some of whom were duped whilst others recruited to make a profit. Three defendants were convicted, another had previously pleaded and turned QE.    St. Albans Crown Court.

R v D and others, 2019

Junior counsel for the alleged stabber. The prosecution alleged that this Defendant, along with 8 co-defendants, was responsible for the murder of one victim and the wounding with intent of another during a large-scale and overwhelming attack involving knives, a large axe and hammers on 11th December 2018.

The Crown stated “Even by modern standards, the scale of the violence is terrifying and out of all proportion to the root cause of the trouble, namely that GH had broken up her relationship with DG”.

The defendant was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years. Central Criminal Court.

R v L and others, 2019

Led junior for first defendant of four. Secured acquittals for the defendant who was a former police officer and a former army officer, with a keen interest in firearms. He was alleged to have stolen weapons, and parts of weapons - including SA80 rifles, sniper rifles and Lee Enfield rifles - belonging to the Army during his time at the Small Arms School Core Collection in Warminster. The value of the thefts was alleged to be in excess of £100,000.

R v B and others, 2018

Led junior for defence. The defendant was the second of three defendants (one of whom was a serving UK Border Agency Officer) who faced an indictment alleging importation of cocaine, heroin and prohibited firearms.The defendants were part of a much larger network of criminals who conspired to bring in vast quantities of narcotics and dangerous weaponry in from Europe and the case arose from a joint surveillance operation undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service, The National Crime Agency and the French Police. Isleworth Crown Court.

R v M and others, 2018

Led junior for defence. 6-handed conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation whereby the Directors of a company fraudulently obtained millions of pounds in funding from further education training colleges. Two of the defendants  were ex professional footballers and utilised their contacts in this industry. The prosecution claimed that the value of the fraud totalled £5,090,876.50. Souhwark Crown Court.

R v T and others, 2016-2017

Junior counsel for defence in 40-day, seven-handed trial for conspiracy to facilitate the unlawful immigration of non-EU citizens from the UK to France (reverse people trafficking) – arising from an undercover operation by journalists working for the Sun. Isleworth Crown Court

Cristian Bordieanu

Police were called by members of the public to High Road, Romford.  The victim was laying on the pavement with several stabs wounds including to the right side of his neck and middle of his back.  He was transported to Royal London Hospital and released following surgery to close the wounds the following day.  The victim and defendant were previously friends and had a falling out.  The defendant then sent a text threatening the victim.

Trial May 2022

Read more Notable cases

Other Activities and Interests

  • Speaker for schools

Professional commentary and attribution

"She is a reassuring presence on any case that she is instructed on." (Chambers UK, 2024)
"Rhiannon is methodical and quickly grasps the issues."
"She is very hard-working and efficient." (Chambers UK, 2023)
"Rhiannon is an astounding advocate. She is unflappable in court, and handles any challenge with ease and with flair." (Legal 500, 2023)
“Regularly instructed to prosecute cases concerning fraud, as well as serious sexual and violent offences. She also defends a wide variety of cases, including those involving child sexual abuse and multi-handed drugs conspiracies.
"She is very calm and measured, and she shows very good judgement."
"Rhiannon is a dynamic prosecution and defence advocate with broad experience at all levels of criminal law. She has an outstanding reputation, a strong work ethic and excellent organisational skills."
"She is a highly regarded junior and has been led in a multitude of cases including a 3-month long conspiracy to steal, a conspiracy to defraud the Secretary of State involving international visa fraud, as well as murder, both prosecuting and defending."
"She is a persuasive negotiator with exceptional communication skills and experience in handling highly sensitive cases. She has a keen interest in honour based crimes and successfully secured an acquittal for a father accused of honour based kidnap and false imprisonment."
"Rhiannon is lauded for her willingness to go the extra mile and delivery at the highest of standards. She is a Grade 3 prosecutor and routinely briefed in both London and the Provinces. She has a proven ability to adapt quickly to new and complex environments and thrives under pressure." (Chambers UK, 2018)
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PROFILE: Rhiannon Sadler

Legal 500, 2023 Chambers UK, 2024

Year called

2004

Specialisms

Crime

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Confiscation / POCA

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Financial Crime

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Fraud, Bribery & Corruption

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Serious Crime

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Sexual offences

Disciplinary

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Regulatory / Disciplinary

Military

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Military

Road Traffic

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Road traffic

Direct access

Yes

Contact

020 7489 2727

Education

BVC, The College of Law, London, 2003–04

LLB (Hons) in Law, Kingston University 2000–03

Memberships

CBA, South Eastern circuit, Sussex Bar Mess, North London Bar Mess

Appointments

CPS Panel (Grade 4)

Association of Military Court Advocates – committee member

Recognition

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