Rebecca Steels

Barrister

Introduction

Rebecca is building a busy criminal practice, both prosecuting and defending in the Crown Court. She also acts in regulatory proceedings.

Background and Expertise

Rebecca completed pupillage with Chambers in April 2021 and since then has cultivated a predominantly criminal practice, appearing regularly in trials, including those involving domestic violence, drug supply and dishonesty offences of burglary and robbery. Rebecca is a Grade 2 CPS Panel Advocate and is frequently instructed from advising at the pre-charge stage all the way through to trial.

Rebecca is a thorough, conscientious practitioner and aims to quickly establish a rapport with those involved at each stage of a criminal trial, both professional and lay clients. She has completed the vulnerable witness training and has experience acting in matters involving intermediaries, ground rules hearings and section 28 hearings.

Rebecca also regularly acts to present cases for Social Work England in fitness to practice proceedings. Her practice spans advising pre-hearing, drafting submissions and the oral advocacy at substantive hearings. As such, she is developing a regulatory element in her practice.

In Chambers, Rebecca has an active role within the Pupillage Committee and is committed to the recruitment of successful new pupils.

Notable Cases

R v T (2023)

Defending T, successfully persuaded the Crown to offer no evidence on public interest grounds in a case of assault emergency worker involving a defendant with significant vulnerabilities.

R v C & M (2023)

Prosecuted a two-handed conspiracy to supply Class A drugs in which one defendant changed his plea to Guilty on day three of trial following cross-examination when the judge withdrew his modern slavery defence from the jury; the jury were hung on the other defendant.

R v N (2023)

Successfully persuaded the court to find exceptional hardship such that N was not disqualified from driving despite having 12 points on her licence. This followed extensive submissions relating to N’s rural location, her being a single mother responsible for transporting her son, and her son’s poor mental health.

R v T (2023)

Prosecuted T for a domestic burglary in which the evidence hinged on the identification of T by an officer from a CCTV still circulated on the police identification database. Following submissions from Defence as to the possibility of a mistaken ID, after deliberation, the jury acquitted T.

R v C (2023)

Prosecuted C for harassment of his brother following a family dispute over their mother’s will. Advised the CPS extensively given C’s significant health problems and the evidential position. The case resolved by way of a restraining order against C to protect his brother.

SWE v F (2023)

Presented the case for SWE. The Panel determined that F had worked two full-time jobs concurrently and had failed to disclose this to her employer. As a result, the Panel found misconduct and impairment, and removed F from the social work register.

SWE v M (2023)

Presented the case for SWE. The Panel found M’s fitness to practice to be impaired following a finding that she had physically chastised her own child. A suspension from practice was imposed.

R v F (2022)

Defended F, who entered Guilty pleas on a limited basis to drug supply offences, following detailed consideration of phone evidence and liaison with the Prosecution. This led to a reduced sentence.

SWE v B (2022)

Presented the case for SWE. The Panel found B to have committed dishonest acts, causing harm to service users, and to have then maintained his deception to attempt to cover up his actions. This amounted to misconduct and his fitness to practice was impaired. B was removed from the social work register.

R v P (2021)

Defended P who was accused of threatening his housemates with a knife. Successfully applied to vacate his plea due to concerns about the plea being equivocal and P’s own mental health. The Crown subsequently offered no evidence.