Ms Safiya Sinclair > Bark&co > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Ms Safiya Sinclair

Work Department

Serious Crime

Position

At the start of her career, Safiya trained with Bark&co to qualify as a Solicitor. After some years, she then returned to us in November 2021 as a Consultant, and has been an integral part of the team again ever since.

Safiya’s work mainly involves her representing suspects at the police station, Defendants in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts, and appeals against conviction and/or sentence where appropriate.

She accepts instructions for both legal aid and privately funded work. She is renowned for the excellent rapport she has with her clients and her meticulous case preparation, which many colleagues comment on and are highly appreciative of.

Her experience spans from representing those accused of murder, to those accused of ‘petty crime’. No matter the seriousness, she recognises that any brush with the Criminal Justice System can have a massive impact on her client’s lives, and therefore strives to give her utmost attention and time to every case she is instructed on.

Recent Cases:

 K – no further action taken in relation to an allegation of attempted murder. The client was arrested in the vehicle involved in the alleged incident approximately half an hour after the incident was said to have taken place.

M – no further action taken in relation to an allegation of conspiracy to commit GBH despite the complainant describing the person that stabbed him as M.

R v C – case of possession with intent to supply drugs over a sustained period of time dropped by the CPS before trial. The client raised a defence of Modern Day Slavery. Safiya instructed two experts to compile reports in support of his account which the CPS took into consideration when discontinuing the case.

R v A – client received a 2 year suspended sentence following a guilty plea to possession with intent to supply class A drugs. The starting point on the sentencing guidelines is 4.5 years immediate custody.

R v P – case dropped by the CPS four months after the client was charged with aggravated burglary and allegedly cell sited in the vicinity of the incident. Safiya instructed a telephone/cell site expert to analyse the telephone data in this case and test the strength of the case against her client.

R v B – client received a suspended sentence for a third possession of a knife offence. The Sentencing Guidelines state (not verbatim) that a court must impose a sentence of immediate imprisonment, a minimum of 6 months, for any second knife offence, unless it would be unjust. Robust mitigation and careful preparation on this case achieved an impressive result.

R v M – client acquitted by the Jury following a £33,000 fraud which was proved had taken place.

R v T – client acquitted by the Jury after approximately 30 minutes of deliberation following a successful defence of necessity.