Laura Deuxberry > Chambers of David Berkley KC > Winchester, England > Barrister Profile

Laura Deuxberry

Work Department

Crime; Public and Regulatory; Inquests

Position

Criminal barrister Laura Deuxberry has expertise in criminal, regulatory, public law and quasi-criminal/civil matters.

Laura is praised for her tenacious and robust approach in court, whilst outside of court, she has an approachable and reassuring manner with clients and witnesses, with whom she is quick to establish a rapport. Laura gives sensible, realistic advice. She has an ability to manage client’s and witnesses’ expectations, whilst also ensuring that they feel that their views have
been listened to.

Due to Laura’s manner, she is able to reach agreement with her opponents which results in successful resolutions to cases that otherwise may not have been possible.

Laura acts as a junior mentor for pupils within Chambers. She also mentors students who are thinking of pursuing a career in law and at the Bar. She has appeared as a guest speaker at events and she is keen to encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

Laura is a Level 2 Prosecutor on the CPS Advocate Panel General Crime List.

CRIME

Laura Deuxberry prosecutes and defends in all areas of general crime including; drugs (possession and supply), offences against the person, arson, burglary, fraud, sexual
assaults, child offences (images, contact offences and child neglect), weapons offences, public order offences, breach proceedings, harassment and stalking.

Laura also acts in Youth Court proceedings. Her reassuring and approachable manner means that youth clients and their parents/carers are put at ease. Laura has defended in court martial hearings and is a keen supporter of military charities. She also spent time shadowing a prosecutor from the SPA.

Criminal Defence

Recent defence cases include:

• R v GC (2022): successful appeal to the Court of Appeal regarding the imposition of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Order removed.
• R v BD (2022): Newport IoW Crown Court, not guilty verdict of GBH after trial advancing self-defence.
• R v EC (2022): successful in persuading the Crown to withdraw the case against a client with serious mental health difficulties who had assaulted paramedics and police in the midst of a mental health crisis.
• R v FS (2022): Portsmouth Crown Court, suspended sentence for a client who pleaded guilty to child neglect x 3.
• R v DH (2022): Newport IoW Crown Court, not guilty verdicts after trial relating to charges of ABH and having an offensive weapon in a public place
• R v MS (2022): Portsmouth Crown Court, not guilty verdict after trial of ABH
• R v SM (2022): Newport, IoW Crown Court, not guilty verdict after trial of assault by beating of an emergency worker
• R v FD (2022): Newport, IoW Crown Court, not guilty verdict after trial of ABH on a prison officer.
• R v JS (2022): Swindon Crown Court, not guilty of GBH and witness intimidation after trial.
• R v L (2022): Bournemouth Crown Court, breach proceedings withdrawn after evidence of a reasonable excuse was presented to the NPS.
• R v MN (2022): Bournemouth Crown Court, not guilty verdict in respect of a breach of a non-molestation order, the jury were hung on the second charge
  and no retrial sought by Crown, not guilty verdict entered.
• R v AS (2021): Salisbury Crown Court, dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit, successful submission of no case to answer, not guilty verdict entered.
• R v ZA (2021): Crown persuaded to offer no evidence in respect of a charge of being concerned in the supply of class B, guilty plea to having a knife in a
  public place, suspended sentence imposed, mitigation described as focussed and methodical.
• R v LT (2021): Portsmouth Crown Court, successful application to dismiss charges of having an offensive weapon in a public place, affray and a public
  order offence.
• R v JH (2021): Newport IoW Crown Court, not guilty verdict after trial for a client with Asperger’s who had acted in self-defence but had been charged
  with ABH.
• R v SC (2021): Newport (Wales) Crown Court- Section 4A stalking causing serious alarm or distress, hung jury, no retrial sought, not guilty verdict
  entered.
• R v MK (2020): Southampton Crown Court- drove with excess alcohol (118mg in 100ml breath) and two charges of child neglect (children in the car when
  drove with excess alcohol), avoided custodial sentence and obtained suspended sentence.

Criminal Prosecution

Recent prosecution cases include:

• R v SB (ongoing): Portsmouth Crown Court, section 18 wounding with intent to cause GBH and section 20 wounding.
• R v GH (2022): Weymouth stalker tried sell former partner home and firebombed neighbours car, case attracted widespread publicity including the Times and Dorset Echo.
• R v SC (2021): assault of woman in Bournemouth hotel; the case was covered in the press including the Gazette.
• R v AS and IL (2021): Portsmouth and Bournemouth Crown Court, ABH x 2, guilty verdicts after trial: press coverage included the Dorset Echo

PUBLIC AND REGULATORY

Professional discipline

During pupillage, Laura undertook a two-week secondment to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, during which she case presented at substantive order review hearings.

Her experience prior to coming to the Bar provided her with an excellent grounding in this area. She worked in conjunction with law firms to prepare a large professional negligence class action against financial advisers who had mis-sold complex tax schemes.

Taxi licence appeals

Laura has been instructed by local authority Councils to resist such appeals.

Education offences

Laura has prosecuted numerous hearings on behalf of Councils relating to education offences under the Education Act 1996.

Police matters

Laura has been instructed to represent the police in applications for domestic violence protection orders and in relation to shotgun appeals.

Environmental matters

Recent matters:

• Buckinghamshire County Council v SS (2019) Aylesbury Crown Court- breach of statutory duties relating to controlled waste
• PT v Blaby District Council (2018) Leicester Crown Court- appeal against conviction and sentenced for failure to comply with community protection notice, represented the Respondent Council, appeal dismissed

MOTORING OFFENCES

Laura prosecutes and defends in such matters. She represents both publicly-funded and privately paying clients.

Recent cases include:

• R v NV (2022): Staines Magistrates’ Court, speeding and driving with no insurance, successful exceptional hardship argument, disqualification reduced
  from 6 months to 4 weeks for a client who was a dentist and needed to drive for work.
• R v VR (2021): Bournemouth Crown Court, successful appeal against conviction, s.172 offences x 2 (failure to provide information).
• R v VD (2020): Thames Magistrates’ Court, driving with excess alcohol, (99 mg in 100ml breath) avoided a community order and received a curfew
• R v JG (2020): Northampton Magistrates’ Court, careless driving, the Defendant had hit an elderly lady causing her to suffer two leg fractures, after
  strong mitigation the client received a fine and 6 points avoiding disqualification.
• R v RW (2019): Poole Magistrates’ Court, careless driving, the CPS offered no evidence after weaknesses in the case were highlighted
• R v DP (2019): City of London Magistrates’ Court, careless driving and failure to stop – successfully defended a London taxi driver at trial.
• R v EP (2019): Southampton Magistrates’ Court, speeding and s.172 offence, CPS offered no evidence in relation to both offences after documents were produced supporting the client’s defence

Career

Year of call 2013

Memberships

• Level 2- CPS Advocate Panel-General Crime

Education

• BPTC, The University of Law, 2013 – Very competent
• LLB (Hons), The University of Bristol, 2012 – 2:1
• President of the Bar Society, 2011-2012
• Benefactors’ Scholarship, The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, 2012