New Park Court Chambers

Crime, Regulatory

Helen Chapman has a mixed crime and regulatory practice, with a particular interest in cases involving heavy-weight complex crime, terrorism and serious sexual offences. Helen has successfully prosecuted and defended regulatory offences for many regulatory bodies and also defended individuals.

Helen is a well-regarded defence advocate, noted for her sensitivity to vulnerable clients and robust cross-examination. She is meticulous and effective with a personable style and an easy manner.

Crime

Helen prosecutes and defends the most serious cases either as a leading junior, sole junior or led junior. Fraud Crime provides the mainstay of Helen’s practice and she also has particular expertise in cases involving Rape and Serious Sexual Offences. She is a Grade 4 prosecutor and is an accredited member of the CPS Rape Panel. Helen is a specialist panel advocate for the Counter Terrorism Unit.

• R v TH (Hull Crown Court): Led by Jason Pitter KC defending a woman who had stabbed her husband to death in the course of an argument over Christmas 2022. She was 54, there had been a long and happy marriage and her adult children were supporting her. The first jury could not decide on either murder or manslaughter. In the re-trial she was convicted of murder. The case was the subject of local media interest and comment. The minimum term of 9 years imprisonment was considered for reference to the Court of Appeal by the Prosecution but rejected.
• R v MK and others (Bradford Crown Court): Leading Junior prosecuting 21 defendants for their parts in two violent disorders, a conspiracy to commit the second violent disorder and s18 assaults . 18 defendants were prosecuted in 2025 and there are three others to be tried in 2027. In the course of the violence one victim almost lost his hand after he was attacked with a machete. There was voluminous telephone evidence and a careful strategy had to be in place to manage so many defendants within one case.
• R v GK (Leeds Crown Court): Junior Counsel led by a KC prosecuting a defendant alleged to have shaken the infant child of his partner. The medical evidence was complex and there was third party material from various sources that Helen was tasked with navigating disclosure as well as considering a complicated picture as to character.
• R v JF (Court of Appeal): The Defendant had been convicted at trial of rape following a sexual encounter with a woman he met in a pub. The Defence case had been that the Complainant had made the allegations up because she had a boyfriend. The jury had not accepted that and had convicted him unanimously. Helen was instructed privately to advise a year post-sentence on documents that had been provided by the Prosecution. Those documents included a copy of a the Complainant’s notebook where she referred to herself as a compulsive liar. Helen successfully brought an appeal against the convictions on the basis of this fresh evidence. The Court of Appeal quashed the convictions.
• R v IC and LC (Sheffield Crown Court): Leading Junior for the Prosecution – Police had attended the Defendant’s address and discovered many and varied weapons and explosive devices. That led to a large area being cordoned off and evacuated whilst the properties were made safe. It transpired that the devices were being used to ward off intruders from interfering in a significant quantity of drugs and over £40,000 in cash. There was expert evidence called on both sides in respect of the explosives, firearms and drugs. The Defendants were both convicted on all counts after a 12 day trial.

Regulatory

Helen has successfully prosecuted and defended regulatory offences for many regulatory bodies. She has also defended individuals in respect of regulatory offences. Helen has dealt with expert evidence including medical evidence as to causation, engineering and computing evidence, and forensic accountancy evidence.

Notable regulatory cases:

• Prosecuted a Trading Standards case of a cowboy builder who had targeted the elderly. Progress was being frustrated by persistent submissions from defence counsel. Dealt with arguments as to abuse, disclosure, admissibility and the form of the indictment. The Defence capitulated, and the case resolved successfully by way of guilty pleas.
• Instructed as a led junior prosecuting a substantial care-home fraud. Helen conducted advocacy in respect of the regulatory aspects of the case, drafting and resisting the abuse of process arguments. The case was a NHS investigation and Police investigation ultimately prosecuted by the CPS resulting in disclosure difficulties. Responsible for the compilation of the evidence.
• Instructed to prosecute breaches of Waste Management Regulations in the Magistrates’ Court she secured convictions against 5 defendants in person. The Defendants raised points of admissibility, limitation, the appointment of Mackenzie friends, interpreters and issues relating to the bad character of a prosecution witness. Secured convictions in the face of hostile and vexatious litigants.
• Assisting with preparation of gross neg, corp manslaughter and s.2/3 HSWA 1974 offences. Gross negligence manslaughter following a fall from height at a warehouse in Birmingham. Issues as to the victim’s employment status researched and prepared skeleton arguments relying on the case of Pola. Drafted an indictment with sections 2 and 3 as alternatives. Prepared a sentencing bundle and Friskies schedule in line with F. Howe & Son.
• Instructed as a led junior for a financial advisor prosecuted for regulatory offences under FSMA 2000 and a multi-handed fraud amounting to over £1m. Prepared legal arguments about the correct application of the relevant statutory instrument. She conducted advocacy throughout the trial in conjunction, including cross examination of a forensic accountant.