criminal barrister Kitty Colley

Year of Call 1992

Kitty Colley

Tenant

kittycolley@millenniumchambers.com

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Expertise

Renowned for her extensive expertise, Kitty Colley is a distinguished criminal barrister specialising in intricate and sensitive serious legal cases. Her practice is defined by the adept navigation of complexities, demanding nothing short of expert advocacy skills. Early in proceedings, she is sought after for her strategic counsel and adept case management, all aimed at securing optimal outcomes for her clients.

Kitty is celebrated for her highly skilled, poised, and compelling advocacy. She approaches each case with a meticulous and adaptable mindset, excelling particularly in the nuanced handling of young and vulnerable witnesses and defendants. Her affable demeanour puts clients at ease, earning her a reputation as a tenacious advocate of utmost integrity.

Specialising in defending clients charged with murder, homicide, section 18 offences, domestic violence, and rape, Kitty harnesses her mastery of persuasive jury advocacy and comprehensive legal knowledge to secure favourable results for her clients. With a track record that includes lead counsel roles in murder and homicide cases, as well as serving as junior counsel in instances of manslaughter, child cruelty resulting in death, and death by dangerous driving, she consistently delivers excellence in legal representation. Notably, since 2019, she has been entrusted by prosecution and defence in numerous homicide cases, underscoring her standing as a formidable legal authority.

KITTY SPECIALISES IN ADVISING & REPRESENTING PEOPLE CHARGED WITH

White-Collar Crime:

  • Fraud and Corporate Crime: Misrepresentation or deceit in business
  • Money Laundering: Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA); concealing the origins of illegally obtained money
  • False accounting
  • Tax evasion
  • Market abuse: Insider Trading; Illegal securities trading based on non-public information
  • Ponzi schemes
  • Bribery and Corruption
  • Sanctions
  • Anti-competition

Conspiracy and Serious Organised Crime:

  • Firearms offences, including supply and possession of illegal firearms
  • Internet crime
  • Conspiracy to Money launder
  • Excise and tax fraud (including oils fraud)
  • Intellectual property crime (including counterfeit goods)
  • Armed robbery and cash-in-transit attacks
  • Conspiracy to Supply and Import Class A drugs
  • Counterfeit currency
  • Human trafficking
  • Organised immigration crime
  • Environmental crime

Crimes Against the Person:

  • Murder (homicide), manslaughter, infanticide
  • Common assault and Battery: Physical harm or threat of harm, harassment, offensive weapon, wounding/ABH/GBH
  • Sexual Offences: Rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration, sexual exploitation, child sex abuse and trafficking, extreme pornography, disclosing private sexual images without consent (‘revenge pornography’), indecent images of children
  • Human trafficking: Modern slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour
  • Kidnap: False imprisonment, child abduction

Crimes Against the State:

  • Terrorism: Acts of violence to instil fear for political purposes

Crimes Against Morality and Decency:

  • Prostitution: Engaging in sexual activities for money
  • Obscenity: Distribution of sexually explicit material
  • Public Indecency: Lewd behaviour in public spaces

Crimes Against Property:

  • Embezzlement fraud: Deception for personal gain
  • Aggravated Burglary
  • Arson or arson with intent to endanger life
  • Burglary: Unlawful entry with intent to commit a crime
  • Theft: Shoplifting, stealing, robbery

Crimes Against Public Order:

  • Disorderly Conduct: Disturbance of public peace
  • Rioting: Participation in violent public disturbances
  • Unlawful Assembly: Gathering with intent to disturb public peace

Crimes Against the Administration of Justice:

  • Perjury: Lying under oath
  • Obstruction of Justice: Interfering with legal processes
  • Contempt of Court: Disrespect or disobedience towards the court

Cyber Crime:

  • Computer Misuse Act
  • Fraud
  • False accounts
  • Coercion and Control

Cyber-Enabled Crimes: These are not dependent on computers or networks but are transformed in scale or form using the internet and communications technology.

  • Economic related cybercrime, including:
    • Fraud
    • Intellectual property crime – piracy, counterfeiting and forgery
  • Online marketplaces for illegal items.
  • Malicious and offensive communications, including:
  • Communications sent via social media or other electronic means.
  • Cyberbullying/trolling.
  • Virtual mobbing.
  • Offences that specifically target individuals, including cyber-enabled violence against women and girls
    (‘VAWG’):

    • Disclosing private sexual images without consent
    • Cyberstalking and harassment
    • Coercion and control
  • Child sexual offences and indecent images of children, including:
    • Child sexual abuse
    • Online grooming
    • Prohibited and indecent images of children
  • Extreme pornography, obscene publications and prohibited images

Dark Web Offences: The dark web comprises internet sites and content intentionally hidden and inaccessible through standard web browsers. The dark web facilitates criminal activity across a wide range of threats. It can be used to create so-called “safe spaces” for conspiring to commit offences, such as child sexual exploitation or the sale and purchase of illegal items (such as drugs or firearms).
Domestic Violence: Abuse or violence within familial or intimate relationships.

Drug Offences:

  • Trafficking
  • Supply and distribution of illegal substances
  • Importation
  • Possession

Economic Related Cybercrime: Criminal activities conducted through digital means.

  • Electronic financial fraud
  • Fraudulent sales through online auctions or retail sites
  • Mass-marketing fraud and consumer scams

Environmental Crimes: Violations of laws protecting the environment.

Firearms Offences:

  • Importation of Firearms
  • Possession of Firearms and shotguns without a certificate
  • Manufacture, sale, transfer of firearms, conversion
  • Possession of articles for conversion of imitation firearms
  • Possession of prohibited weapons
  • Criminal use of firearms, acquisition and possession of firearms and air weapons by children and young people

Fraud:

  • Art and Antique Fraud
  • Benefit Fraud
  • Credit Card Fraud
  • Investment Fraud
  • Mail and Wire Fraud
  • Money Laundering
  • Mortgage Fraud

Hate Crimes: Criminal acts motivated by bias or prejudice against a particular group.

  • Racist and Religious hate crime
  • Homophobic crime
  • Antisemitic crime
  • Islamophobic crime

Restraint & Civil Recovery:

  • Corporate and Commercial Fraud
  • Financial Services Regulation
  • Bribery & Corruption
  • Money Laundering & Proceeds of Crime, including high-yield investment fraud
  • Tax & Insolvency offences, including EU duty fraud
  • Public and Charity Sector Fraud
  • International Sanctions
  • Unexplained Wealth Orders

Traffic Offences: All driving offences. Violations of traffic laws and regulations.

Notable Cases

Kitty secured the acquittal of a professional footballer and a former teammate charged with rape. (R v T-V 2015). The case attracted high media attention.

Kitty has developed a private client practice in cases of rape, historical sexual offences and cases requiring an expert and sensitive handling of clients and witnesses. She recently secured the acquittal of a professional man charged with rape and of his stepdaughter.

Kitty has spoken on BBC Radio 5 Live as a specialist barrister on rape allegations and appeared on BBC Breakfast Live as a legal commentator/expert.

Private Client

Kitty regularly receives instructions from private clients accused of serious or historical sexual offences.  As a result, she regularly succeeds in securing ‘not guilty’ verdicts for clients facing allegations of rape and sexual abuse.

  • Defence of a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome charged with penetrative assault of a 3-year-old. Through legal application and argument, the prosecution dropped the charges before trial.
  • Defence of retired police officer charged with historic rape of a civilian whilst on duty.
  • Defence of insurance company director charged with drunken sexual assault of a work colleague. Kitty secured a conditional discharge.
  • Defence of 16-year-old son of a police officer charged with rape. The case was dropped following submissions.

MURDER & MANSLAUGHTER

Recent and current cases include:

R v A and six others: Murder. Junior: Torture and killing of 2 victims. (start April 2023-)

R v S and six others: Junior :Cruelty, torture and severe violence in arranged marriage context. (Start October 2023-)

R v R and M: Murder. Junior: dealing with a large part of  the case alone to success. (concluded January 2023)

  • R v D: Leading junior. Murder of a man stabbed through the heart in the street.
  • R v B: Murder: Junior: Domestic violence/Loss of Control by daughter on her father. Acquittal.
  • R v T: Murder. Junior. A vulnerable victim in a relationship with D.
  • R v P: Murder: Junior. Asian community victim killed by husband in the family home. Case of cultural sensitivity with vulnerable child witnesses.
  • R v C: Defence. Multiple violent and sexual offences upon a 3-year-old boy involving complex medical evidence.

Kitty has a varied practice and represents individual and corporate clients on a private and publicly funded basis. In addition, she is instructed in “cold case” review cases for the defence and handles cases requiring cultural sensitivity.

Kitty accepts instructions in other areas of crime, including (but not limited to) defendants charged with violent robbery–knife-point and armed– drug trafficking/drug importation/drug conspiracies, firearms, controlling prostitution, serious sexual offences, fraud and money laundering charges.

Serious Sexual Offences

Over the past 20 years, Kitty has become one of the most highly rated specialists in cases involving rape and other serious sexual offences,for both defence and prosecution. Instructions include instances of a stranger and familial rape (including at gunpoint or involving extreme violence), as well as recent and non-recent complaints and those of the utmost complexity, sensitivity or public profile. She is experienced with multi-count indictments and multiple complainant and defendant cases.

Kitty has extensive expertise in questioning and dealing with the most vulnerable witnesses and defendants, including those with severe communication difficulties and mental health issues. For example, in one case, she dealt with an autistic complainant who could only communicate through drawing. In addition, she has extensive experience in pre-recorded cross-examination of a vulnerable witness under the section 28 pilot scheme.

Kitty is head of the NE Circuit Questioning of Vulnerable Witness Training Programme (ICCA approved) She was recently selected as one of 6 trainers for the ICCA and delivered advocacy training to lawyers in Sierra Leone. She is a lead advocacy trainer of both  recent and established practitioners.

R v JOC – Non-recent complaint. Rape. Appeal points on a presumption of incapacity, whether one can be guilty of attempted rape.

R v P – Status of victim personal statements.

R v W – Successful prosecution of foster carers for sexual abuse of 3 vulnerable children.

R v W – Rape of a female police officer.

R v RD, SD and PD – Familial, historical sexual abuse over four decades involving three generations, including foster children. Guilty verdicts on all 67 charges. Sentences of over 54 years in total.

R v JB – Rape of an elderly lady in her home: Guilty. Life sentence.

R v M and D – Paedophile ring with ten victims involving internet grooming and pornography; convicted with life sentences upheld on appeal.

R v D – Rape by a police officer of a vulnerable woman whilst on duty; convicted and imprisoned.

R v J – Gun-point kidnap and rape of a schoolgirl; convicted with a life sentence.

R v C – Rape and burglary of an elderly lady, involving substantial previous convictions. Convicted with a life sentence.

R v N A – Secured conditional discharge for Leeds businessman charged with sexual assault of a work colleague. No notification requirements.

R v JS – Defence of a student charged with penetrative sexual assault of a 3-year-old boy and secured not-guilty verdicts with a legal challenge to the competence of the victim.

R v JH – 16-year-old boy accused of multiple rapes on girlfriend- acquitted.

R v C – Multiple violent and sexual offences upon a 3-year-old boy involving complex medical evidence.

R v SL – Ex-husband of serving specialist police officer accused of rape of friend – acquitted.

R v C – Not Guilty: Successful defence of former premiership footballer, charged with rape. Unanimous verdicts acquitted the Former Player after a 9-day trial. The jury deliberated for 45 minutes.

R v BZ – Keighley grooming case. 14 defendants.

R v B – Non-recent rape of step-daughter; not guilty.

R v D – Non-recent sexual assault of a child by a businessman of good character; not guilty.

R v L – Mortgage fraud of £1m, with others; plea and community sentence.

R v P – Stranger rape of 15-year-old; not guilty.

R v M – Rape and violence of ex-partner; not guilty.

Serious Crime

R v W, B, F – Drugs conspiracy to supply heroin and production of cannabis.

Fraud and Financial Crime

R v TJ and Others – Controlling prostitution for gain and money laundering; guilty; life sentence.

R v L – Mortgage fraud of £1m, with others; plea and community sentence.

Kitty has successfully represented clients appearing before major hearings at the Court of Criminal Appeal and is often consulted to advise on the merits of an appeal.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Kitty has attracted broad judicial endorsement and has been described as:

“An advocate of great skill and substantial experience with highly developed interpersonal skills and deep and detailed knowledge of applicable law.” – Retired Circuit Judge.

“An advocate of great skill and substantial experience with highly developed interpersonal skills and a deep and detailed knowledge of applicable law.” – Retired Circuit Judge.

“A highly skilled practitioner, able to communicate complex and highly sensitive issues to a jury and court alike with consummate ease”– Senior Circuit Judge.

Appointments

  • Approved advocacy trainer/AITC -trained and approved
  • Approved pupil supervisor
  • Circuit advocacy trainer

Professional Memberships

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • North Eastern Circuit
  • Middle Temple

Areas of Practice

  • Criminal Defence | Serious Sexual Offences
  • Public Prosecution | Grade 4, RASSO Accredited
  • Private Prosecution
  • Business & Financial Crime

Appointments

  • Grade 4 Prosecutor
  • Rape & Serious Sexual Offence Panel
  • Approved advocacy trainer/AITC -trained and approved
  • Approved pupil supervisor
  • Circuit advocacy trainer
  • External Advocacy Assessor CPS – grade 4 and above

Professional Memberships

  • Criminal Bar Association
  • North Eastern Circuit
  • Middle Temple

Expertise

Kitty Colley is a criminal barrister specialising in cases that require expert advocacy skills. She has experience in serious sexual offences, drug trafficking, violent crime, and fraud; successfully defending a range of clients.

Kitty has a varied practice and represents both individual and corporate clients respectively. Kitty is called upon to advise professional clients at an early stage of proceedings in respect of strategy and achieving the best outcome for lay clients.

Kitty has a reputation for being a highly-skilled, measured, forceful and persuasive advocate. She has a thorough, analytical and adaptable approach, and is particularly skilled in the handling of young and vulnerable witnesses and defendants. She is highly personable, putting clients from all backgrounds at ease and has a high reputation as a tenacious advocate. Kitty represents both private and publicly funded clients. She is instructed in “cold case” review cases for both defence and prosecution.

Kitty also accepts instructions in all other areas of crime, including offences of violence (murder/section 18, domestic violence); robbery (knife-point and armed); drugs; burglary and conspiracy to burgle; firearms; controlling prostitution; money-laundering; and drugs conspiracies. She handles cases requiring cultural sensitivity.

Kitty has successfully represented clients appearing before major hearings at the Court of Criminal Appeal and is often consulted to advise on the merits of an appeal.

Notable Cases

Kitty secured the acquittal of a professional footballer and a former teammate, who was charged with rape. (R v T-V 2015). The case attracted high media attention.

Kitty has developed a private client practice in cases of rape, historic sexual offences and cases requiring an expert and sensitive handling of client and witnesses. She recently secured the acquittal of a professional man charged with rape and of his step-daughter.

Kitty has spoken on BBC Radio 5 Live as a specialist barrister on the subject of the false rape allegation.

Private Client

Kitty regularly receives instructions from private clients accused of serious or historic sexual offences.  She regularly succeeds in securing ‘not guilty’ verdicts for clients facing allegations of rape and sexual abuse.

  • Defence of a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome charged with penetrative assault of a 3-year-old. Through legal application and argument, the prosecution dropped the charges before trial.
  • Defence of retired police officer charged with historic rape of a civilian whilst on duty
  • Defence of director of insurance company charged with drunken sexual assault of a work colleague. Kitty secured a conditional discharge.
  • Defence of 16-year-old son of a police officer charged with rape. The case was dropped following submissions.

Serious Sexual Offences

Over the past 15 years, Kitty has become one of the most highly rated specialists in cases involving rape and other serious sexual offences. She has both prosecuted and defended serious non-recent cases. Instructions include cases of a stranger and familial rape (including at gunpoint or involving extreme violence), as well as recent and non-recent complaints and those of the utmost complexity, sensitivity or public profile. She is very experienced with multi-count indictments, multiple complainants and multiple defendant cases.

Kitty has extensive expertise in questioning and dealing with the most vulnerable witnesses and defendants, including those with severe communication difficulties and mental health issues. In one case, she dealt with an autistic complainant who could only communicate through drawing. She has extensive experience of pre-recorded cross-examination of a vulnerable witness under the section 28 pilot scheme.

Kitty was selected as one of 12 trainers on the programme of Vulnerable Witness Training of all barristers on the North-Eastern circuit in the questioning and handling of vulnerable witnesses.

R v JOC – Non-recent complaint. Rape. Appeal point on a presumption of incapacity; whether can be guilty of attempted rape;

R v P – Status of victim personal statements;

R v W – Successful prosecution of foster carers for sexual abuse of  3 vulnerable children in their care;

R v W – Rape of a female police officer;

R v RD, SD and PD – Familial historic sexual abuse over 4 decades involving 3 generations, including foster children. Guilty verdicts on all 67 charges. Sentences of over 54 years in total;

R v JB – Rape of an elderly lady in her home: Guilty. Life sentence;

R v M and D – Paedophile ring with 10 victims involving internet grooming and pornography; convicted with life sentences upheld on appeal;

R v D – Rape by a police officer of a vulnerable woman whilst on duty; convicted and imprisoned;

R v J – Gun-point kidnap and rape of a schoolgirl; convicted with a life sentence;

R v C – Rape and burglary of an elderly lady, involving substantial previous convictions. Convicted with a life sentence;

R v N A – Secured conditional discharge for Leeds businessman charged with sexual assault of a work colleague. No notification requirements;

R v JS – Defence of student charged with penetrative sexual assault of a 3-year-old boy. Secured not guilty verdicts with a legal challenge to competence of victim;

R v JH – 16 yr old boy accused of multiple rapes on girlfriend- acquitted;

R v C – Multiple violent and sexual offences upon a 3-year-old boy, involving complex medical evidence;

R v SL – Ex-husband of serving specialist police officer accused of rape of friend – acquitted;

R v C – Not Guilty: Successful defence of former premiership footballer, charged with rape. The Former Player was acquitted by unanimous verdicts after a 9-day trial. The jury deliberated for 45 minutes;

R v BZ –  Keighley grooming case. 14 defendants;

R v B – Non-recent rape of step-daughter; not guilty;

R v D – Non-recent sexual assault of a child by a businessman of good character; not guilty;

R v L – Mortgage fraud of £1m, with others; plea and community sentence;

R v P – Stranger rape of 15-year-old; not guilty;

R v M – Rape and violence of ex-partner; not guilty.

Serious Crime

R v W, B, F – Drugs conspiracy to supply heroin and production of cannabis.

Fraud and Financial Crime

R v TJ and Others – Controlling prostitution for gain and money laundering; guilty; life sentence;

R v L – Mortgage fraud of £1m, with others; plea and community sentence.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Kitty has attracted wide judicial endorsement and has been described as:

“An advocate of great skill and substantial experience with highly developed interpersonal skills and deep and detailed knowledge of applicable law.” – Retired circuit judge

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