Rachel White

Rachel is a criminal specialist with 18 years of experience. Her practice encompasses complex and serious cases that include allegations of murder, organised crime, violence, child cruelty, sexual offences, drug trafficking, dishonesty and fraud.

She has appeared in several high-profile trials including R v RG (2017) (a murder committed during the course of a burglary where the householder was run over), R v GG (2018) (a fatal stabbing), R v GA (2018) (football related violence where the victim was left partially sighted) and R v DO (2018) (a husband accused of poisoning his estranged wife).

She acts in cases of gang violence with firearms and offensive weapons and large public disorders. She also appears in cases where the background is domestic and the allegations are of assault, coercive and controlling behaviour or child cruelty.

Rachel is regularly instructed to act for vulnerable defendants. She represented a mother accused of allowing the death of a child, who suffered from “battered wife syndrome”. She has defended veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic distress disorder and often acts for young adults with learning disabilities accused of crimes. Her particular expertise and sensitive approach to the preparation of such cases is seen as invaluable by both her clients and solicitors.

Rachel is instructed in the full range of sexual offences, some of which have involved witnesses as young as three years old.  She has great experience in dealing with historic allegations of a sexual nature and those arising in an employment or professional context. Rachel remains conscious that some of her clients have previously never been before the courts, and she is always astute to the stress and anxieties that a prosecution can create. She is a member of the sexual offences panel.

Rachel undertakes work involving financial misconduct by employees against large organisations, such as banks and care homes.  She also appears in complex frauds with multiple defendants, where the evidence is extensive and detailed. She has significant experience of defending those accused of dishonesty offences such as perverting the course of justice, blackmail and immigration offences associated with sham marriages.

Rachel advises on the complex confiscation matters that arise in drugs conspiracies and appeared for the principal defendant in Operation Nexus – a multi-million-pound conspiracy to supply significant kilos of heroin and cocaine.

In addition to appearing in criminal matters in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal, Rachel accepts instructions to act in inquests and in a range of regulatory actions. Rachel’s inquest expertise focuses on deaths in custody. She has been instructed in inquest matters by a wide range of interested parties and is particularly well placed to deal with deaths that have arisen from or involve criminal offending.

Rachel prides herself on maintaining excellent working relationships with her professional and lay clients. She has a conscientious and proactive approach to case preparation.

She is able to accept instructions via direct access where appropriate and undertakes private defence work, as well as legal aid cases.