Catherine Farrelly

Practice Profile

Catherine Farrelly is one of the foremost leading juniors in the South Eastern Circuit, a sought after and highly regarded criminal advocate with a busy and successful practice and extensive expertise in leading serious and complex litigation.

Catherine has extensive experience in all forms of homicide and has been instructed in some of the most complex and sensitive cases involving sexual offending of recent years, including some of the UK's most prolific offenders. She is an accredited advocacy facilitator (trainer) of other advocates in relation to young and vulnerable witnesses and has received a commendation from the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in recognition of the way in which she dealt with a very young complainant in a case involving very serious sexual allegations.

Catherine is also a first choice for cases with a true international dimension. She has a wide experience of assisting in drafting ILORs; arguing the admissibility of foreign evidence and mutual legal assistance more generally. 

Catherine is praised for her tenacious commitment to her cases and her meticulous attention to detail. Her sensitivity and emotional intelligence make her ideal for cases involving vulnerable witnesses and defendants, earning their confidence in the criminal process and maximising the quality of their evidence. 

Catherine is always willing to discuss a case before instructions are sent. To do this, please contact the clerks room.  

Catherine's Privacy Policy can be downloaded here.

Advocate Panels:

• Counter Terrorism - Grade 4
• Fraud - Grade 4
• General Crime - Grade 4
• Serious Crime - Grade 4
• RASSO - Grade 4

Other Languages:

Italian

News

• R v PK [Isleworth Crown Court] 2021

  Double Rapist

  The prosecution of a male for two separate rapes involving significant violence. It involved contested, and successful, application for joinder and complex issues in relation to character evidence.

  https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/ivy-league-raped-women-london-convicted-b908342.html

• R v DW [Ipswich Court Court] 2021

  Sexual Abuse of Children

  The prosecution of one of the most prolific offenders investigated by the NCA who was responsible for the on-line sexual abuse of 52 children. The case concerned complex issues in relation to the indictment, given the significant number of complainants involved.

  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/11/23/paedophile-would-not-have-caught-facebooks-encryption-plans/

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8978441/One-Britains-worst-paedophiles-admits-96-sex-offences-against-51-boys.html

• R v CU & others [Kingston] 2020

  Commercial Burglary

  Prosecution of twelve defendants in relation to a string of high value commercial burglaries involving the theft of rare and precious books.  Led by Catherine Farrelly. 

  News reports:

  https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/18/rare-books-stolen-london-heist-found-floor-romania

  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/18/rare-books-stolen-romanian-gang-recovered-joint-uk-eu-police/

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8747023/2-5million-trove-books-stolen-London-warehouse-Romania.html

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54209366

• R v CU & Ors [Kingston] 2020

  The Feltham Book Heist

  Leading Charlotte Hole. The prosecution of 12 defendants for a number of high-value commercial burglaries, including the theft of rare books by Isaac Newton & Francisco Goya. The prosecution arose out of a JIT (Joint Investigation Team) with Romanian and Italian law enforcement and concerned legal issues in relation to the admissibility of extraterritorial evidence and the presentation of a significant amount of telephone and cell-site evidence. The case attracted considerable interest in the national and international press.

  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/13/tome-raiders-solving-the-great-book-heist

  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/heist-isaac-newton-galileo-romania-clamparu-b748240.html

• R v SF & Ors [CCC] 2020

  Homicide

  Led by John Price QC. The prosecution of four men for murder. The case involved a significant amount of telephone and cell-site evidence.

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54986153

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