Alexandra Monaghan.
Practice profile:
Alexandra has a busy criminal defence practice, involving serious offences such as attempted murder. She is also regularly instructed as a led junior in complex matters including murder and high-value fraud.
Alexandra is often instructed to act for youth defendants as young as 13 and those suffering with mental illness, due to her sensitive and down to earth approach. She represented a youth in a case that received international press coverage, resulting in her client being the only defendant of four to have no evidence offered against him.
In addition to acting for individuals, Alexandra has previously advised companies and directors, including in relation to breaches of anti-money laundering obligations and food hygiene & safety regulations.
Alexandra gained experience in the fields of healthcare and education regulation before coming to the Bar, having spent several years with leading law firm Kingsley Napley, where she investigated fitness to practise concerns on behalf of several regulators in England and Wales. Alexandra uses this experience when appearing before regulators including the Teaching Regulation Agency and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
In addition to her professional discipline experience, Alexandra has represented individuals in Article 2 inquests.
Present and recent instructions:
R v DM - Instructed as junior, led by Clea Topolski KC, to represent a client charged with murder and robbery.
R v S - Instructed as led junior in a case involving allegations of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life.
R v A - Instructed as led junior to represent the first defendant in a case involving five defendants, two counts of conspiracy to rape and several counts of rape.
- R v S – Central Criminal Court – Representing a youth with significant and complex mental health diagnoses facing an indictment including murder, possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and conspiracy to rob.
- R v E – Southwark Crown Court – Instructed as a led junior in a VHCC fraud scheduled to last 4 months.
- R v R – Woolwich Crown Court – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life or cause fear of serious violence. After a 6-week trial, the defendant was unanimously acquitted of both counts.
- R v C – St Albans Crown Court – Successful in running the insanity defence, which was challenged by the Crown and involved calling expert witnesses.
- The London Borough of Waltham Forest v L Ltd – Instructed to provide written advice in respect of plea, sentence and costs to both the company and director upon receipt of charge. Also instructed to represent the Company at court, including at sentence.
- R v B – Kingston Crown Court – Instructed in a section 18 GBH in which it is alleged that a knife was used to inflict significant facial injuries to the complainant.
- R v P – Court of Appeal – Successful in appealing a sentence of 10 years, resulting in a reduction of 3 years.
- R v M – Inner London Crown Court – Instructed to represent a defendant with mental health diagnoses in a case involving an allegation of arson with intent to endanger life.
- R v C – Harrow Crown Court – A case involving allegations of section 18 GBH against the defendant’s mother and father, who did not wish to give evidence. Successfully opposed the Crown’s application to rely on the mother and father’s accounts on body worn video as res gestae, resulting in the Crown offering no evidence.
- R v Q – Inner London Crown Court – Representing a defendant found unfit to plead at in a trial of issue on an indictment containing 4 counts of sexual assault.
- R v J - Woolwich Crown Court – Representing a 17-year old charged with attempted murder by stabbing.
- R v H – Northampton Crown Court - Instructed as a led junior for a defendant facing a conspiracy to steal and a conspiracy to burgle goods with a total value of £4million
- R v B – Southwark Crown Court – Instructed as a led junior in relation to a 13-defendant conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
- R v S – Reading Crown Court – Instructed to represent a 15-year old charged with a joint enterprise s18 stabbing, 3 counts of aggravated burglary and criminal damage. The defendant was acquitted of all counts.
Qualifications:
- Bar Professional Training Course, City Law School
- Vulnerable Witness Training, Middle Temple
Professional memberships:
- Criminal Bar Association
- HSE Panel Advocate - Category C
- Women in Criminal Law
- The Honourable Society of Middle Temple
Practice Areas:
Alexandra specialises in criminal defence and has experience in a range of offences, including violence and drugs.
Alexandra has a background in financial crime, having been involved in the investigation and prosecution of cases at the Serious Fraud Office before joining the Bar. She was part of the investigation team to secure the first conviction for the Section 2 offence of destroying documents relevant to a SFO investigation and later returned to the SFO as disclosure Counsel on the Unaoil prosecution. Alexandra is currently instructed as a led junior in a VHCC case involving a multi-million-pound fraud and has previously been instructed to advise a company in relation to their obligations under the money laundering provisions.
Alexandra was employed by Kingsley Napley to investigate fitness to practice concerns on behalf of several regulators, including the HCPC, the NCTL and the EWC. She has a thorough understanding of the regulatory process and the benefit of first-hand experience of working closely with several regulators in England and Wales. She is regularly instructed to represent healthcare professionals, including advising in relation to appealing decisions of the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Notable cases:
- R v R – Woolwich Crown Court – Instructed to represent a defendant charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life or cause fear of serious violence. After a 6-week trial, the defendant was unanimously acquitted of both counts.
- R v P – Court of Appeal – Successful in appealing a sentence of 10 years, resulting in a reduction of 3 years.
- R v C – Harrow Crown Court – A case involving allegations of section 18 GBH against the defendant’s mother and father, who did not wish to give evidence. Successfully opposed the Crown’s application to rely on the mother and father’s accounts on body worn video as res gestae, resulting in the Crown offering no evidence.
- R v C – St Albans Crown Court – Successful in running the insanity defence, which was challenged by the Crown and involved calling expert witnesses.
- The London Borough of Waltham Forest v L Ltd – Instructed to provide written advice in respect of plea, sentence and costs to both the company and director upon receipt of charge. Also instructed to represent the Company at court, including at sentence.
- R v O – Successfully argued against the minimum mandatory sentence of 7 years for a 19-year-old where his previous convictions were committed when he was 16 and 17 and in a case with a background of exploitation and grooming. The defendant was given a sentence of 3 years.
- R v A – Kingston Crown Court – Submission of no case to answer in a case involving hearsay evidence from a deceased complainant, resulting in NG verdicts on attempted robbery and burglary.
- R v C – Southwark Crown Court – Successful s.78 application to exclude pre-caution comments resulting in the Crown offering no evidence.
- R v J – Inner London Crown Court – Following a 4-day trial, Alexandra successfully applied to discharge the jury due to disclosure failings on the part of the Crown, later leading to the Crown offering no evidence on allegations of robbery and witness intimidation.
- R v R – Inner London Crown Court – Successful submission of no case to answer for allegations of fraud and having a false ID document with improper purpose.
- R v P – Harrow Crown Court – Following cross-examination, Alexandra was successful in advancing a submission of no case to answer in respect of one count of attempted robbery. The defendant was acquitted of possession of a blade which, on the Crown’s case, was used to commit a robbery.
- R v A – Highbury Corner Youth Court – Successfully persuaded the Crown to offer no evidence, in a case involving an offence which the Crown alleged was motivated by homophobia. The three remaining defendants pleaded guilty. This case received international news coverage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-50586498
- NMC v O – Represented a nurse at a substantive hearing, resulting in findings of dispensing medication with no clinical justification and dishonesty. Despite the Panel’s findings, Alexandra made submissions which resulted in no finding of current impairment. Alexandra was later instructed to represent the Registrant before the Disclosure and Barring Service, resulting in the barring decision being reviewed.
- NMC v W – Represented a nurse at a substantive hearing. Alexandra was successful in making a submission of no case to answer in respect of 2 of 3 charges. Following careful cross-examination and closing submissions, the Panel found the final allegation, which was supported by direct eyewitness evidence, not proved.
- Inquest touching the death of ME - Represented a prison officer as an interested party to an inquest involving a death in custody. The officer was the only prison officer separately represented at the inquest and was involved in closing the deceased’s ACCT prior to his death.
Policies:
Alexandra Monaghan news.
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