Siobhan Collins

Career background

From June-August 2003, worked as an intern for two law firms in San Francisco :  in one office implementing a rehabilitation programme for persistent offenders, and in the other firm involved in the preparation of a death row appeal case.

Practice details

Crime

Instructed to appear on behalf of both defence and prosecution, at Crown Court and appellate level, in a wide variety of criminal cases.    Experienced in cases involving allegations of sexual offences, and has dealt with cases involving applications for Risk of Sexual Harm Orders.   Accustomed to dealing with vulnerable witnesses, including children, and has substantial experience of representing defendants who are vulnerable by reason of youth, learning difficulties or mental health problems.   Frequently instructed in cases involving allegations of serious offences of violence and public disorder.    Has appeared in the Court of Appeal in relation to sentence and conviction.  

Recent instructions to defend have included :

• a 15 year old who repeatedly stabbed another child and was charged with s.18 wounding
• a complex harassment matter involving numerous allegations of misconduct
• a defendant who had significant mental health problems but was fit to be tried (burglary),  case involved lengthy legal argument concerning the hearsay provisions, the victim having died
• a defendant charged with Section 18 wounding, where the defence of duress was successful
• allegations of sexual assault against a defendant found to be unfit to be tried in the normal way, thus a trial of whether he 'did the acts'
• a defendant indicted for his role in a large scale conspiracy to supply Class A drugs

Recent instructions to prosecute have included :

• large-scale fraud involving manipulation of the passport system, spanning three trials and involving international co-operation
• prosecution of multi-handed cases involving charges of causing grievous bodily harm
• two defendants who had committed a series of robberies of young children 
• contested hearing involving allegations of possession of large amounts of child pornography
• trial arising from a large police operation mounted to investigate the transportation of Class A drugs 

Road Traffic

Frequently instructed in privately paid / insurance company funded matters in the Magistrates' Court, and is fully conversant with submissions involving 'special reasons' and 'exceptional hardship'.

Common Law

Instructions have included representing the police in civil actions brought against the police, and appearances at a number of Coroner's inquests.  

Public Access

Accredited under the Public Access procedure and in suitable cases is happy to accept instructions directly from members of the public.  Please see the Public Access section of the website for further details.

Continuing professional development

Regularly involved in training courses run for officers of the Health and Safety Executive, which involve the cross-examination of experts to aid with witness familiarisation, and has participated in Midland Circuit Advocacy training courses.   Has lectured, in the Citadel lecture series, on the procedure and policies of the Probation Service.

In 2011, with the benefit of an Inner Temple scholarship, attended the Keble College International Advanced Advocacy course.