Hanna Llewellyn-Waters
Instructing Hanna Llewellyn-Waters
To instruct Hanna or for any further information please contact our clerks.
Clerk: John Grimmer
Telephone: +44 (0)7776 154 664
Email: Click here
Hanna Llewellyn-Waters has a highly successful practice defending and prosecuting in the most serious and complex criminal cases. She is regularly instructed as leading junior counsel; frequently appearing against King’s Counsel.
Hanna frequently represents private clients including high-net-worth individuals and professionals regarding a range of sensitive matters and is therefore, well used to dealing with reputational management issues arising in such cases.
Hanna’s areas of specialism include allegations of murder, fraud, money laundering, large scale OCG drug conspiracies, firearms and human trafficking. Her cases often involve extraterritorial jurisdictional elements, expert evidence and public interest immunity issues.
Hanna has vast experience in sensitive, high profile cases alleging rape and serious sexual offences, often multi-generational with highly vulnerable witnesses (including young children) and defendants. She is adept at dealing with substantial third party material, severance, complex disclosure and issues of bad character. She frequently advises from a pre-charge stage.
Hanna is particularly familiar with abuse of process issues, including delay. She was trial counsel for the Crown in what is understood to be the longest delay in bringing criminal proceedings (62 years) on an indictment concerning offences predating the Sexual Offences Act 1956: R v RD [2013] EWCA Crim 1592. She is a named contributor to Abuse of Process: Colin Wells (4th ed- published 2023), specifically the chapters on Disclosure and Delay.
Hanna was consulted by the Law Commission for the review into the Evidence in Sexual Offences Prosecutions [consultation paper published May 2023] and by the Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC for the Report on her Independent Review into the Investigation and Prosecution of Rape in London. She has lectured law enforcement officers, lawyers and doctors from across the British Overseas Territories at the invitation of the FCO, CPS and CEOP (NCA) on the investigation and prosecution of offences involving children.
The Crown Prosecution Service appointed Hanna as a Grade 4 prosecutor from the inception of the scheme. She is on the CPS Panel of Approved Rape Advocates, the CPS Specialist Panel for Serious Crime at Grade 4 and the Attorney-General’s list of Prosecution Advocates.
An Oxford University scholar, where she read English, Hanna joined the Bar after a short career in journalism. During her legal studies and pupillage, she was awarded by Middle Temple the Astbury Scholarship, the Harmsworth Scholarship and the Benefactors’ Scholarship.
Practice Areas
The Crown Prosecution Service has approved her to prosecute the most serious alleged offences [Grade 4].
Notable crime cases
R v D
Led defence counsel in trial for client charged with murder and conspiracy to murder. Alleged gang rivalry resulted in 2 drive-by shootings. Cell site, CCTV, ballistics, forensics, drill, “gang association” and extensive bad character considered/ argued.
R v T
Defence counsel. OCG- indicted with conspiracy to supply 90 kilos of Class A. Only counsel of 14 to challenge scope of conspiracy, resulting in exclusion of 80 kilos and reducing sentence by years. Successfully opposed addition of further drugs count.
R v G
Defence counsel. Client charged with possession of firearm & ammunition with intent to endanger life, possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. Extensive disclosure requests and successful arguments leading to exclusion of evidence resulted in the prosecution accepting a single plea to possession of a firearm. The defendant received a greatly reduced sentence and was immediately released from custody.
R v K & K
Counsel for the Crown: extensive human trafficking for the purposes of prostitution by a European- wide organised crime network. 14 day Newton hearing resulted in a finding that coercion was used and that large sums of money were transferred worldwide for the purposes of money laundering. The case including complex confiscation proceedings.
R v D
Led junior for the Crown. Case concerned the murder of a 14 year old boy following on-line grooming. Issues involved complicated sentencing process, including calling experts to help determine whether the murder involved sexual or sadistic motivation.
R v C & D
Longest CCRC investigation undertaken. Led junior at the Court of Appeal and at the subsequent re-trial. Complex issues of disclosure: nearly 50 000 pages. Supergrass case. 6 week abuse of process application. Subsequently, the Crown offered no evidence.
Hanna is regularly instructed to represent defendants charged with serious allegations of fraud and money laundering.
Notable fraud cases
R v F
Leading defence counsel in an 18 handed multi-million £ fraud with an international dimension.
R v T
Defence counsel in a multi-handed case involving money laundering and fraud in respect of illegal immigrants.
R v M
Defence counsel in a multi-handed case involving a high value advance fee fraud.
R v L
Defence counsel in a multi-handed case involving breach of restraint order, money laundering and fraud.
R v L
Defence counsel for a man charged with multiple fraud allegations regarding obtaining finance for high value motor vehicles.
She is instructed on behalf of UKCP as presenting officer, including in a matter alleging grave sexual impropriety with an extremely vulnerable complainant.
Hanna is on the CPS Panel of Approved Rape Advocates and the Attorney General’s list of Prosecution Advocates.
She has advised working groups on the treatment of complainants in cases alleging serious sexual offences.
Notable serious sexual offences cases
R v M
Defended a childminder’s husband for sexually abusing a young child. Also charged with allegations of rape of two other children. Successfully argued severance. Issues with client included lack of memory due to a stroke. Cross-examined child witness via s28. Acquitted.
R v X
Defended a health care professional working within a busy NHS hospital. Alleged to have sexually assaulted a patient including with a probe during a wrist examination. Cross-examined vulnerable complainant having successfully sought disclosure of her extensive medical records. Drafted proposed directions for jury on delay. Acquitted.
R v K
Defended a high-net-worth individual charged with sexually assaulting an unknown female. Offence clearly captured on camera and witnessed by multiple independent eyewitnesses. Sentencing guidelines provided custody as the appropriate sentence. Pleaded guilty. Sentenced to a fine. Therefore, not subject to notification requirements.
R v H & H
Leading prosecution trial counsel. 2 juniors. 39 count indictment. Husband and wife prosecuted for decades of child cruelty, rape and serious sexual offences against 5 particularly vulnerable complainants. Novel special measures used. Vast 3rd party material. Severance, s41 and bad character argued. Convicted.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpr44d09rz1o
R v S
Leading prosecution trial counsel. 5 year campaign of grooming and rape of 3 children by foster carer. Issues included vitiated consent. Convicted.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/paedophile-rapist-jailed-for-25-years-268885/
R v E
Leading prosecution trial counsel. Over a decade of rape, sadism and cruelty against 2 complainants. One complainant: selective mutism. Extensive disclosure. Bad character and admissibility of evidence argued. Convicted.
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/essex-crime-dangerous-basildon-paedophile-4818782
R v S
Prosecution trial counsel. Extra-territorial offending. Teacher convicted of grooming and abusing boys in a school based in UAE. Complex legal argument including calling acquittal evidence from a prosecution 18 years before. Extensive bad character admitted. Computer and cultural expert evidence. Court of Appeal upheld conviction.
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/64615ae096286752ef03921c
R v C
Prosecution of one of largest CEOP investigations by NCA. Defendant pleaded guilty to 65 counts. Allegations of hacking, blackmail, degradation, extreme online sexual abuse. “Enslavement” of 26 complainants- 5000 targeted internationally. Highly sophisticated software used. Limited aid from caselaw or guidelines due to magnitude of offending.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-63589178
R v X
Prosecution of retired GP. Historic sexual offending including against a 2 year old child. 47 year delay. Abuse of process: breach of promise/ delay. Contested fitness to stand trial. Extreme impact. Pleaded guilty first day of trial.
R v RD
Trial counsel for the Crown in the case believed to be the oldest criminal case in English Law: 62 year delay. Advised pre-extradition in respect of multiple allegations of rape concerning four complainants spanning 1949-1973. The case attracted international media attention. Extensive and complex submissions: abuse of process. Conviction upheld by the Court of Appeal.
R v C
Trial counsel in case alleging false imprisonment, section 18 GBH and rape. Multiple medical experts called; dangerousness provisions applied.
R v S
Leading trial counsel for the Crown. Multiple counts of rape and serious sexual offences by a high-profile local businessman in respect of four complainants. The case involved complex disclosure issues. The sentencing judge described the offences as ‘the worst’ he had dealt with.
R v B & S
Led junior for the first trial. Leading junior for the retrial. Multiple rapes against four highly vulnerable child complainants.
R v M
Defended a man charged with 33 counts of rape and further serious sexual offences against a 10-year-old girl. Thereafter appeared as junior alone against the Solicitor-General (unduly lenient sentence).
R v K & P
Leading counsel for the Crown. Multiple counts of rape and false imprisonment by two defendants aided by a third party against two complainants. The offences involved extreme degradation; joinder and severance arguments. Both defendants were given indeterminate sentences.
R v F
Trial counsel in a case concerning years of alleged serious sexual offending against two boys. Entrenched grooming and severe abuse of trust.
