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Frances Ridout

2007

Frances undertakes a wide variety of criminal work (both prosecution and defence). She has enjoyed success from the Magistrates' Court up to the Court of Appeal, and has also been instructed to conduct cases in the High Court. Amongst other matters, Frances has been instructed in the Crown Court for offences of robbery, theft, witness intimidation, possession of a firearm, GBH, ABH, affray, burglary, offensive weapons, and cases involving false identity documents. Frances regularly prosecutes benefit fraud cases and animal cruelty matters for the RSPCA. She also has experience in the county court in personal injury matters.

Pro Bono Work

Frances is committed to pro bono work and the development of young lawyers. She was instrumental in setting up the LGBT Criminal Justice Program at the Legal Advice Centre based at Queen Mary University in Mile End which was nominated for an Attorney Generals Pro Bono Award in its first year. She continues to hold regular advice sessions at the centre working alongside university students.

Notable cases

R v BS [2011] EWCA 2823 Court of Appeal

An appeal against the decision to impose a mandatory three year minimum sentence for a ‘third strike' burglar, where the burglary consisted of reaching through a dwelling window and stealing an item of low value from within. The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence by more than two thirds securing the defendants immediate release from custody.

R v AS (November 2011) St Albans Crown Court

Represented the defence in a car ringing case where the defendant was accused of being central to an operation where high value vehicles were stolen during burglaries before being broken down and their parts sold on. The value of the vehicles was said to be in excess of £100,000.

R v SA (July 2011) Inner London Crown Court

The defendant was initially charged with possession of class A drugs. The Crown then raised this to possession with intent to supply and then lowered the charge after representations were made on the defendant's behalf. When the Crown sought to raise the charge again at the PCMH, Frances successfully ran an abuse of process argument that the Crown had reneged on their promise, resulting in the defendant receiving a conditional discharge for simple possession.

R v CS [2010] EWCA 1388 Court of Appeal

An appeal against sentence for an alcoholic who sold class A drugs on a single occasion to fund his alcohol addiction. The Court of Appeal were persuaded to extend the more lenient sentencing bracket outlined in R v Afonso (usually relating to drug addicts who sell drugs to fund their addiction) to alcoholics. The court praised Frances' "very well presented and helpful" arguments. The sentence was reduced on appeal from three years imprisonment to two.

R v AN (September 2010) Central Criminal Court

Frances was part of a team of defence barristers preparing a high profile, multi million pound fraud case, involving the transfer of monies through various company accounts owned by an international conglomerate.

News

• Frances Ridout successfully argues to extend ‘the Afonso principle’ to alcoholics
  2 June 2010
• 15 New Bridge Street welcomes four new tenants
  13 October 2009

Articles

• Virtual Courts - Virtual Justice?
  Frances Ridout asks, is it a cost effective disposal or a step to far in simple, speedy and summary justice?
  2010