Sarah Elliott KC

Practice Areas

Homicide and Related Grave Offences; Serious Sexual Offences; Criminal Law; Criminal Appeals.

Career

Sarah has a proven track record in achieving successful outcomes for clients and specialises in defending sexual allegations and homicide.

She specialises in criminal defence and has a strong reputation for winning unusual, complicated and demanding cases. She has spent ten years in silk dealing with the most difficult homicides and sex cases. She is highly recommended for her cross-examination skills particularly with difficult, vulnerable or uncooperative witnesses and for her ability in persuasively presenting the defendant’s case to the jury. She is able to deal with issues for clients with sensitivity and firmness whilst remaining highly approachable.

Sarah is one of the leading silks at the Bar for defending sexual allegations. She is counsel of choice for solicitors and those accused of sexual offences because of her proven track record in achieving successful outcomes in all types of cases, from multiple rape allegations to possession of indecent images, and at all stages of proceedings from pre-charge to appeal. She is known for her tactical skill and determination in achieving positive results for clients while providing them with a sympathetic and sensitive approach.

Sarah is regularly asked to provide pre-charge advice and can assist solicitors and clients through all of the early stages of proceedings. She is able to advise on the consequential effects of allegations of sexual offending and on reputation management. She is available for post-trial appeal advice and ‘second opinion’ work.

Sarah has been a Recorder since 2015.

Work Highlights

Recent successful outcomes have included:

Successful appeal against conviction for double shotgun murder.

The successful defence of the former Director-General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Obtaining acquittals on multiple counts of rape and administering a noxious substance.

A significant reduction on sentence on appeal to the Court of Appeal for familial consensual sexual offending

Homicide and Related Grave Offences

Sarah specialises in defending the most difficult and demanding of homicide cases which require a particularly careful approach.

Recent homicide and related grave offences cases include:

In 2024, Sarah’s client for the past 20 years, Robert Firkins had a not guilty verdict entered on two counts of murder after the Crown were forced to offer no evidence against him and his brother. Robert’s 2006 conviction for the brutal double shotgun murder of a husband and wife in Cornwall was successfully appealed by Sarah in the Court of Appeal resulting in the conviction being quashed in 2023.

In 2024 she defended a nursery nurse accused of unlawfully killing a nine month old baby in her care, leading Jake Taylor.

In 2023 she secured a verdict of diminished responsibility for a teenager accused of murdering his grandmother, (leading Kate O’Raghallaigh).

In 2022 she defended a 19-year-old student of good character accused of participating in a London gang related killing (leading Kate O’Raghallaigh) and acted for a vulnerable defendant with serious cognitive impairment accused of murdering a fellow resident in a hostel (leading Maryam Mir).

In 2019 she represented a woman accused of beating a man to death, (leading David Rhodes KC) and secured a suspended sentence for a woman accused of the attempted murder of her 3 month old baby.

In 2018 she secured a manslaughter conviction by reason of diminished responsibility for a client charged with murdering his grandmother by trying to behead her, leading Daniella Waddoup.

In 2017 she represented a man accused of causing brain damage to his flat mate by beating him and making a video of drinking the victim’s blood.

Also in 2017, she secured a manslaughter conviction for a man accused of the incredibly brutal killing of a criminal solicitor.

In 2016 she secured an acquittal for a man accused of the ‘mercy killing’ of his father.

Also in 2016, she defended a man extradited from Ireland for the murder of his landlord and concealment of his body. The accused was a convicted child sex offender who alleged the landlord asked for sex in lieu of rent.

Serious Sexual Offences

Sarah is one of the leading silks at the Bar for defending sexual allegations. She is counsel of choice for solicitors and those accused of sexual offences because of her proven track record in achieving successful outcomes in all types of cases, from multiple rape allegations to possession of indecent images, and at all stages of proceedings from pre-charge to appeal.

She is known for her tactical skill and determination in achieving positive results for clients while providing them with a sympathetic and sensitive approach.

Sarah is regularly asked to provide pre-charge advice and can assist solicitors and clients through all of the early stages of proceedings. She is able to advise on the consequential effects of allegations of sexual offending and on reputation management. She is available for post-trial appeal advice and ‘second opinion’ work.

In 2024/25 Sarah is representing:

A senior Rabbi accused of sexual assault.

A GP accused of inappropriate conduct towards a patient.

A man accused of multiple sexual assaults of clients in the beauty industry.

In 2024 Sarah:

Secured the acquittal of the former Director General of the IOPC on charges of historic allegations of child rape.

Secured the acquittal of a man accused of repeatedly raping and drugging his partner, leading Erim Mushtaq.

In 2023 Sarah:

Secured the acquittal of a man accused of a filmed date rape.

Successfully represented a teenage boy accused of repeated flashing on the Finchley Road.

In 2022 Sarah:

Secured the acquittal of a successful businessman accused of a historic sexual relationship with his niece when she was a child.

Successfully represented a national captain sportsman accused of discreditable conduct by the governing body for that sport through relationships with younger competitor.

In 2021/22 Sarah:

Successfully represented a leading insurance broker accused of sexually assaulting an employee at the industry awards dinner (leading Liam Walker KC).

Secured the acquittal of a man accused of sexual assault of his daughter on CCTV in the Israeli embassy.

Ensured the discontinuance of the prosecution of one man in a married couple both charged with indecent images and negotiated an acceptable plea to substantially reduced charges for his husband.

Successfully represented the appellant in R v BQC [2021 EWCA Crim 1944] in the Court of Appeal resulting in the quashing of 26 convictions (leading Farrhat Arshad KC).

In 2020 Sarah:

Successfully defended a young man with Asperger’s accused of the rape of a woman he met on a dating app.

Successfully negotiated pleas to fewer charges and a less restrictive SHPO for a middle-aged man charged with multiple serious sexual offences against a 15-year-old.

Successfully defended a religious minister accused of historic sexual allegations.

Secured the offering of no evidence against a young foreign student accused of rape where the complainant was highly intoxicated, after pursuing pre-trial disclosure issues.

Obtained a suspended sentence for a man who had pleaded guilty to arranging to meet a 13-year-old for penetrative sex.

In 2018 Sarah:

Secured the acquittal of a man on allegations of sexual touching of his stepdaughter.

Persuaded the CPS to accept a plea to common assault rather than the sexual assault charge, thereby avoiding the notification requirements of the sexual offences register.