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Archives

Sona Savadia

Sona joined VHS Fletchers in March 2025 as a Trainee Solicitor in our Nottingham office.

She graduated with a First Class Honours from the University of Leicester in 2021.

During her undergraduate studies, Sona gained valuable practical experience by working in the university’s Legal Advice Clinic. In this role, she assisted clients by providing legal advice on a range of matters, developing her ability to analyse legal issues and communicate complex information in a clear and accessible manner. Alongside this, she also supported litigants in person at court, helping them navigate the legal system and understand court procedures. This experience reinforced her passion for access to justice, allowing her to develop key client-care skills and a strong understanding of the challenges faced by individuals representing themselves in legal proceedings.

Her academic achievements reflect her dedication to the legal field, and she has continued to build on this foundation by undertaking her Legal Practice Course and Master’s at BPP University. Balancing her studies with hands-on legal training, Sona is committed to honing her litigation skills as she progresses through her Training Contract with us.

Before joining VHS Fletchers, Sona spent over two years at the Crown Prosecution Service working as a Paralegal Officer in the Crown Court Unit. In this role, she worked on a wide range of serious and high-profile cases, including murders, drugs conspiracies, and other complex criminal matters. She played a key role in trial preparation and case management, working closely with barristers and senior prosecutors. Notably, she was involved in supporting the prosecution of a high-profile case at the Old Bailey, where she provided vital courtroom assistance. Her ability to handle the pressures of such high stakes cases further strengthened her interest in criminal litigation.

Sona is particularly interested in the complexities of criminal law and is eager to use her experience to provide dedicated and strategic legal representation.

Outside of work, Sona enjoys attending concerts, travelling and spending time with her friends and family.

Contact:

Nottingham Office:
111 Carrington Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 7FE

Tel: 0115 9599550
Email: sona.savadia@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Lauren Manuel

nottingham criminal solicitor Lauren Manuel
Criminal solicitor advocate Lauren Manuel

Lauren Manuel qualified as a solicitor in 2005 after undertaking her training contract with Fletchers Solicitors.  Following qualification she specialised in Magistrates’ court work – with a particular focus on Youth court work – as well as providing representation at the police station.

She obtained her duty solicitor qualification in 2006 and obtained the solicitors Higher Court Qualification in 2010 enabling her to represent her clients throughout both the lower and higher courts.

In 2018 she briefly left VHS Fletchers to pursue a prosecution practice at both the Local Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service where she was responsible for prosecuting serious cases including murders, large scale drugs conspiracies and frauds, before returning to VHS Fletchers in 2023 as a Solicitor Advocate providing representation before the Crown Court. Lauren’s prosecution experience means she is uniquely placed to quickly narrow down the real issues in a case, and she has a sharp focus on disclosure of prosecution material which is often key in securing acquittals.

Lauren will work tirelessly to probe the prosecution both as to evidential weaknesses in their case and as to whether it is in the public interest to prosecute, which results in many of her cases being discontinued before trial.

She has a very down to earth and reassuring nature which enables her to immediately put her clients at ease, as well as providing advice in a manner which is easily understood by all. Her client care is exceptional, and she has an excellent reputation of representing young people and those with mental health difficulties.

Lauren is an impressive mitigation advocate, regularly persuading Judges to take an exceptional course when it comes to sentencing achieving the very best result for her clients.

Contact:

Nottingham Office:
111 Carrington Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 7FE

Tel: 0115 9599550
Email: lauren.manuel@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Nicola Hunter

Nicola Hunter is a higher Court Advocate with over 25 years experience in Criminal Defence work.  For the past 15 years has specialised in Crown Court Advocacy. Nicola has a wealth of experience in dealing with all areas of Crown Court defence work including the Court of Appeal, with particular experience in cases involving Sexual Offences, Drugs, Murder, Assaults, Firearms, Public Order. She also has particular experience in dealing with those suffering from neurodiversity including autism.

Nicola has a passion for advocacy and has a reputation for being a very empathic and understanding advocate whilst always going the extra mile for clients.

In addition Nicola has had experience in defending clients in the Magistrates and Youth Court, including those who have been prosecuted for benefit fraud and motoring matters, together with almost 30 years of representing clients in the Police station.

Contact:

Derby Office:
10 St Mary’s Gate,
Derby,
DE1 3JJ

Tel: 01332 546818
Email: nicola.hunter@vhsfletchers.co.uk

R v C.  (2025) Cambridge Crown Court.  Murder.  Junior advocate defending in a high profile case involving the murder of 3 women,  all family members who were stabbed and shot with a crossbow with rape of one of the females.

R v  E.  (2025) Derby Crown Court.  Assisting an Offender.  Successfully secured an acquittal after trial for an offence whereby a female had temporarily hidden a known drug dealer in her home  from police after a police pursuit. She accepted that she had hidden the male, and known that police were looking for the male, but did not know it was due to drug supply.

R v N. (2025) Nottingham Crown Court. Armed robbery. Successfully secured an acquittal in an armed robbery case where a drug dealer supposedly held a customer up at gun point and stole his vehicle. The issue was whether the complainant had agreed to give the vehicle to the Defendant to pay off a drug debt.

R v N.  (2024) Derby Crown Court.  Murder.  Junior advocate in a murder involving an intoxicated male who drove his works van through a crowded pedestrian area killing one male and injuring 2 others.

R v S. (2023) Leicester Crown Court.  Murder.  Junior advocate defending a Kurdish male accused of being involved in the fatal stabbing of another Kurdish male and causing serious injury to his brother after a dispute over the positioning of their respective Barber shops. After the presentation of the Prosecution case the Prosecution were forced to drop all charges against him.

R v W. (2023) Derby Crown Court.  Rape and Controlling and Coercive Behaviour.  Successfully defended a Polish male for marital rape and controlling behaviour. During the trial it was established that the Interpreter that had translated for the Complainant had in fact made up questions and answers and not acted properly. This evidence was therefore not relied upon in a retrial  and the complainant gave live evidence in trial. She was found not to be truthful.

R v S. (2024) Derby Crown Court.  Violent Disorder.  Defending in a large scale disorder which took place during a Kabbadi match in Derby. In the presence of 1000 spectators violence broke out between rival sides involvinh the discharge of several firearms and the use of machetes.

R v T.  Stafford Crown Court.  Possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear.  Secured an acquittal of a male who had come out of his property with an imitation firearm and pointed it at police officers when they attended his home to secure an arrest. The jury accepted that he had been unaware that they were police officers and was acting in mistaken self-defence.

R  v D. Nottingham Crown Court.  Research by a Jury Member.   Secured a suspended sentence order for a Juror who conducted their own research during a murder trial. The murder trial that had run for over 5 months thereafter collapsed and had to be restarted costing the tax payer several million pounds. The case was heard by Mr Justice Eddis.

R v D.  Nottingham Crown Court.  Modern Slavery.  Defended a female in a large Latvian people trafficking case. Vulnerable males were trafficked from Latvia and placed in work with no financial gain and kept in modest homes. Managed to secure immediate release of defendant despite a conviction.

R v D.  Court of Appeal.  Sexual Assault and Rape.  Successfully argued for the immediate release of the appellant accused of sexually assaulting his ex wife. Upon release he was accused of raping the same victim with 24 hours. He was later acquitted after trial, notwithstanding the Jury being aware of the previous conviction.

R v R.  Derby Youth Court.  Rape.  Successfully secured an acquittal after trial for a 15 year old boy accused of raping a friend at a sleepover party.

R v D.  Blackmail.  Court of Appeal.  Successfully argued against an increase in sentence after the Crown Court imposed a community penalty for an offence of blackmail, where a male had demanded money after threats were made to post naked photographs of the complainant.

Archives

Kevin Waddingham

Kevin joined the growing team at VHS Fletchers in September 2024. He has been a full time Higher Courts Advocate since 2010 by which time he had already gained many years advocacy experience in the magistrates and youth courts. Since 2010 his workload has been the preparation and conduct of crown court cases from pre-trial preparation and other intervening hearings right through to trial and beyond if any appeal issues arise.

His wide ranging of caseload includes matters of the utmost seriousness. He has dealt with multi handed cases involving so-called organised crime groups in the context of not only drugs cases but also people trafficking as well as those involving serious violent and sexual offences. He has acted as junior counsel in both multi handed and murder cases in the Midlands and further afield as well as several appearances at the Court of Appeal. He is a confident and persuasive advocate both inside and outside the Courtroom.  His strength is founded on meticulous preparation together with the ability to analyse, solve problems and be decisive within a short time frame in representing his client’s best interests.

Contact:

Derby Office:
10 St Mary’s Gate,
Derby,
DE1 3JJ

Tel: 01332 546818
Email: kevin.waddingham@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Carolina Monteiro

derby trainee criminal solicitor carolina monteiro
Trainee Crime Solicitor and Accredited Representative Carolina Monteiro

Carolina joined VHS Fletchers as a Trainee Solicitor in our Derby office in February 2025 and is also an accredited Police Station Representative.

She obtained her Undergraduate Law Degree from the University of Derby and is currently pursuing the Legal Practice Course (LPC) alongside a Master’s degree.

During her academic journey, Carolina gained comprehensive exposure to various areas of law. She actively contributed to the University’s Legal Advice Centre, providing legal guidance in family law matters to the local community. She was also selected for a funded research project in Intellectual Property Law, where she explored the legal and ethical challenges surrounding the recognition of artificial intelligence as an inventor, with a focus on patent law and technological innovation.

Carolina’s passion for Criminal Law was further solidified through her voluntary work with the Citizens Advice Witness Service, where she supported witnesses and gained valuable insight into the Criminal Justice System.

She developed her expertise in Criminal Law during her time at Eddowes Waldron Solicitors, where she oversaw and helped to prepare cases from Police Station attendances to Crown Court trials. In this role, she built strong professional relationships with professionals across the East Midlands and provided essential support to both clients and Counsel.

As part of her Master’s research, Carolina is particularly interested in the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Law. With the rapid evolution of technology, she is keen to explore how Artificial Intelligence innovations may affect the reliability of evidence, reshape standards of criminal responsibility, and redefine key principles of criminal law in the future.

Outside of her legal career, Carolina enjoys photography, travelling, spending time with family and friends, and reading.

Contact:

Derby Office:
10 St Mary’s Gate,
Derby,
DE1 3JJ

Tel: 01332 546818
Email: carolina.monteiro@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Joshua Thomas

Derby trainee criminal solicitor Josh Thomas
Derby trainee crime solicitor Joshua Thomas

Joshua joined VHS fletchers in February 2025 as a trainee solicitor in our Derby Office.

He gained his undergraduate degree in Law at Nottingham Trent University and recently completed his Legal Practice Course and is in the process of completing his Masters in Law. Joshua is currently working towards his Police Station Accreditation.

After working as a generalist advisor at Citizens Advice, supporting the residents of Derbyshire, Josh began his journey into Criminal Law working at the Crown Prosecution Service as a Paralegal before joining a criminal Defence Firm in Leicester as a Crown Court Paralegal.

During his 3 years of working in Criminal Law, he has dealt with a wide variety of cases including large scale Drug Conspiracies, Murders and has successfully defended Rape Case involving a semi-professional footballer.

Joshua is presently completing his dissertation for his Master’s degree examining the recent changes to police powers in relation to public protests.

Outside of work, Josh enjoys travelling and cooking.

Contact:

Derby Office:
10 St Mary’s Gate,
Derby,
DE1 3JJ

Tel: 01332 546818
Email: joshua.thomas@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Jessica Euerby

jess euerby trainee solicitor derby
Trainee Solicitor Jessica Euerby

Jessica joined VHS Fletchers in November 2024 as a Trainee Solicitor in our Nottingham office.

She completed her undergraduate degree in Criminology at Nottingham Trent University.  Jessica has completed the Graduate Diploma in Law and has recently obtained her Master’s Degree in Law. She is currently working towards her Police Station Accreditation and Legal Practice Course.

Her interest in criminal justice came from volunteering at Citizens Advice Witness Service, providing independent support for both prosecution and defence witnesses at the Magistrates’ Court. She was able to work with other agencies to make sure the right support was provided for witnesses.

Jessica has joined the firm having spent over six years at the Crown Prosecution Service where she worked as a Paralegal in the Crown Court Unit on cases across the East Midlands, often dealing with large scale drug conspiracies. She has developed working relationships with barristers across the country and provides support on trials.

Jessica has recently completed her dissertation for her Master’s degree examining the legal challenges, appeals and racial disparities present in joint enterprise prosecutions.

Aside from work, Jess enjoys travelling, keeping fit and playing golf.

Contact:

Nottingham Office:
111 Carrington Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 7FE

Tel: 0115 959 9550
Email: jessica.euerby@vhsfletchers.co.uk

R v W. (2025) Rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and strangulation.  Litigator at trial where not guilty verdicts returned on all counts for client represented by solicitor advocate Andrew Wesley.

Archives

Steph Allison

Trainee Solicitor, Nottingham office.

Portrait photo of Steph Allison. Trainee Solicitor
Steph Allison. Trainee Solicitor

Steph joined VHS Fletchers in May 2024 as a Trainee Solicitor in our Nottingham office. She graduated with a degree in Psychology with Criminology from Nottingham Trent University before going on to study a Masters degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nottingham.

Following this, Steph has completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Law at Nottingham Trent University and is undertaking the Solicitors Qualifying Examination in 2024.

Steph’s interest in criminal defence grew while writing her dissertation for her Masters degree, which examined the psychological research and moral theories supporting the ‘loss of control’ defence.

Steph is an accredited police station representative permitting her to represent her own clients and those that request a duty solicitor during interview.

Contact:

Nottingham Office:
111 Carrington Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 7FE

Tel: 0115 9599550
Email: steph.allison@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Courtney Neale

Trainee Solicitor, Nottingham office.

Contact:

Nottingham Office:
111 Carrington Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 7FE

Tel: 0115 9599550
Email: courtney.neale@vhsfletchers.co.uk

Archives

Harry Robinson

trainee criminal solicitor nottingham harry robinson
Trainee Crime solicitor Harry Robinson

Harry joined VHS Fletchers in March 2023 as a Paralegal at our Nottingham office.

Harry completed his undergraduate qualifying law degree at Nottingham Trent University in 2022, graduating with second-class Honours, First Division.

Harry’s interest in criminal defence law sparked from work experience with VHS Fletchers that he had done during his time at university. Once Harry had got a taste for the criminal defence side of the law, he took every opportunity he could to come into the office and shadow as many people he could as his interests turned into a passion.

Harry started working with VHS Fletchers as a Paralegal. In this role, Harry would chase the police for updates on their investigations, ensuring that clients were kept up to date with any progress in their cases. This role was particularly important in the maintaining of our relationship with clients, reassuring them that Harry would inform them of any updates on their case and that they would not be left in the dark.

Harry is currently completing his Legal Practice Course and Masters at Nottingham Trent University whilst he undertakes his Training Contract with us as a Trainee Solicitor in the Crown Court Department.

Harry has worked with the public throughout his whole working life and strives to ensure that client care is a priority.

Outside of work, Harry’s interests are going to the gym, hiking and watching competitive strongman events.

Contact:

Nottingham Office:
111 Carrington Street,
Nottingham,
NG1 7FE

Tel: 0115 9599550
Email: harry.robinson@vhsfletchers.co.uk

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