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Nicola Hunter

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.

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