Rebecca Broderick

Rebecca joined VHS Fletchers in September 2025 as a Trainee Solicitor in our Chesterfield Office.

She graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with an undergraduate degree in Law in 2025 and is currently working towards her Police Station Accreditation and Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE).

Rebecca interest in criminal defence law grew when she volunteered as a Student Legal Advisor at the Sheffield Hallam Legal Advice Centre, where she provided free legal advice to individuals detained in prisons across the country and supported those seeking to appeal their convictions. This experience gave her a strong understanding of criminal law and procedure, as well as the practical skills needed to advise clients with professionalism, empathy, and precision.

Whilst studying for her degree, she also volunteered as a Generalist Adviser for Citizens Advice, where she assisted members of the public with a wide range of legal and practical issues. This experience strengthened her ability to communicate effectively with clients from all walks of life, often in stressful or complex circumstances.

Outside of work Rebecca enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Contact:

Chesterfield Office:
2-4 Marsden Street,
Chesterfield,
S40 1JY

Tel: 01246 283000
Email: rebecca.broderick@vhsfletchers.co.uk

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Noteable Cases

Abbie Fitzgerald

Abbie Fitzgerald is an experienced Crown Court Litigator and Accredited Police Station Representative with over 15 years of expertise in criminal law. She represents clients facing a broad spectrum of offences, from driving allegations to the most serious and complex cases, including sexual offences and murder.

Abbie is often the first point of contact for clients at the police station, where she takes the time to clearly explain the allegations and ensure they fully understand their rights and the legal process. Known for her meticulous preparation of Crown Court cases, Abbie works closely with counsel to build strong defences, contributing to acquittals in high-profile cases involving charges of rape, drug offences, and murder.

Abbie has a strong commitment to advocating for vulnerable clients, including those with learning difficulties and mental health challenges. She frequently visits hospitals, such as High Secure Rampton Hospital, to represent patients during interviews conducted under caution.

Clients and colleagues alike commend Abbie for her dedication, describing her as someone who consistently goes above and beyond, demonstrating genuine care and commitment to every individual she represents.

Feedback from clients includes:

“She went above and beyond at every stage—explaining everything clearly, offering her time even outside of working hours, and making sure I never felt alone in the process. Even if I wasn’t her only client, she always made me feel like I was a priority”

and

“Abbie was amazing! She gave me valuable advice and assistance and genuinely appeared to care about me and the predicament that I was in. She was non-judgmental which was a little bit of a surprise considering the reason I needed help.”

Contact:

Derby Office:
8 St Mary’s Gate,
Derby,
DE1 3JF

Tel: 01332 546818
Email: abbie.fitzgerald@vhsfletchers.co.uk

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Noteable Cases

R v KC (2024) Represented a male client in a high profile case accused of triple murder, providing legal support from the police station stage through to the conclusion of Crown Court proceedings. This high-profile case was heard at Cambridge Crown Court.

R v MB (2025) Client with severe mental health issues stood accused of attempted murder before Plymouth Crown Court. Assisted counsel in the preparation of his defence. This was a complex case as the client accepted that he committed the act but after psychiatric evidence the jury acquitted him of attempted murder due to us being able to prove his inability to form the intent.

R v CM (2025) Acted for a client with learning difficulties and autism charged with rape and strangulation. Through meticulous case preparation and advocacy from counsel, the client was fully acquitted at Derby Crown Court.

R v MS (2023) Assisted counsel in the defence of a Kurdish male accused of murder. A full acquittal was secured at Derby Crown Court.

R v MB (2018) Litigated the case of a juvenile client tried alongside five co-defendants for murder at Nottingham Crown Court. After an extensive trial, the client was acquitted of murder and convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter, while all co-defendants were convicted of murder.

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

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Noteable Cases

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

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Noteable Cases

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:

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

Tel: 0115 959 9550

Email: joshua.thomas@vhsfletchers.co.uk

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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

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Noteable Cases

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.

Steph Allison

Trainee Solicitor, Nottingham office.

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

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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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Chloe Wright

photograph by thomas wesley chesterfield criminal defence solicitor — Chesterfield crime solicitor Chloe Wright

Chloe joined VHS Fletchers in January 2022 as a Trainee Solicitor at our Chesterfield office and has now qualified and is employed as an assistant solicitor.

Chloe graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in the summer of 2020 with an undergraduate degree in Law. Chloe then continued her studies at Leeds Beckett University, completing the Legal Practice Course in the spring of 2021 and completed a masters degree in the summer of 2022.

During Chloe’s studies at Sheffield Hallam University, she took on the role as Student Legal Advisor at the Helena Kennedy Prison Clinic, where she provided free legal advice to those individuals detained in prisons across the country. This role provided Chloe with the vital knowledge and experience of managing cases and dealing with various prison law matters including re-categorisation reviews and sentence progression.

During her training, Chloe completed the Police Station Accreditation Qualification to enable her to provide advice and assistance to all clients who are detained by the police, including those requesting the duty solicitor, for the entire range of offences.

Now that Chloe has qualified as a solicitor she will begin to work towards her duty solicitor qualification permitting her to provide such representation at court. She will continue to provide advice and representation in the police station, as well as representing those charged with offences before the Magistrates’ Court. Chloe will also continue in her role as a Crown Court litigator.

Outside of work, Chloe enjoys local walks in the Peak District and baking cakes for her friends and family.

Contact:

Chesterfield Office:
5 Beetwell Street,
Chesterfield,
S40 1SH

Tel: 01246 387999
Email: chloe.wright@vhsfletchers.co.uk

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Noteable Cases

R (DVSA) v L. Crown Court. Forgery of Tachograph Records. Crown Court Litigator representing professional LGV driver charged with 39 offences of falsifying tachograph records. Allegation of forging records to enable him to work for longer hours than permitted under European driver rules and domestic legislation. Successful representations led to the prosecution dropping 17 charges. Our client pleaded guilty to the remaining 22 charges. Despite sentencing case law indicated that these offences should result in an immediate custodial sentence, a successful plea in mitigation led to a Suspended Sentence Order being imposed.

Declan Smith

Declan joined VHS Fletchers in July 2021.

He graduated from the University of Derby in 2020 with an undergraduate degree in law, before continuing his studies completing the Legal Practice Course in the spring of 2021. Declan also holds a master’s degree which focused on reflective legal practice skills.

During his studies Declan worked in the University of Derby’s Student Legal Advice Centre, where he provided free legal advice to incoming clients who were unable to pay for legal services. Declan advised on criminal and family law matters, which allowed him to work very closely with vulnerable and disadvantaged people who were in need of legal advice. Declan gained an in-depth knowledge of legal aid and gained a sense of appreciation for the importance of access to legal representation. Declan’s advice assisted multiple clients at court and has also allowed litigants in person to reliably use this advice in court.

Whilst working for VHS Fletchers Solicitors, Declan has gained an in-depth understanding of the Criminal Justice System. He has provided advice at the police station on a wide variety of criminal allegations, some being of the most serious criminal offences.

Declan has litigated cases at the Crown Court, which has included large scale drug conspiracies, fraud and murder. Declan also provides advice and representation for all matters heard before the Magistrate’s Court. Declan is well liked for his thorough approach to cases, his friendly manner, and his excellent client care.

Declan completed his training contract with us in Summer 2023 and has since gained his Duty Solicitor qualification permitting him to represent those at court who request the services of the Duty Solicitor.

Outside of work Declan is a keen sportsman having previously competed at a national level in swimming – training alongside current Olympic champion Adam Peaty

Contact:

Chesterfield Office:
5 Beetwell Street
Chesterfield,
S40 1SH

Tel: 01246 387999
Email: declan.smith@vhsfletchers.co.uk

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