Carolina Guiloff

Barrister

Carolina is ranked as a leading individual in Legal 500, Crime.

Criminal Defence specialist, instructed both alone and as junior counsel in the most serious and organised crime cases, including major fraud, organised crime, drugs importations, homicide and serious violence, rape and child abuse.

Carolina appears both at first instance and appellate level and has appeared in the High Court on applications for judicial review and certificates of inadequacy. Carolina is known for her skilled advocacy, methodical case preparation and sound tactical judgment. She is passionate and committed and is proficient in dealing with vulnerable defendants and witnesses. She has a high capacity for voluminous cases and has an unfaltering commitment to secure the right outcome in every case.

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
Howard League Association for Penal Reform

Languages

Fluent in Spanish and French and has conversational Portuguese and Italian

Homicide and Serious Violence

R v C Lead counsel. Defendant was leading counsel for the defendant who faced a count of attempted murder [in this case, minimum term 25 years] and possession of a scaffold pole as well as several other lessor charges. The defendant was accused of a gruesome attack involving smashing in the skull of the victim in a crack den. The case required skillful cross-examination of numerous lay witnesses, and a mastery of CCTV and phone evidence. Focused disclosure requests led to the defence being able to put considerable and significant material before the jury. The defendant was acquitted.
R v W Transfer from Central Criminal Court The defendant was accused of conspiracy to cause GBH, and possession of a firearm with intent. He allegedly assisted a notorious London gang by being the driver in a ride-out [co-ds receiving sentences of 26 years at first instance, 23 on appeal.] Complexities of the case involved admissibility of both drill videos and numerous prison transcripts, and difficult tactical decisions. Counsel successfully argued the exclusion the drill videos and advanced the defence of duress. The defendant was acquitted. Press Link
R v Anthon Ekundayo, Leicester CoA citation [2019] EWCA Crim 1734 [2019] 10 WLUK 473 Defendant faced 2 counts of violent disorder [others in the same incident had faced attempted murder] in a multi- faceted case involving a number of witnesses and different strands of expert evidence – telephone, cell-site, CCTV. He was acquitted of one of the violent disorders and convicted of the other. Counsel successfully appealed AE’s conviction for violent disorder and the prosecution’s application to order a re-trial was refused.
R v E - The defendant was a consultant psychologist who had been accused of armed robbery, possession of an imitation firearm and witness intimidation, in a case involving a number of alleged incidents. The case required careful cross-examination of civilian witnesses, a mastery of the interplay between CCTV, 999 calls and different witness accounts and sensitive handling of a defendant who had mental health issues. A conviction would have resulted in the end of the defendant’s career but was avoided.
R v T- Junior counsel for a mentally ill defendant who stabbed his daughter repeatedly in the body, causing her serious injuries. In the process the defendant was shot in the head and torso, leaving him unable to walk and talk. The case required sensitive handling of witnesses and the defendant. A verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity was achieved. Press Link
R v T (Central Criminal Court) - Junior counsel in this much publicised “one punch murder” case involving a mixed race defendant delivering a fatal punch to a banker. The defendant had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but this was not acceptable to the prosecution, where the decision to prosecute had been taken at the highest level. The defendant was acquitted. Press Link
R v A & Others, (Central Criminal Court) - Multi-handed murder trial, the entire incident was caught on video by CCTV cameras and by a bystander on their mobile phone.
R v F & Another - Murder case in which the defendant was accused of murdering the deceased with a pick axe handle. The defence was Loss of Self Control Manslaughter , the defendant having been chased along the street by the deceased carrying the very weapon that was then turned against the deceased. Case involved CCTV, and expert handling of pathological evidence. Complicating factors included a cut – throat defence between the defendant and co defendant and bad character applications against both the co-accused and the deceased.
D v P - Counsel successfully represented the defendant in this attempt murder case which required careful handling of both the defendant who had serious mental health issues and 2 “villain” witnesses , one of whom elected to answer no further questions in cross-examination after he understood the defence case was that he had attended to commit armed robbery upon the defendant.
R v M – Junior counsel in this murder case described by pathologist as “frenzied” attack following breakdown of a relationship; minimum term reduced on appeal.
R v NH & Others – Junior counsel in a South London shooting case involving substantial issues concerning DNA, firearms and bad character relating to the defendant’s alibi witness.
R v SW & Others –Instructed alone in case of attempt murder involving a gang of youths stabbing another youth and causing near fatal injuries.
R v G & Others -Instructed to represent young defendant of good character accused of a joint enterprise near fatal stabbing of another youth. The prosecution offered no evidence on the s.18. GBH following legal argument.

Human Trafficking

R v PW- Lead counsel. Defendant was accused of being the right-hand woman of the main defendant who ran a UK wide network of brothels. The defence involved a painstaking analysis of voluminous banking evidence and thousands of pages of phone download to create a schedule to counter the prosecution’s skewered banking and phone analysis, and to present to the jury a balanced picture of defendant’s activities during the 4 year period of the indictment, leading ultimately to the defendant’s acquittal. Press Link
R v I & Others - Lead counsel. The case received a significant amount of press attention due to failures by the prosecution in disclosure. Counsel was leading counsel representing the first defendant who was allegedly a member of the Romanian mafia, running a number of different brothels together with his family, and trafficking a woman from Greece to the UK via Romania for sex- work. An enormous volume of material [tens of thousands of pages] had to be mastered at the eleventh hour including phone downloads, Facebook material, call data records, cell site, banking material. Cross-examination involved the cross- referencing from multiple sources. Following the complainant’s cross-examination the prosecution offered no further evidence Press Link
R v A & Others – Junior counsel. Organised facilitation of illegal immigration, involving the systematic entry of illegal immigrants over a period of weeks via aeroplane, dubbed “club-class” illegal immigration by the judge. Volumes of covert surveillance showed links to the notorious Turkish mafia, the “Baybasins.” Case raised major disclosure issues which were argued on appeal.

Serious sexual offences

R v B - Counsel successfully represented a young boy of good character, accused of committing rape when he was 15 against another 15 year old. Expert handling of a witness and careful and thorough analysis and presentation of phone records were instrumental in securing the acquittal.
R v S - Counsel represented the defendant in this extremely serious case . The defendant was allegedly part of paedophile ring. Legal arguments were successful in achieving dismissal of the conspiracy count [no wheel conspiracy could be established] and the defendant pleaded guilty to substantive counts.
R v C -Instructed to represent a member of the armed forces who was accused of raping a civilian, a teenage boy. The case demanded careful handling of complainant, and a number of army officers, resulting in an acquittal being secured.
R v R - Counsel represented the defendant accused of a campaign of systematic abuse against his sister and further abuse of his daughter. Due to the length of time over which the abuse allegedly occurred a profound forensic analysis of the factual matrix which existed over time was necessary. In addition persistent disclosure requests culminated in disclosure which ultimately cast sufficient doubt on the allegations involving the daughter to obtain a not guilty verdict in respect of those counts.
R v K - Counsel successfully represented the defendant on charges of marital rape and domestic abuse over a number of years. Numerous incidents were alleged and the chronology was complex. Counsel successfully resisted amendment to the indictment and argued the exclusion of irrelevant and prejudicial evidence. Effective cross-examination required the marshalling of tens of thousands of pages phone evidence which significantly contradicted the version of events put forward by the complainant.
R v S - Successfully represented the defendant, who had been previously convicted of 2 allegedly similar sexual offences, for rape involving a teenage complainant. The case involved the sensitive cross-examination of numerous teenage witnesses and difficult legal argument over character.
R v P – Junior counsel for defendant who faced multiple counts of rape, allegedly committed against his wife over a period of over a year against a background of threats and blackmail. Case involved multiple strands of expert evidence all of which was obtained by the defence, including from an immigration law expert, phone experts producing thousands of pages of call data records and cell-site analysis, medical experts, and a Sharia law expert.

Drugs and Firearms

R v M & Others- Counsel successfully represented the first defendant in this case where both D2 and D3 were cutting his throat in respect of both the firearms and drugs indictment. Complex bad character, and hearsay arguments were both made and resisted, and despite facing a cut-throat, data and cell-site evidence, observation evidence the defendant was found not guilty.
R v S & Others - Counsel successfully defended the second defendant accused of large scale class A trafficking involving volumes of phone evidence- data and cell-site, and observation evidence. Despite the defendant’s form for similar offending going before the jury acquitted him.
R v K and others - - Counsel represented the first defendant, mother of 2 boys in this large scale class A trafficking involving volumes of phone evidence-data and cell-site evidence; media coverage.
R v RH & Others – Acted for principal defendant in multi-million pound 'Columbian drug baron' case which received extensive media coverage. Police alleged that at the time of his interview he was the biggest cocaine dealer in the United Kingdom. Case involved covert and intrusive surveillance, extensive financial documentation relevant to criminal lifestyle and money laundering, and complex confiscation proceedings.
R v SB & Others - Instructed alone for one of the principal defendants in this multi-handed drugs supply conspiracy; notable as during the course of the surveillance operation and whilst under surveillance, one of the co-defendants was shot.
R v E & Others - Junior counsel in large-scale heroin importation involving covert surveillance; public interest immunity issues caused the case to collapse.

Other notable cases

R v H - COA ref: Hamou, R. v [2019] EWCA Crim 281 (19 February 2019) - This case concerned an alleged conspiracy to facilitate the unlawful immigration of the Syrian wife of a co-defendant. The prosecution’s application to join and try an absent co-defendant who had advanced duress in interview threw up novel, complex and challenging legal arguments. Counsel led the arguments on behalf of all 3 appellants, successfully overturning the conviction.
R v SB - Counsel defended a respected professional in this death by dangerous driving case involving painstaking analysis of CCTV and expert reports, in which the defendant ultimately escaped a custodial sentence.
R v B - Defendant, a motorcyclist accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, ran over an eminent judge, the ex-president of the QBD. Following a very helpful defence expert report the prosecution accepted careless driving. However a Newton hearing was still necessary to deal with the issue of the extent of the carelessness. The defendant kept his licence.

R v S - [Southwark] - Leading counsel and first on the indictment in a multi-million pound money laundering, involving numerous companies . A cut-throat and difficult tactical decisions on admissibility were successfully navigated, ending in an acquittal on the main conspiracy count.
R v O’D- First on the indictment in this nationwide fraud against multiple vulnerable victims. Sensible advice meant that the defendant pleaded early– the majority involved went to trial and were convicted, others pleaded late. Consequently, the defendant received the most favourable sentence.
R v C - Leading Counsel was for the main defendant in this theft of nearly a million pounds worth of Sony play stations, stolen before they had been released for official sale. The defendant faced a strong circumstantial case involving call data, cell site, vehicle experts, Tachograph evidence and CCTV. Every aspect of the evidence was challenged- from the weighing in of the goods at the docks to the evidence of the vehicle.
R v ES - D was a mother who had pleaded guilty to a theft of £231,00 over an 8 month period from elderly vulnerable victim afflicted with Alzheimers, involving a breach of a high degree of trust; successfully secured a suspended sentence. Press Link
R v F & Others - Leading counsel in multi-handed money laundering case. The defendant was involved in the administration and banking of a company which was the vehicle of a sophisticated boiler room fraud. The architects of the fraud had been members of her own family, tried and convicted in a previous trial- she was acquitted.
R v A & Others - Instructed in multi-handed complex conspiracy to defraud case involving mastery of multiple documents, phone evidence and voice identification evidence.
R v S - High value fraud stemming from the cloning of Lady Shakira Caine’s credit card and subsequent complex web of money laundering. Client pleaded guilty and avoided custody.
R v R & Others - Multi-handed high value money laundering case representing the head of the family accused of laundering the proceeds of his son’s drug dealing. This complex case involved anonymous witnesses giving evidence with modulated voices. Counsel led the challenge to expert evidence in mass spectrometry evidence and statistics. The defendant was acquitted of the most serious counts.
R v S & Another - Junior counsel in this multi-handed large-scale betting fraud with highly complex confiscation proceedings involving multiple overseas accounts, properties and trusts.
R v L & Others, VHCC - Multi-million pound diversion fraud involving importation of alcohol and tobacco, facilitated by dishonest customs officers; eleven defendants. Difficult tactical considerations arose. The defendant was the only one of the eleven to be linked directly to the imported goods; despite the fact that he did not give evidence and gave a no- comment interview, he was acquitted.
R v C & Others - Instructed alone for one of defendants said to be one of the organisers of this fraud, described by the police and media as the biggest passport and identity document fraud yet discovered.
R v M & Others - Multi-million pound “carousel” fraud involving evasion of duty on computer chips and telephones, facilitated by dishonest customs officers; acted for a “buffer” and money launderer. Case involved the analysis of tens of thousands of service of material following the “Wallbank protocol” and also disclosure arguments akin to those advanced in the London City Bond cases.
R v H & R - Instructed alone on sophisticated nation-wide fraud and money laundering case, facilitated by dishonest bank employees.
R v W & Others - Multi-million pound “carousel” fraud, acting for a “buffer” trader.
R v P & Others - Instructed alone on multi-million pound cigarette importation; successfully defended confiscation proceedings for £750,000