Clare Gordon

Barrister

Clare has always exclusively defended, and has extensive experience of acting for defendants who face the gravest allegations including: homicide, serious violence, serious sexual offences (including historic allegations), firearms, kidnap and false imprisonment, armed robbery, and drug trafficking.

Clare is a strong and conscientious defender, and has acted as leading junior on numerous occasions. She has an excellent rapport with clients.

She has extensive experience acting for people accused of supply of Class A drugs in test purchase operations, and larger conspiracies to supply Class A drugs and is noted for her clear presentation of complex evidence.

Clare is also experienced in cases of child neglect and abuse, and has a particular interest in acting in cases involving vulnerable defendants, including very young defendants, people with mental health issues, and victims of abuse, where she is able to apply her experience gained over many years of representing people that require extra protection and care. Clare also has experience in dealing with very young child witnesses and dealing with intermediaries.

Her experience extends to complex financial crime matters, she successfully has conducted numerous cases of benefit fraud and mortgage fraud, and linked proceedings.

Clare spent time working for chambers in Trinidad and Tobago, predominantly on capital cases, and has undertaken Privy Council work here in the UK.

Professional Memberships

South Eastern Circuit
Criminal Bar Association

Clare is a registered pupil supervisor with Middle Temple.

Homicide and Serious Violence

R v M – High profile multi-handed murder trial – gang related shooting, led junior, – acquitted of all counts.
R v A – Multi handed murder and conspiracy to commit s.18, led junior, – acquitted of all counts.
R v D – Murder (led junior) – defendant acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter, where he accepted having returned to the scene of an earlier argument armed with two knives and stabbed the victim repeatedly.
R v M – serious s.18, stabbing in context of alleged rape by complainant. Defendant acquitted.
R v D – multi handed kidnap, false imprisonment, assaults and taking of indecent images by teenage gang. Only defendant to be acquitted.
R v M – Leading junior in Kidnapping, false imprisonment, and serious violent and sexual assaults, where the victim was a teenage girl. Secured acquittal for first defendant who was said to be the ‘main man’.
R v B – s.18 ‘glassing’ caught on video at a boat party. Defendant acquitted.
R v S – acquittal on s.18 on basis of self-defence where the defendant accepted causing several stab wounds to the back of the victim in a gang related stabbing.
R v S – serious assaults by junior doctor whilst out celebrating exams – acquitted on all counts.

Sexual Offences/Offences against Children

R v S – Defendant accused of numerous counts of rape against his immediate family, including his daughter and sister in law.
R v D – leading junior. Music teacher who had systematically abused young pupils over many years. Reported in national press. Abuse dated back to 1970’s and complex disclosure issues arose.
R v T – rape of a child by 21 year-old defendant who was found unfit due to severe learning difficulties. Hospital order imposed.
R v L – Serious sexual offences committed against very young children by school caretaker.
R v H – Kidnap and Rape
R v G – alleged gang rape. Defendant acquitted of all counts.
R v B – rape (allegations made against one school teacher by another) Defendant acquitted of all counts.
R v T – led junior for defendant ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment for numerous offences of sexual abuse on his own children over many years.
R v M – numerous counts of rape against ex partner, with serious injuries including bite injuries. Defendant acquitted on all counts.
R v H – Represented defendant who had on two occasions, attempted to abduct young children from the paediatric ward of the same hospital whilst posing as a doctor.
R v A – baby shaking
R v K – Child cruelty – represented mother of 2 year-old child who consumed 2 bottles of methadone
R v M - Defendant acquitted of child abduction.

Drugs, Firearms, and other Crime

R v S – multi handed £1.2 million conspiracy to steal / handle high value cars.
R v H – Conspiracy to supply crack cocaine across the home-counties.
R v S – Counsel for first defendant in a series of violent armed robberies and aggravated burglaries across East London.
R v R – non-custodial sentence for the only female defendant in conspiracy to supply several kilos of Cocaine.
R v S – Car ringing and cultivation of cannabis – secured acquittal on more serious counts resulting in non-custodial sentence.
R v R – conspiracy to supply firearms.
R v S – multiple counts of arson. Hospital Order imposed
R v C – Defendant acquitted of firearms offences.

R v SR – leading junior in multi handed, high-value fraud at CCC – Trading Standards Prosecution
R v C – Fraud involving diverting of large sums of money from Local Authority by an employee.
R v H – successful representation of defendant accused of organised benefit fraud over a number of years, prosecuted by a Silk.