Helen Longworth

PROFILE

Helen Longworth has a significant Crown Court practice including complex crime, serious fraud, money laundering, serious sexual offences and gang related drug trafficking.

Before her call to the Bar, Helen worked for 12 years as a policy advisor in the UK charity sector, working on anti-poverty, education and other social welfare issues. Helen has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a notable work ethic and is fearlessness in advancing her cases. She is extremely competent, analytical and articulate, as well as showing her wisdom and compassion to a degree that allows her to deal properly and confidently with some of the most vulnerable people in the criminal justice system.

Helen teaches conference and advocacy skills on the MMU Bar Training Course. She is a member of the Northern Circuit Executive Committee, taking responsibility for Circuit communication and for the Pupil Marshalling programme. She is a member of the Criminal Bar Association.

Helen is described as a rising star in the Legal 500.

“Helen shows empathy to each client and handles even the most demanding of clients with care. She is approachable, helpful and will take up the good fight for the client and will not put on any pressure to plead in the face of overwhelming evidence, ensuring that all necessary avenues of enquiry are considered in preparing for trial. She is realistic and truthful with the clients and always makes the client feel listened to.’”

AREAS OF PRACTICE

CRIME

Helen's practice is one with a good mixture of prosecution and defence work, both as the sole instructed advocate and as a led junior in several long running serious criminal cases including conspiracies to rob, to transfer firearms, to supply drugs and money laundering offences. She has a particular interest in youth justice and has conducted a number of legal arguments for serious offences heard in the youth court.

Helen is a CPS Panel Advocate (general crime - level 3), a specialist fraud prosecutor (level 3), a specialist POCA prosecutor (level 2) and a specialist serious crime prosecutor (level 2).

She exhibits particular aptitude in representing those who are vulnerable, such as struggling with addiction, mental health difficulties or because they are subject to domestic violence. Helen is assiduous in ensuring that her clients understand what is happening and how the process works. She has prosecuted in cases where the defendant has not been fit to face trial and has an excellent working knowledge of procedures on fitness to plead, intermediaries and is adept at advising and taking instructions in such cases.

REGULATORY

Helen is a Specialist Regulatory Advocate. She has appeared in cases involving environmental protection, health and safety and food hygiene matters.

INQUESTS

Having undertaken work for the police in the coronial courts and having worked with Matthew Snarr on inquests into deaths in custody, Helen is a capable advocate in cases where an understanding of how procedures and personalities interact is required.

FAMILY AND CROSS-JURISDICTION

Helen advised children’s services on the matters that cross the criminal and family courts, obtained material for disclosure as well as conducted an application to vary a Forced Marriage Order in the family courts.

NOTABLE CASES

R v Frankel and Others (Operation Larkshot), junior prosecuting counsel, multi-million pound money laundering case - link 1, link 2.

R v Watson, defence counsel, firearms case with fitness to plead issues - link

R v Farid and Others (Operation Cap), junior defence counsel, conspiracy to rob - link

R v Godfrey and others (Operation Rivington), junior prosecuting counsel, conspiracy to transfer firearms - link