Meet the Lawyers: Diana Ellis (for Ieng Thirith): Profile

Practice AreaSpecialist in Criminal Law and International Humanitarian Law, Wide experience in handling serious criminal cases including murder, fraud, armed robbery, sexual abuse, child abuse, blackmail, drug trafficking and in dealing with vulnerable witnesses. Ranked as a Leading Silk in Chambers and Partners.Fraud, Money Laundering and ConfiscationR –v- McIntosh and Ors– multi million pound carousel VAT fraud operating over several years. The defendant centrally involved in the organisation of the fraud-in setting up buffer companies and laundering the proceeds of the fraud.Serious Crime VHCC:R –v- McPherson & Ors – acted for one of nine gang members involved in a drug related murder.R –v- Shah and Ors– Represented the main defendant who was accused of the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky and attempted murder of a fellow police officer. The officers had gone to investigate an armed robbery. Issues concerning the accuracy of identification of the man who fired the fatal shots. Complex expert evidence concerning use of firearms- in this case a Mac10 and pistols.The case received nationwide publicity in the press and on television.Other Notable Cases:R-v- Alecu and Ors – “The Ambulance Murder” Acted for the leader of a Romanian gang who chased the victim of a rival gang into the back of an ambulance and beat him to death. R –v- PN & Anr – attempted murder of rival gang member. Shot in the head, victim survived with brain injuries.R –v- McCook and Ors (1) –Multi handed murder between rival gangs.R –v- McCook and Ors (2) –Acted for one of three youths accused of murdering a rival geng member who had been lured to the scene of the crime.R –v- Durrani –Acted for a man accused of murdering, in a vicious and sadistic manner, a well known literary agent who had befriended him Complex mental heath issues The cases attracted much media attention. R –v- Caines and Ors – Acted for a man accused of being contracted to blackmail and murder. R –v- Burrell – Acted for a man accused of the rape of a woman working in the Department of Constitutional Affairs.R –v- Hemmington –Acted for a woman accused of murdering her baby by suffocation. Involved consideration of several medical issues. R –v- Goldie –Acted for the head of school for disturbed children who was accused of sexually abusing those in his care over a period of many years.R –v- M – One of several men accused of being involved in the murder of a rival, the last in a series of ‘tit for tat’ shootings spanning over a year leading to the deaths and non-fatal injuries (Operation Trident)R –v- Enever – Acted for one of three youths accused of killing another youth with a cross-bow.R –V- Hussein Hasan and Ors – Multi handed murder by a Somalian gang of a rival gang member. R –v- Iqbal and Ors –Acted for one of several men accused of attempting to murder rival gang members. The two groups were in a drugs war.R –v- Gamor – The killing by a mother of her two young children. Complicated mental health issues.R –v- Pervez- Acted for a man accused of multiple rapes carried out over a period of 15 months. Raised issues concerning the Pakistani culture.

Rats Vincent Hickey and Ors – The appellant and three others were convicted of the murder of Carl Bridgewater (The Bridgewater Case) Rats James –Acted on appeal. A five Judge court was assembled to consider whether a decision of the Board of the Privy Council could take precedence over a decision of the House of Lords where there was a conflict. This case was concerned with applying the correct direction on provocation.Extradition CasesRe: Emmanuelle Nteziryayo and Ors –Acting for one of four Rwandans who’s extradition to Arusha has been sort on a charge of genocide. International Criminal LawDefence counsel for Professor Ferdinand Nahimana in the first trial to take place before an International Court on charges relating to the role of the media in the commission of genocide – at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha.PublicationsCo-authored several Criminal Bar Association working papers. Professional MembershipsCriminal Bar AssociationEuropean Criminal Bar AssociationInternational Bar AssociationLibertyBar Pro-Bono UnitUN Appointed Counsel Working knowledge of French