Molly Pinkus

Molly obtained her LLB and LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She specialised at Masters Level in criminal procedure and criminology. Molly went on to practice in criminal law and has acted in the full range of criminal cases.

Molly is regularly instructed in substantial and serious criminal cases, including murder and manslaughter, gang related crime and county lines drug dealing. She has appeared as leading junior in cases including rape and internet grooming, modern slavery, conspiracy to supply firearms, manslaughter and attempted murder.

Molly is ranked in Legal 500 as a Leading Individual and is praised for her advocacy and client skills. She is also ranked in Chambers and Partners as an advocate who “clients love and solicitors seek out for tough cases.”

Molly is a fearless advocate and an expert cross examiner. She delivers extremely powerful closing speeches. Her knowledge of the criminal law is expansive and her legal arguments are persuasive. She is a popular advocate with clients and juries

Molly’s practice is well-established in the Crown Courts. She also advises on appeals against conviction and sentence, as well as appearing in the Court of Appeal.

Molly has considerable experience in representing defendants charged with murder and alleged gang related crime, including firearms offences. This includes violent offences and large-scale drug supply cases. Her preparation is extremely thorough and she is very familiar with electronic and digital evidence. She is also meticulous in her examination of unused material. Molly is extremely approachable and is a popular choice with clients. 

Many of the cases Molly undertakes involve multi-handed conspiracies, frequently with an international dimension. She was instructed as leading counsel in a modern slavery case, which involved a joint investigation between the UK and another international police force.

Molly is often instructed in cases involving new and evolving areas of law. She appeared in one of the very first rape cases involving the pre-recorded cross examination of the complainant, when the scheme was in its pilot stage. Molly has been praised for her handling of vulnerable witnesses and she trains others on the vulnerable witness training programme run by Middle Temple. Molly is familiar with the use of intermediaries in the criminal courts, both for witnesses and defendants. She has been successful in obtaining intermediaries for her vulnerable clients.

Molly is instructed in the most sensitive of cases, including currently being instructed as leading counsel in a case involving numerous injuries to a baby.

Molly represents police officers, both in the criminal courts and also in disciplinary misconduct proceedings. Molly recently represented an officer who faced misconduct proceedings following a death in custody. Molly has also represented soldiers, officers of UK Border Force and teachers. In 2023 Molly was leading counsel in a case alleging a large number of sexual offences brought by a number of different pupils against a primary school teacher.

Molly accepts instructions in all areas of serious crime and related work.

Recent Notable cases (2017 – 2024)

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Homicide / Death:

R v H (concluded September 2024) – Molly was leading counsel in this case of attempted murder.

The victim in this case was stabbed 9 times by two masked males outside a store. This was said to be a revenge attack seeking retribution for the murder of the defendant’s cousin 2 years earlier. The case involved cell site and telephone evidence and the careful cross examination of the complainant.

R v O (concluded December 2020) – Croydon CC – Led by KC in case involving an allegation of cold-blooded murder of a stranger.

Molly was led by a KC in this case in which the client was alleged to have followed a security guard on his route home from work and attacked him on the street. During the course of the attack the defendant stabbed the victim, who dies. It was suggested that the motive may have been a designer bag carried by the victim.

R -v- B (concluded January 2019) – Central Criminal Court / Blackfriars Crown Court – Led by KC in Operation Padova. Represented a client charged with the murder of a drug dealer over a county lines telephone.

Operation Padova involved the fatal stabbing of a young man in a residential flat. The stabbing was witnessed by the two occupants of the flat, who were drug addicts whose flat had been ‘cuckooed’ by drug dealers. The defendant was alleged to have killed the victim over a ‘county lines’ telephone which was in his possession. The case relied heavily upon cell site evidence.

R -v- M & Others (Sept/October 2017) – Central Criminal Crown Court – Led by KC for one of 3 defendants in Operation Neasden, a murder case involving a revenge execution of a drug dealer by shooting.

Operation Neasden was an investigation into the death of a victim, who was shot 7 times as he sat in the passenger seat of a stationary car. There was cell site evidence and forensic evidence from the ‘tracker’ in the vehicle in which the 3 defendants had been travelling and from which the gunman was alleged to have come. The case also involved the admissibility and weight of gun shot residue evidence.

 R -v- F & Others (June 2017) – Central Criminal Court – Leading counsel in manslaughter and firearms case, all 3 defendants were acquitted.

Operation Mapledurwell was the investigation into the death of a young man who was shot in the stomach as he opened the front door of a residential flat. F was alleged to have orchestrated the visit to the victim with the intention to frighten him with a firearm. The visit was carried out by the 2 co-defendants and an absent male, who had fled abroad, one of whom fatally shot the victim. The shooting was alleged to have been gang related and based upon a drug debt.

R v T (December 2017) – Molly as sole counsel represented a client charged with attempted murder by stabbing complainant in the stomach – acquitted.

[More info] defendant was followed into a shop by a group of males who subsequently attacked him with machetes and large knives. Defendant stabbed one of the attacking group with a hunting knife, causing very serious stomach injury requiring surgery. Defence of self-defence succerssfully advanced and defendant was acquitted of attempted murder.

Serious / Organised Crime:

R v Y (concluded August 2024) – Molly was leading counsel for one of four defendants in this trial which was concerned with a large scale international drugs conspiracy.

This 8 week case involved the importation of huge volumes of drugs to a number of different residential address. The case involved complex cell site evidence and thousands of pages of telephone evidence. Molly cross examined an expert witness on drugs supply and methodology, as well as a witness who gave evidence of interpretation of messages. The case was linked to another large scale drugs conspiracy.

R v W (concluded February 2024) - Harrow CC - Molly represented a defendant said to have assisted an offender who committed an acid attack on a family in West London.

The main offender received a life sentence to the acid attack, in which 3 members of a family were seriously injured and permanently scarred. Molly represented the person who drove the attacker to the scene. The prosecution eventually accepted pleas to assisting an offender and Molly’s client received a much lower sentence.

R v C & Others (April – June 2018). Molly was leading counsel for a defendant in Operation Shore, a large conspiracy to supply firearms. One of 2 defendants acquitted.

Operation Shore involved the importation and planned supply of a large number of firearms. The firearms and ammunition were brought from Lithuania across Europe and ended up in a top floor flat in East London which was the subject of a police raid. The case involved 3 trials, of which C was in the last, having been extradited. The case involved a large amount of electronic telephone data and cell site evidence.

R v R & Others (February / March 2019) – Molly represented one of 11 defendants in Operation Kimball, a large county lines drugs conspiracy.

Operation Kimball involved 11 defendants, 5 of whom pleaded guilty. R was one of 6 who stood trial. Case involved the supply on a massive scale of heroin and crack cocaine into Great Yarmouth from London over 1 15 month period. The county line was organized with the use of a telephone line which sent hundreds of messages to customers in Norfolk advertising the drugs for sale.

Sexual Offences:

R v B (July 2024) – Molly represented a defendant charged with the serious sexual assault of a vulnerable complainant.

Molly’s client was alleged to have gone back to the home address of an acquaintance where he seriously sexually assaulted her. The cross examination of the complainant was pre-recorded under section 28. At the trial Molly cross examined a number of witnesses who saw the aftermath of the incident and spoke to the complainant. Molly’s client was acquitted.

R v H (May 2024) – Molly represented a defendant charged with the rape of a vulnerable complainant.

Molly cross examined the complainant in advance of the trial in accordance with the s28 procedure for vulnerable witnesses. The case was complicated by the fact the parties had known each other for many years. At trial Molly called her client to give evidence, following which he was acquitted.

R v P (September 2023) – Molly was leading counsel representing a teacher charged with sexually assaulting pupils at the primary school where he taught.

Molly represented a teacher who faced allegations of sexual assault from 6 different complainants. The complainants were all pupils at the school where the defendant taught and were all in year 6 (aged 10/11). All of the complainants were cross examined in advance of the trial. At the trial Molly cross examined a large number of teaching staff from the school as well as the relatives of the complainants. Molly’s client was acquitted of all 14 counts.

R v S (June 2023) – Molly represented a defendant charged with sexually assaulting his 14 year old step daughter.

The defendant was alleged to have sexually assaulted his step-daughter whilst he was looking after her and his 5 year old son. Molly sensitively cross examined the complainant, as well as other family members who supported the prosecution case. Molly uncovered a number of inconsistencies in the evidence and her client was acquitted.

R v M (May 2023) – Molly represented a defendant charged with the rape of a child. The allegations dated back to 1979.

Molly secured the acquittal of her client in this historic case. The complainant had come forward in 2018 and alleged that Molly’s client had raped and sexually abused her on a number of occasions when she was aged 13. The defendant had been in a relationship with the complainant’s sister at the time. The case involved careful and detailed cross examination on very sensitive topics which involved going back 34 years.

R v (April 2019) – Molly represented a young defendant who was charged with the distribution of indecent images of children.

The defendant was a schoolboy, aged 15-16 at the time of the alleged offences. The case involved extensive chatlogs between the defendant and others and the alleged exchange / distribution of IIOC. Defendant pleaded guilty to possession only of the images and received a community penalty.

R v T (July 2018) – Molly  represented a care worker charged with sexual assaults on an elderly resident in a care home and staff.

The Defendant was investigated after an elderly resident in a care home made disclosure that she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted by a member of staff. 2 staff members also made complaints of sexual assault by the member of staff. Defendant was acquitted on the counts relating to the resident following successful legal argument.

R v P (June 2018) – Lewes Crown Court. Vulnerable defendant, granted intermediary, charged with attempted rape of 9 year old second cousin when he was 16.

Defendant was 19 at the time of trial and suffered from educational and cognitive impairment. An application was therefore made and granted for an intermediary for the duration of the trial. When she was 13, the complainant made disclosure of attempted rape and sexual assault by her second cousin who had been 16 at the time. This was a sensitive case. The defendant’s mother was a prosecution witness.

R v C (November 2017) – Molly represented vulnerable defendant charged with rape of vulnerable complainant. Defendant acquitted.

Represented a defendant with severe educational difficulties who was granted an intermediary for the duration of his evidence. Complainant had to be questioned over video link from a ward in a secure psychiatric hospital. There was medical evidence on both sides in relation to the significance of extreme blood loss by the complainant. This was an extremely sensitive case.

R v W (May / June 2017) – defendant charged with historic rape and sexual assault of a child.

The complainant, in his early 30s, alleged that he had been groomed and raped and sexually abused by the defendant when he was a child. The complainant was vulnerable and suffered from a mental health illness. There were also charges relating to possession of indecent images of children.

R v E (May 2017) – represented defendant charged with sexual activity with a child, who was his daughter, over 3 year period.

The defendant was charged with sexually abusing his daughter from the ages of 10 – 15. It was alleged that he would regularly abuse his daughter when she came to stay at his address, mainly at weekends. She had made the disclosure in her 20s and the allegations dated back to 2005. The complainant’s mother and brother were witnesses in the case.

Fraud / Money Laundering / Conspiracy to Steal:

R v M (July 2024) – Molly represented one of two defendants charged with a £7million conspiracy to steal high value and ‘super’ cars.

The defendants in this case were part of a large conspiracy in which very high value cars and ‘super cars’ were targeted and stolen from residential driveways. The cars were immediately taken to ‘chop shops’ where they were given false plates, broken down for parts to be exported abroad. The case involved cell site, ANPR and evidence of wireless interference (to prevent the tracking of the stolen vehicles). Following careful negotiation, Molly’s client pleaded guilty on a basis which involved a significantly reduced value reflecting his involvement.

R v E & Others (October – December 2019) – Molly represented one of only 2 defendants to be acquitted in 5 handed money laundering trial.

Case concerned the siphoning of funds by the first defendant, who was the defendant’s sister, over a 4 year period, from her employers. D1 had used various family members to convert the stolen money by transferring the money through their bank accounts. The case involved the careful examination of banking evidence.

R v C (February – May 2018) – Molly represented one of 14 defendants in Operation Henna, a massive conspiracy to defraud the DWP.

[More info] represented the third of 14 defendants in this massive conspiracy to defraud the DWP. C’s husband had created thousands of forged documents which had been used to create false claims made against the DWP. Defendant allowed her bank accounts to be used to divert the proceeds of the fraud and operated an account in another name.

Other Notable Cases (2016 and Earlier)

R v G – sole advocate in rape case involving vulnerable complainant.

This was one of the first pilot cases to use s28 pre-recorded cross-examination. Defendant was acquitted, (2016).

R v B

Sole counsel in case involving historic sexual offences committed by former serving police officer against multiple family members, (2016).

R v S & Another

Sole advocate in stranger rape case involving 2 defendants. Defendant was acquitted, (2016).

R v J

leading counsel in internet grooming case.

R v D

sole advocate in “one punch” manslaughter case.

R v S

Sole advocate in case of historic indecent assaults by a schoolteacher.

R v P and others

Leading counsel in large credit card cloning fraud case.

R v M

Junior advocate led by QC in murder case involving issue of fitness to plead.

R v R

Sole advocate in lengthy section 18 wounding trial involving 8 young defendants.

R v A & Others

Sole counsel in large drugs conspiracy case.

R v B

Firearm case involving “exceptional circumstances”. Sentence successfully appealed.

R v A and others

Sole advocate in blackmail case.

R v M & Another

Junior counsel in grooming rape case involving 4 complainants.

• Bar Vocational Training Course, (1996-7) - Merit
• London School of Economics LLM (1995-6)
• London School of Economics LLB Degree (2:1) (1992 -95)

Molly is a qualified pupil supervisor.

Molly is a member of Middle Temple Inn and the Criminal Bar Association.

Molly is a facilitator and delivers the Vulnerable Witness Training programme at Middle Temple.  

When she is not at work, Molly enjoys keeping fit and doing pilates.

Professional Memberships

• Middle Temple
• Criminal Bar Association

‘Molly is a capable advocate. She gets to the nub of all matters evidential or legal. She also has a good way with juries.'

Legal 500 2024 edition

"Molly is an excellent, hard-working and conscientious barrister.”

Chambers and Partners 2024 edition