Verity Fowler-Rouault

Career Overview

Verity joined Chambers following the successful completion of his pupillage under the supervision of Molly Pinkus.

Prior to joining chambers, Verity worked at a national criminal defence firm for a number of years. She assisted instructed counsel and in house advocates on cases from historic rape to drugs to serious violence. Verity represented clients in Independent Adjudications and Parole Hearings through the firms growing Prison Law department. Verity became a qualified police station representative whilst at the firm. She ably represented clients in interviews under caution never hesitating to interrupt and prevent inappropriate questions being put or pressure being exerted by officers. This first hand experience of interviews has given Verity a solid foundation in PACE and the Codes of Practice.

Verity enjoys a busy criminal defence practice and prides herself on being a defence advocate through and through. She recently appeared before the Court of Appeal after getting permission to appeal sentence from the Single Judge.

As part of her thriving criminal practice, Verity has been led on a number of serious and high-profile cases all over the country. Verity has been led on including drugs, multi million-pound money laundering, historic sexual offences and complex fraud cases.

In addition to her busy Crown Court practice, Verity is repeatedly instructed in the Youth Court representing vulnerable, young defendants charged with serious offences which would otherwise be heard in the Crown Court. She quickly builds repour with her clients leading to trust and confidence that they will have their voices heard and their case put. Verity has particular experience in disclosure issues, regularly reminding the Court and the CPS of their respective duties.

Verity accepts instructions in all areas of criminal law and has developed experience in a wide range of criminal matters including drugs, violence, sexual offences, dishonesty and driving offences. She has also represented clients in quasi criminal-civil orders such as Closure Orders in both the Magistrates and Crown Court, Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO), Sexual Risk Orders (SRO) and Sexual Harm Protection Orders (SHPO).

Verity fearlessly defends her clients come what may. She has been praised for her thorough preparation, dedicated approach to each case and recognised for going the extra mile for her clients.

Areas of Expertise

General crime;
Sexual offences;
Driving offences;

Notable Cases

R -v- DCR - Cardiff Crown Court - Production of Cannabis: Production of Cannabis on an industrial scale in South Wales estimated to yield £4.4 millions of Cannabis. Verity Fowler was led by John Lucas, she argued that the Defendant did not have knowledge that his properties were being used as factories.
R -v- FP - Basildon Crown Court - Historic sexual offences: Historic sexual offences. The Defendant was accused of assaulting a number of his students during his time as a teacher in a primary school. This involved s.28 pre-recorded cross-examination of 6 complainants who were still children. Verity conducted the cross-examination of two complainants, parents of those complainants and successfully argued s.8 applications for disclosure despite robust opposition. Led by Molly Pinkus.
R -v- SZ - Durham Crown Court - Courier Fraud: Courier Fraud. The Defendant was accused of orchestrating a multi-million pound fraud which saw elderly part with cash which they believed was needed as part of a police investigation. Led by John Lucas.
R -v- RG - Southwark Crown Court - Money Laundering: The Defendant was accused of using his legitimate money exchange bureau business as a front to allow other criminals to pass their cash through, his employees were said to be active in the laundering process. Led by Martin McCarthy.
R -v- RP - Winchester Crown Court - Conspiracy to supply class A Drugs: The case involved over 100,000 pages of evidence and over two million pages of unused evidence. The case against the Defendant relied purely on telephone evidence and the Defence prepared extensive schedules including the telephone evidence extracted from handsets and call data. Led by Ioana Nedelcu.
R v EG - Harrow Crown Court - Racially Aggravated Assault: In the face of what appeared to be strong evidence, including admissions in interview, the jury were unable to convict the Defendant after thorough cross-examination of the complainant and witnesses, one of which accepted no racist language was used at all by the Defendant.
R v KS - Southwark Crown Court - Racially Aggravated Assault: Crown were persuaded to offer no evidence after detailed submissions about the weaknesses of the evidence that the alleged phrase was uttered at all was made.
R v AA - Snaresbrook Crown Court - Possession of a Bladed Article: The Defendant was acquitted after successfully arguing that the Defendant had a good reason for carrying a meat cleaver, namely that he was going to dispose of it at an amnesty box.
R v MF - Harrow Crown Court - Breach of a Non-Molestation Order: This was a neighbour dispute in which the Defendant was acquitted after a 4 day trial which involved extensive cross-examination of complainants, the police and the complete absence of corroborative evidence.
R v MD - Snaresbrook Crown Court - Appeal against Sentence: The Defendant received an immediate custodial sentence in Thames Magistrates’ Court for multiple offences of domestic violence. The sentence of immediate custodial sentence was quashed, and a suspended sentence substituted.
R v CA - Wood Green Crown Court - ABH: The Defendant was committed for sentence after seriously assaulting a member of the public in a laundrette. The Judge told the Defendant that it was Verity’s submissions that saved him from immediate custody.
R v AH - Wood Green Crown Court - Burglary and Dishonesty: The Defendant faced sentence on a 14 count indictment which included multiple counts of Burglary, Possession of Drugs, Public Order Offences, Fraud and Theft. After considering the detailed defence sentencing note, the Defendant received a suspended sentence with DRR.
R v MA - Snaresbrook Crown Court - Controlling Coercive Behaviour: The Crown offered no evidence after submissions about the veracity of the evidence and likely prospect of conviction.
R v HM - Luton Youth Court - s 18 with intent: The Defendant was charged with his younger brother as being responsible for the stabbing of another young person on the busy local high street during the day. The Crown were persuaded to accept a plea to less serious offence and the Defendant received a Referral Order despite having previous convictions.
R v SI - Luton Youth Court - Affray: The Defendant was charged with a public order offence following murder of a young teenage boy outside of his school. The Court were successfully persuaded the that the appropriate sentence was a Referral Order given the accepted position that the Defendant had tried to save the deceased life.
R v KFG - Highbury Youth Court - s. 18 with intent & possession of bladed article: The Defendant pleaded guilty on the day of trial, Verity successfully argued for a Youth Rehabilitation Order with ISS despite the Defendant having previous convictions for violence and poor compliance with Court Orders. In preparation of her submissions, Verity drafted an 18 page sentencing note which highted the Defendants extensive vulnerabilities, relevant case law and the overarching sentencing guidelines.
R v HM (2019) - Driving offences: Special Reasons on the basis of ghost brokering was accepted and no driving disqualification was imposed.
R v DB (2019) - Driving offences: Exceptional Hardship was successfully advanced and accepted avoiding a driving disqualification.
R v CS (2020) - Failure to provide a specimen: Successful submission of no case to answer where the police failed to follow the correct procedure in a failure to provide a specimen for analysis case.