Sunita Mehta
LLB (hons)
Partner
Sunita has specialised exclusively in criminal defence work since 2003. She has gained considerable experience prior to being admitted as a Solicitor in 2008 and continued to develop her practice since. Sunita has worked on the full spectrum of criminal cases, including several high-profile cases.
Sunita is now involved in preparing some of the firm’s most serious and complex cases with a particular emphasis on murder, firearms, serious violence and large-scale drug offences. She is currently involved in a number of cases including Operation Pretoria, Operation Headpiece, Operation Yacinoro, Operation Flores and Operation Salmson.
Sunita also has substantial experience in dealing with sexual offences and fraud. Sunita is the lead solicitor for Operation Geode as well as preparing a number of sensitive cases dealing with unique sexual offences.
Sunita’s respectful and reassuring manner coupled with a meticulous approach to preparation instils confidence in clients. Her attention to detail and client focused approach ensures that clients are provided with the best weaponry to defend their cases. Her caring and empathetic approach ensures clients are provided with support at the most trying of times, especially when in custody.
Sunita currently heads up the team at our Walthamstow office. She oversees several fee earners and ensures that a high-quality standard is met for each of our clients, which is evident from our continuous achievements and year on year Lexcel accreditation.
Sunita now mainly deals with cases where clients have been charged with serious violent offences or sexual offences. These cases need to be handled more sensitively as they often involve vulnerable complainants/witnesses, defendants with health difficulties and expert evidence. These issues are inherent in a number of these types of cases making the case more complex from the outset, as these also usually involve legal argument about non defendant bad character, prior sexual relationships and a number of other legal issues which need to be explored with the client. Furthermore, there are often novel or ever-changing legal arguments that are involved so need to be borne in mind when preparing the case.
Sunita is a valued member of the defence team and works with extremely experienced Counsel and Queens Counsel. Her organised approach to cases and ability to get into the minutia of the evidence as well as instructions is invaluable.
Operation Look-in – Southwark Crown Court
The defendant was an accountant accused of a large -scale conspiracy relating to mortgage frauds involving the certification of hundreds of self-certified mortgages over a protracted period. The case involved handwriting and forensic experts being instructed and the consideration of a vast amount of prosecution disclosure.
Operation Exhort – Luton Crown Court
This case concerned a major insurance ‘cash for crash’ scam operating in the south of the county. Bedfordshire police investigated these defendants for over 6 months for fictitious and staged accidents involving innocent motorists, resulting in a substantial loss to insurance companies. This was one of the first prosecutions of this kind.
Operation Lemondrop – Reading Crown Court
This case was prosecuted by HMRC and involved the covert and intrusive surveillance of the defendants who were charged with Cheating the Public Revenue and Benefit Fraud over a period of 15 years for a vast amount of money. The prosecution disclosure was substantial resulting in the instruction by the defence of forensic accountants.
R v D – Maidstone Crown Court
This case concerned a multi-handed and serious conspiracy to defraud investors of circa £1/2 million of fine wine. Most of the targeted investors were vulnerable and elderly. The fraud was protracted and highly sophisticated.
Operation Berg / Meeker – Southwark Crown Court
A £1.4 million Tier 1 and Revenue fraud. Registered immigration advisors and company directors allegedly manipulated earnings to support immigration applications and to obtain a rebate of taxes previously paid to the Revenue. The Serious Fraud Division Prosecution team described this case as sophisticated due to the number of companies which were created.
Operation Diviner: R v C & K and Others – Inner London Crown Court
This was one of the largest ever prosecutions brought by the UKBA. The case involved a sophisticated multi handed conspiracy to facilitate the immigration of asylum seekers into the UK, following a nine -month covert operation at Heathrow Airport. The case related to Afghan illegal immigrants who were provided with counterfeit passports by the organised crime group.
Operation Yacer – Reading Crown Court
This highly published case featured on the TV series ‘UK Border Force’ and involved a large Conspiracy to Facilitate Illegal Entry into the U.K prosecuted by the UKBA. The case involved a number of defendants who arranged Sham Marriages on a commercial scale across the U.K.
Operation Moonglow – Isleworth Crown Court
This case concerned a multi-handed immigration fraud orchestrated by an organised crime group who ran a sophisticated and commercial operation involving in excess of 520 false Visa Applications to The Home Office. The prosecution material served was vast and included false wage slips to the tune of £1.4 million. One of the defendants pretended to employ musicians at his business, which was made to look like a legitimate business
Operation Wick – Isleworth Crown Court
ABV represented a defendant who conspired with others to facilitate breaches of immigration law in a conspiracy involving “reverse” smuggling, i.e. taking migrants from the UK to France. An undercover journalist working for The Sun newspaper discussed and arranged with our client to secretly smuggle 2 males out of the UK. Arrests were made after a tip-off by The Sun newspaper to the police in Kent. The sentence was appealed and reduced by the Court of Appeal.
Murder & Manslaughter
Operation Gabanintha – Old Bailey
Multi-handed allegation of Murder and Conspiracy to Murder. ABV Solicitors successfully represented the client accused of murdering his wife and thereafter fleeing abroad after the family house was set on fire in an attempt to allegedly destroy the evidence and body. The case against the client was formally dismissed following submissions after the jury heard the Prosecution case.
Operation Gindalbie – Central Criminal Court
Represented a Defendant accused of a double murder at a Heathrow Hotel. The case involved the instruction of specialist psychiatrists and psychologists along with extensive defence forensic enquiries.
R v D & Others – Ipswich Crown Court
Providing advice and assistance in relation to the preparation of a key witness statement and advising on the merits and otherwise for giving live evidence at a Murder trial involving the client’s husband and daughter.
Operation Gosasco
This case concerned allegations of attempted murder and possession of a firearm where a gang of men in two separate cars drove up behind the complainant. The passenger in the first car fired at his head and narrowly missed but was then attacked and beaten with a hammer to the face. This was a case where it was a joint enterprise attack in which the aim was to kill the complainant.
Operation G – Old Bailey
Represented a Defendant in a SCD1 investigation into murder which occurred in East London. This was a multi-handed case in which some defendants had links to high profile celebrities and as a result this case attracted a great deal of media interest.
Operation Henegar – Old Bailey
Represented a Defendant in a multi-handed case where some defendants were charged with murder and fraud, whilst others were involved in a conspiracy to defraud a wealthy oil executive. Her decomposing body was found in a garage in London.
Operation Gladesville – Old Bailey
Represented one of two defendants charged with the murder of another young male after a drunken brawl resulted in death. This case raised issues of joint enterprise and causation.
R v G – Inner London Crown Court
We represented an elderly female Defendant who approached a colleague at work and confided to them that they wanted to murder their own daughter in law. Despite the fact that the Defendant was convicted, the Judge saw fit to distinguish this Defendant from others charged with a similar offence and sentenced our client to a suspended sentence. A suspended sentence for this type of charge is not usually available and was unique in its circumstances due to the Judge learning of our client’s difficult family circumstances and the incredible stress they were under at this time.
Operation Garomna – Central Criminal Court
Multi-handed Murder relates to the killing of the CEO of Sikh TV. The case attracted a vast amount of publicity. The defendant whom we represented was acquitted of murder and received a 6 years sentence for GBH.
Operation Emerich – Central Criminal Court
Represented a Defendant accused of the murder of a woman in her home, which was said to have been covered up by setting the house on fire whilst two children and the defendant were in the house. The matter proceeded to trial but the jury were unable to reach a verdict at the original trial. The client was subsequently acquitted at his re trial.
Operation Emmelsville – Central Criminal Court
Successfully represented a defendant who faced an allegation that he murdered one man and assaulted two others in a fight outside a pub in Ealing. After trial he was acquitted of all charges.
Operation Cherrytree – Old Bailey
Successfully represented a Defendant who was accused of Murder and Attempted Murder during a double shooting incident in Peckham which was investigated by Operation Trident officers. It was alleged that this was an execution style killing of fellow drug dealers leaving the survivor with a bullet lodged in his neck. This case involved a flawed Identification Parade procedure along with extremely complex cell site and forensic evidence. Utilising information obtained from the FBI and elsewhere around the world we were able to present to the jury a more complete picture of the character of the main witness. Our client was facing a life sentence with a minimum term of between 30-35 years had he been convicted.
Violent Crimes
Operation Chrysene
This case concerned a number of Defendants who were all charged with aggravated burglary described as a “particularly nasty home invasion”. The wife and 2 children, who were inside the property at this time, were taken to the kitchen and had their hands tied and locked under the stairs cupboard. £400,000 worth of gold was taken from the premises. The Defence team made detailed disclosure requests and managed to argue out evidence.
Operation Withern – Inner London Crown Court
We were instructed to represent many cases involving the 2012 riots across the country including offences of violent disorder, burglary, theft and arson.
Operation Equinox
This case relates to the kidnap and assault on a complainant by 3 defendants as well as a conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The complainant stated that he had been concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin for a gang and that he was grievously assaulted. He was then taken to an unknown Somalian families’ address where he remained until the following morning.
R v G – Southwark Crown Court
An allegation of Assault Occasioning Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) following a large ‘brawl’ at a well-established Mayfair Club. The prosecution failed to provide all the disclosure and the evidence requested, despite numerous requests which led to the case being dismissed two days before the trial was fixed.
Operation Cavalry – Blackfriars Crown Court
Multi-handed case involved a group of 20 members of an anti-fascist group who were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to commit violence in protest at the staging of fascist concerts. The defendant we represented at trial was successfully acquitted.
Serious Drugs Offences
R v Y & Others – Birmingham Crown Court
Large Scale Multi-Handed Conspiracy to Import Class A drugs from the Dominican Republic. The case was that the drugs were imported to London airports, cleared through a landing agent and then transported them to Birmingham. A large operation involving police forces from the South and the Midlands.
Terrorism
Operation Examine – Woolwich Crown Court
Multi handed high profile Terrorism trial alleging a plot to carry out attacks in greater numbers than 7/7. There were a number of males and a female being watched by terrorism officers who were arrested prior to ‘the plan’ being executed. The defendants were split into a number of trials. We represented a defendant in the first trial who was visually impaired, but key to the planning and raising of funds.
R v M – Southwark Crown Court
ABV represented an Army recruiting sergeant charged with number of historic rapes and sexual offences upon would be recruits from the common wealth. The case attracted national media coverage.
R v S – Woolwich CC
This case concerned an allegation against three men of rape. Right from the outset, ABV Solicitors put forward a pro-active defence and as a consequence, the prosecution offered no evidence and the defendants were released immediately from custody.
R v H – Reading Crown Court
A case concerning consent, a typical ‘he said’ ‘she said’ rape case where the jury had to decide who was more credible, the complainant or the defendant. ABV Solicitors worked intensively with the client to cross examine the prosecution witnesses to undermine their account resulting in an acquittal for the client.
R v O & Others – Snaresbrook Crown Court
An allegation against three French nationals of gang rape against the daughter of a senior police officer. The case focused on the behaviour of the complainant at the time of the incident supported by expert evidence on the effect of alcohol consumption and ‘black out’ drinking. Acquittals were secured for all defendants.
R v W – Reading Crown Court
This case concerned serious sexual offences perpetrated on younger family members over a long period of time. Approximately 19,500 indecent images of children were found at the defendant’s address along with several historical digital recordings. This prosecution case was not wholly challenged but certain aspects were, and ABV managed to secure a minimum sentence.
Operation Fitzroy – Blackfriars Crown Court
This case concerned serious sexual offences on young girls who were said to have been ‘groomed’ having met the defendants via social media and taken to open sex parties, provided with drugs and alcohol. Complex case where ABV Solicitors studied the mobile phone evidence extensively to undermine the prosecution case.
Operation Woodgate – Guildford Crown Court
This case was brought under the Modern Slavery Act; the case against our defendant was that he was one of a number of adults engaged in arranging the transportation of 14-15 year old females to various hotels in South London for the purposes of sexually exploiting them after supplying them with alcohol and drugs. Our client was acquitted after a lengthy and complex trial.