R v ZQ and Others, Leicester Crown Court [2019] – Acted as leading counsel in a multi-handed conspiracy to import and supply class A and B drugs based in the Midlands and the North of England. The prosecution case suggested multiple hundreds of kilos of cocaine and class B drugs were imported into the UK from The Netherlands and distributed in the Midlands. The conspiracy ran into hundreds of millions of pounds and involved upwards of 20 defendants over 4 trials. ZQ was tried in the first trial with 5 others. Mandisa secured the only acquittal on the indictment when ZQ was found Not Guilty of the wholesale supply of cocaine.
R v KAGK and Others, Southwark Crown Court [2019] – Acted as junior alone on a multi-handed £1.8m fraud conspiracy involving NatWest bank staff. The defendants were alleged to be working with members of the public to amend customer addresses where new bankcards would be sent and fraudulent transactions would take place. Through cross-examination, Mandisa exposed information which led to the Senior NatWest Bank Investigator carrying out the investigation of the case, being interviewed under police caution for perverting the course of justice. The trial concluded following a successful application to stay the proceeding for an abuse of process.
R v KB and Others, Inner London Crown Court [2019] – Acted as junior alone on a multi-handed kidnap and false imprisonment trial. 3 defendants aged 18, 19 and 22 were involved in drug dealing and gang life which led to the offences being committed. The kidnap and false imprisonment involved assault and humiliation of the victim. Mandisa acted for the oldest defendant. When sentenced, extensive mitigation was advanced and principles of youth justice were applied resulting in KB being sentenced in line with his much younger co-defendants, receiving a sentence considerably lower than the authorities supported.
R v CC, Nottingham Crown Court [2018] – Acted as junior alone for the first defendant on a multi-handed sex trafficking and slavery case lasting three months. This was one of the earliest cases charged under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and subsequently one of the first to be sentenced under the new provisions. CC was the head of a Hungarian family trafficking prostitutes from Hungary to the UK to work in brothels situated in the Midlands and the North of England. He pleaded guilty to the trafficking charges but contested charges of slavery involving a Hungarian man. The jury found mixed verdicts against him.
R v YK and Others, Blackfriars Crown Court [2017] – Acted as junior alone in a high profile multi-handed aggravated burglary conspiracy where the defendants used guns, knives and hammers when targeting 17 mobile phone stores across London. Mandisa secured the only acquittal on the indictment when YK was found Not Guilty of handling stolen goods obtained from the burglaries.
R v G, Inner London Crown Court [2017] – Secured an acquittal on both counts of Threats to Kill and Affray involving a client suffering from mental health problems where the evidence against him appeared overwhelming. Trial judge commented that Mandisa “hit exactly the right point with the jury to secure the acquittal which ultimately resulted.”
R v HM, Slough Magistrates Court [2017 and 2020] – In 2017, Mandisa mitigated on behalf of HM who drove a car whilst testing nearly 5 times the legal limit of alcohol and colliding with other vehicles. She successfully secured a suspended sentence with a single condition of a rehabilitation activity. A 5 year driving ban was imposed.
In 2020, Mandisa returned to court and successfully argued for the driving ban to be lifted after serving exactly 2.5 of the 5 years, owing to HM’s personal circumstances and the impact the ban was having upon her life.