Shannon is a criminal law specialist with a focus on cases of murder, attempted murder, firearms, terrorism offences, high value frauds and drugs conspiracies. She is regularly instructed to defend in cases involving alleged gang violence and associated offences of kidnap/blackmail and large scale public disorder.
Shannon has a successful firearms practice and has a keen interest in the classification of firearms. In 2021 Shannon undertook the ‘Introduction to Firearms Investigations and Forensic Ballistics’ short course at Cranfield University, building on her practical experience of firearms cases in court. The Course involved classifying firearms under the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) based on the operating mechanisms of different firearms, firing weapons, and learning how to make a loaded firearm safe for removal from a scene.
Shannon is on the CPS panels for general crime and counter terrorism at level 4 and the panel for specialist fraud at level 3.
Shannon is an advocacy trainer at Middle Temple, a member of the SEC Executive Committee, and a member of the pupillage and tenancy committees in Chambers.
R v NT Central Criminal Court 2025 – defence counsel for a well-known rapper charged with attempted murder following a drive by shooting of a male in West London.
R v NS Winchester Crown Court 2024 – defence counsel for a young man charged with the murder and attempted murder of two females respectively on a beach in Bournemouth. The evidence concerned cell site, extensive CCTV, gait analysis, internet searches pathology evidence and footwear markings. D travelled to Bournemouth for a 4 day stay where he watched a horror film at the cinema about a motiveless stabbing. He extensively researched whether Bournemouth Beach had CCTV and why it is easier for a killer to ‘get away with it’ if he ‘does it in another town.’ D had an obsessive interest in true crime and horror films which appears to have been the motive. News story here
R v MN Central Criminal Court 2024 – defence counsel for a woman found not guilty of murder and manslaughter following the death of her long term partner with whom she lived. Police were called to a flat in London where the deceased was unresponsive on the floor with a stab wound and the defendant was distressed having phoned 999. The issue in the case was causation. news story here
R v MAH Harrow Crown Court 2023 – secured not guilty verdicts of both murder and manslaughter for a male accused of killing his friend of 15 years in a tragic incident. The defence was one of self-defence.
R v IS & another Central Criminal Court 2023 – defence counsel in allegation of gang associated murder
R v AG & ors Central Criminal Court 2022 – defence counsel in allegation of gang associated murder. Drafted a basis of plea to manslaughter which was accepted by the Crown.
R v ST Maidstone Crown Court 2021 – secured not guilty verdict for a man accused of attempted murder.
R v JW & CC Central Criminal Court 2020 – counsel for the Crown in a two handed case of attempted murder where the victim was lured to a location before being beaten with a bat by a love rival.
R v PB Sheffield Crown Court 2024 – defence counsel for a man who made an IED pipe bomb to set off in the Moors and was accused of manufacturing 3D firearms and ammunition. The defences were lawful object and factual denial respectively.
R v SS Central Criminal Court 2024 – defence counsel in a case where the defendant was accused of distributing pro ISIS propaganda
R v CF Bristol 2024 – defence counsel for a youth charged with distributing far right terrorist materials
R v JD & anor 2023 – defence counsel for a man accused of attempting to acquire live M67 hand grenades intercepted by Homeland Security in the USA
R v GW Woolwich Crown Court 2023 – defence counsel for a man accused of possessing material for terrorist purposes
R v OS Manchester Crown Court 2022 – defence counsel for a man accused of financing ISIS through cryptocurrency bitcoin and possessing materials for terrorist purposes
R v HA Wood Green Crown Court 2023 – defence counsel for a young man found not guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
R v RMC Wood Green Crown Court 2023 – secured the acquittal of a young man charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
R v MA & ors Harrow Crown Court 2023 – secured the acquittal of a young man charged with perverting the course of justice following a shooting in north London. The defendant along with 7 others stood trial for allegations that they orchestrated the burning of a Range Rover used in the shooting.
R v DJJ Croydon Crown Court 2022 – defence counsel for a man accused of threatening a group of children with an imitation firearm.
R v HR Northampton Crown Court 2021 – secured the acquittal of a young man charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to wound following a shooting at a football match in Northampton. Successfully argued in legal submissions to exclude unreliable evidence which led to the Crown offering no evidence on day 2 of the trial.
R v YA Southwark Crown Court 2020 – Counsel for the Crown in a case involving a series of bank robberies committed with an imitation firearm.
R v EN Central Criminal Court 2019 – secured the acquittal of a young man charged with possessing two firearms with intent to endanger life.
R v LG Snaresbrook Crown Court 2019 – secured a suspended sentence for a woman charged with possessing a prohibited firearm. Successfully argued that the case involved exceptional circumstances such that the mandatory minimum 5 year sentence should not be applied.
R v LT & others Winchester Crown Court 2024 – defence counsel for a man accused with 4 others of conspiring to supply cocaine using the Encrochat network.
R v KW Guildford Crown Court 2023– secured the acquittal of a man accused of supplying a network of conspiracies with multiple kilos of cocaine.
R v KOV Wood Green Crown Court 2022 – secured the acquittal of a man charged with Class A drug supply offences by mounting a defence of modern slavery under s.45 Modern Slavery Act 2015.
R v MS Woolwich Crown Court 2022 – defence counsel for a man accused of importing over 50kg cocaine from Ecuador making use of the Encrochat network.
R v AC Southwark Crown Court 2023 – Counsel for the Crown in a ponzi fraud valued at £70m
R v JD Isleworth Crown Court 2022 – Counsel for the Crown in a number of frauds committed through the diversion of funds from small businesses by an accountant who was over representing tax figures to the businesses and stealing the difference.
R v EJ DJ ZU MS & RU 2020 – Counsel for the Crown in the successful prosecution of five members of a Lithuanian OCG responsible for smuggling over 58 million cigarettes into the UK over a 7 month period to the value of £14.7m
R v KV Woolwich Crown Court 2019 – successfully argued in legal submissions in POCA proceedings following a drugs case to reduce the benefit figure from £800,000 to £100,000.
CPS Panel for General Crime Level 4
CPS Specialist Fraud Panel Level 3
Middle Temple Advocacy Trainer
Furnival Tenancy Committee
Furnival Pupillage Committee
SEC Executive Committee (Chair of the Women’s Forum)
CBA Bursary for Excellence in Advocacy 2015
BPP Award for Outstanding Contribution to Pro Bono Work 2014
Middle Temple Christopher Benson Scholarship 2013
Accredited Mediator, ADR Group
BPTC, BPP London
LLB (Hons) European Comparative and International Law, Sheffield University
Transnational Law & Foreign Policy, Griffith University Australia
