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Gillian Batts KC

Principal Areas of Work

Criminal Law
Regulatory Law

Gill Batts KC took silk in 2025 and is ranked in the Legal 500 (2025) for Crime.

Crime

Gillian Batts KC is an experienced criminal practitioner and is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in serious and challenging cases. Her practice encompasses the full range of offences, including homicide, serious non-fatal violence, firearms and drug-related offences; however, her particular specialisms are homicide and sexual offences.

Gill is a strong jury advocate with a consistently high rate of success at trial, recognised by both professional and lay clients for her conscientious approach and commitment. She receives an increasing number of private instructions.

Gill is noted to be effective at dealing with cases at the most serious level which involve young or vulnerable witnesses, and is often first choice because of her easy manner and sensitive approach. Those who instruct her comment that “her ability to communicate with people from all walks of life is a real strength”.

Regulatory & Public

Gillian Batts KC sits as a Legally Qualified Chair to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

Prior to her appointment Gillian Batts had regularly been instructed by the General Medical Council to appear before the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal. She has conducted hearings before the Interim Orders Panel and review hearings before the Fitness to Practise Panel.

Gill also has experience of representing professionals including teachers, police officers and doctors.

Instructing solicitors describe Gillian as “very thorough in her case preparation… providing prompt advice from the outset… Accessible and professional; always ready to assist and provide advice… She is conscious of a client’s need for continuity, and has a real desire to see a case through.”

Testimonials

”Her jury advocacy is characterised by an engaging style underpinned by a detailed and logical analysis of the evidence. She could recite the alphabet and the jury would still be eating out of her hand.”– The Legal 500 (2025)
Instructing solicitors describe Gillian as “very thorough in her case preparation… providing prompt advice from the outset… Accessible and professional; always ready to assist and provide advice… She is conscious of a client’s need for continuity, and has a real desire to see a case through.”
“A first-class junior with a competitive approach.” – The Legal 500 (2019)
“She specialises in sexual offences cases and fraud work.” – The Legal 500 (2017)
“A user-friendly barrister, who does not shy away from a challenge.” – The Legal 500 (2016)
“Defends in a range of complex crimes, with particular expertise in sexual offences and fraud cases.” – The Legal 500 (2015)

Education

1998 Leicester University, LLB Law

1999 Inns of Court School of Law

Career

2000 Pupil at 39 Park Square, Leeds

2001 Tenant at 39 Park Square

2003 New Park Court Chambers, Leeds

2015 Tenant at Park Square Barristers

2019 Level 4 Prosecutor

2025 Silk

Appointments

2022 Appointed as Legally Qualified Chair to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service

2011 Pupil supervisor

2011 RASSO Panel

Notable cases

Homicide

2024 R v Patient – Defendant charged with manslaughter. Instructed as junior alone against leading counsel for the Crown. The deceased was punched by the defendant once and sustained a catastrophic brain injury which was not non-survivable. The deceased was assisted by a friend in the aftermath of the attack. He tried to pick the deceased up but dropped him causing him to strike his head on the floor. This combination of facts led to complex issues of neuropathology. Click here to view media coverage
2023 R v Boyd (Operation Strand) – Led junior for the prosecution. High profile cold case murder of 7 year old Nikki Allen n 1992. At the time another man was tried and acquitted of the murder. A complete reinvestigation of the case commenced using scientific techniques that were not available at the time. Complex legal argument in relation to bad character to rebut the defendant’s innocent explanation for DNA findings – BBC coverage and Sky News coverage
2023 R v Doughty (Operation Cranmore) – Led junior for the first defendant . A group of males from Huddersfield travelled to the Moss Side Carnival in Manchester. They were approached by a rival gang, one of whom discharged a live firearm directly at the defendant’s group at short range. The defendant’s group responded and the deceased was fatally stabbed in the back whilst running away. Successfully opposed application to bad character evidence of gang affiliation – BBC coverage
2022 R v Lambert – Instructed for the first defendant. Three defendants charged with attempted murder. Pre-planned, targeted machete attack on a male known to the defendant. The victim’s leg was severed in the attack and he received life changing injuries. The prosecution relied on complex CCTV, digital and mobile phone evidence in order to support the victim’s identification. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-60138137
2021 R v Brockhill – Instructed for the first defendant as led junior. Highly sensitive case involving the murder of 16 month old baby Star Hobson. Case involved allegations of sustained cruelty against the deceased in the months leading up to her death. Complex medical evidence in relation to causation and ageing of injuries. Case attracted significant media attention both locally and nationally – BBC coverage
2020 R v Roustaby – Led junior for the prosecution. Cold case murder. Successful prosecution of David Roustoby for a murder committed in 2007. The case was investigated at the time of the death and although the defendant was spoken to, the police treated the incident as a tragic accident. The defendant was tried in October 2020, more than 13 years after the killing – BBC coverage
2020 R v Stanton (Operation Pullysea) – Led junior for the defence. Defendant and co-accused charged with brutal murder of elderly man in his own home. The deceased was face down with a rope around his neck and his hands bound together. Other injuries were indicative of torture. Cut throat defence. Defendant had significant mental health difficulties – BBC coverage
R v D (2018) – Junior alone instructed for the defence, 16 year old charged with manslaughter. Defendant acquitted.
R v Mohammed Yousaf (2015) – Concerned the murder of a young male in Sheffield by a rival gang of Somali drug dealers. Instructed to defend the father of the first defendant charged with an offence of doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of justice by providing a false alibi for his son.

Sexual Offences

2024 R v Ahmed – Leading junior for the defence. Defendant charged with non consensual sexual offences against the complainant as part of an extensive investigation into historic child sexual exploitation. Conducted lead cross examination of complainant which resulted in significant concessions on main issue of consent. Complainant refused to complete cross examination and after complex legal argument as to whether the trial could continue the prosecution offered no evidence against all defendants in trial group and follow on trial.
2024 R v Bostan – Leading junior for the defence. Cold case prosecution for multiple violent stranger rapes committed in West Yorkshire. The defendant was charged with two offences in the late 1990s. He then absconded and travelled to Pakistan. A cold case review was conducted by West Yorkshire Police and due to advances in scientific evidence the defendant was linked to all four attacks – BBC coverage
2023 R v Asghar (Operation Dalesway) – Instructed for the defence. Defendant charged with multiple historic sexual offences against a highly vulnerable complainant as part of a substantial child sexual exploitation involving multiple defendants. The trial formed part of a series of trials which were the part of Operation Dalesway
2022 R v Robinson – Instructed for the first defendant charged along with two other defendants with rape and conspiracy to rape. This case concerned the historic gang rape of a vulnerable 16 year old girl over 30 years ago. Defendant acquitted.
2021 R v Berman and Robinson – Instructed pre charge to prosecute high profile case, professional footballer and friend charged with sexual offences against three child victims, two of whom were cheerleaders for a local football club. Case attracted significant local and media attention – BBC coverage and The Sun coverage
2021 R v Connolly (Operation Pennybank) – Prosecution Highly sensitive case. 18 year old soldier charged with brutal rape of a homeless woman in Leeds. Defendant approached the victim and offered her money for sex. The victim initially agreed. Defendant took victim to a disused car park where she was violently attacked and repeatedly raped. Defendant maintained sexual activity was consensual. Defendant convicted
2021 R v Razaq (Operation Dalesway) – Instructed for the defence (junior alone). Defendant charged with historic sexual offence when he was aged 14 and the complainant was 15. A complaint of rape was made at the time, but not proceeded with. The defendant was charged with the offence of rape as part of a wider CSE operation involving the same complainant and multiple defendants. Defendant acquitted.
2019 R v Rafiq (Operation Tendersea) – Instructed as junior alone for the defence. 23 defendants charged with the sexual exploitation of young girls in the Huddersfield area between 2005 and 2009.. Rafiq was the only female defendant and was charged with arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, by supplying two complainants with controlled drugs and allowing sexual offences to take place against them. Defendant acquitted.
R v M (2019) – secures the only acquittal in a grooming trial. The defendant was found not guilty of rape after a 7 week trial at Bradford Crown Court. All other 9 defendants were convicted.
R v Kerin (2018) – Leading junior instructed for the defence. Sexual abuse against 7 victims, over a 35 period. Defendant acquitted on all counts.
R v Wilson (2017) – Instructed for the defence. Defendant was a Pastor at a Pentecostal Church. He was accused of committing sexual offences against 7 complainants over a 25-year period. The defendant accepted the acts and maintained he was conducting deliverance procedures for religious purposes. Involved complex issues regarding the definition of indecent assault and consent under the old law
R v Lake, Operation Polymer (2017) – Instructed for the defence. Investigation into historic sexual and physical abuse at several local authority Children’s Homes in Leeds.
R v Mortimer (2017) – Instructed for the defence. Defendant charged with the attempted rape, assault by penetration and threats to kill. Stranger sex attack allegedly committed against a vulnerable female in her own home. Case investigated by HMET due to the serious nature of the case
R v Mulqueen-Bennett, Operation Harehills (2016) – Instructed for the defence. The case concerned the sexual exploitation of a girl from the age of 13 years by 25 defendants. Cross-examined under the section 28 procedure.
R v Hussain, Operation Clover 1 (December 2015) & R v Hussain, Operation Clover 2 (September 2016) – This trial concerned allegations of child sexual exploitation committed 15 years ago in the Rotherham area. The case attracted national media attention. Instructed for the defence to represent one of the two leading defendants charged with sexual and violent offences against 7 other complainants (the other leading defendant was represented by Queens Counsel).
R v C – Leading junior for the defence in an attempted rape where the defendant had an extensive history of sexual offending.
R v L – Instructed privately for the defence. The defendant was charged with gang-rape; the case collapsed because of non-disclosure. Successful application for wasted costs on the basis that the defendant should not have been charged. Costs awarded in full.

Other Notable Cases

2024 R v Campbell (Operation Carter) – Instructed for the defence. Defendant charged with others with assisting an offender on the basis that he facilitated the disposal of a glock pistol following a shooting in Newcastle. Complex issues of bad character. Defendant acquitted.
2023 R v Fleary (Operation Paceridge) – Instructed for the defence. Defendant and other charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life. CCTV showed the defendant discharge a sawnoff shotgun at a moving vehicle. Defendant acquitted.
2020 R v Shires (Operation Pilotland) – Instructed for the defence. Defendant was charged with wilful neglect by a care worker which involved the death of an elderly resident. The investigation was conducted by the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team of West Yorkshire Police. The defence identified significant failings in the prosecution’s discharge of their disclosure obligations.
R v Callaghan, Operation Pastearm (2016) – Instructed for the defence. The defendant was charged with attempted murder and drugs offences. Gang related shooting carried out to enforce a drugs debt.
R v S – Defence of a businessman charged with fraud against HMRC.
R v W — Defence counsel for a defendant charged with stealing £1.4million from her employer.
R v B – Instructed as led junior for the defence. The prosecution case relied heavily on forensic scientific evidence obtained from the scene.
R v G – Conspiracy to kidnap and blackmail: the defendant was party to a plot to kidnap a Chinese national and extort $2million from his wealthy parents in Shanghai. The police operation involved the Chinese police, the Metropolitan police and the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team of the West Yorkshire Police.
R v M – Defence counsel for one of 8 defendants charged with attempted murder and other serious offences of violence against a number of complainants. The case concerned a serious incident of public disorder arising from a gang-related dispute.