About Claire McGrath
Claire is a Partner and member of the Criminal Defence Team at Hodge Jones & Allen.
Claire joined the team in March 2025 having been a Director of another London criminal defence firm since 2016 and the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice.
She was admitted as a solicitor in 2005 and still has a real passion for her work and representing those who need it most.
Claire has exceptional client care skills. She frequently represents vulnerable clients, including youth clients and those with mental health issues. She has significant experience of dealing with sensitive matters. She is skilled in creating a positive working relationship with clients so that they feel supported navigating the often daunting criminal justice system. She is able to explain complex legal issues in understandable terms and provides clear advice to all her clients.
Claire deals with all aspects of criminal defence work. She attends Police Stations and the Magistrates Court and has also obtained her Higher Rights of Audience in 2010 which also permits her to also conduct advocacy at the Crown Court. This enables Claire to represent her clients throughout their case from start to finish where appropriate.
Claire has vast experience of litigating the full range of criminal matters. These include those accused of terrorism offences, murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, aggravated burglary, armed robbery, serious assaults, blackmail and kidnap and those facing serious allegations of sexual assault against adults and children both recent and historic.
Claire has recently represented a client facing a complex, high value multi-handed fraud allegation and has been accredited as a VHCC Supervisor, authorised by the Legal Aid Agency to undertake and supervise complex cases. Claire and her team managed to secure a disposal for the defendant which avoided him losing his good character.
Claire has experience in representing those facing extradition and has successfully resisted requests from both Part 1 and Part 2 countries including on appeal.
Prior to joining Hodge, Jones & Allen, Claire was part of the team acting for a Core Participant in the ongoing Undercover Police Inquiry.
Notable Cases
- R v AC – Multi-handed murder – Central Criminal Court 2024 – client acquitted after trial
- R v JA – Manslaughter – Central Criminal Court – 2024 – very sensitive case involving the death of a child following the release of a toxic chemical by the defendant – secured a Suspended Sentence Order following careful consideration of expert evidence and preparation of documents for sentencing
- R v MK – Conspiracy to Defraud – Shefield Crown Court – 2024 – multi-handed complex high value fraud – (VHCC) – negotiated an agreement with the Crown whereby no evidence was offered against the defendant
- R v AM – Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs – Snaresbrook Crown Court – 2024 – secured Suspended Sentence Order following negotiation of Basis of Plea
- R v JE – Supply of Class A Drugs – Inner London Crown Cort – 2024 – secured exceptional Suspended Sentence Order following careful preparation of sentencing bundle
- R v BZ – Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault – Inner London Crown Court – 2024 – acquitted after trial
- R v MA – Rape and other sexual offences involving child witnesses – Inner London Crown Court – 2024 – Prepared case for trial
- R v AA – Grooming and Rape – Inner London Crown Court – 2024 – Guilty plea
- R v AH – Attempted Murder – Inner London Crown Court – 2023 – attempt to push a member of the public on a tube platform in front of an oncoming tube
- R v BA – Rape and other sexual offences – Inner London Crown Court – 2023 – Prepared case for trial
- R v TH – Harrow Crown Court – Possession of a Prohibited Weapon (Firearm) – 2023 – represented a youth client facing the minimum sentence provisions – following preparation of a detailed Sentencing Note and supporting evidence successfully argued that there were exceptional circumstances and a non-custodial term was imposed
- R v ZT – Rape – Southwark Crown Court – 2022 – Case with a very vulnerable client – acquitted after trial
- R v SD – Sexual Offences involving a child – Croydon Crown Court – 2022 – Trial
- R v LB – Transferring and Possessing Criminal Property – Southwark Crown Court – 2022
- R v OO – Sexual Offences involving a child – Inner London Crown Court – 2021- Trial
- R v JA – Attempted Murder – Central Criminal Court – 2021 – case involving an elderly client accused of attempting to murder his son’s carer. Following expert reports and representations the Crown accepted a plea to a section 20 GBH and a Hospital Order was imposed
- R v AD – False Imprisonment, Blackmail and GBH – Kingston Crown Court – 2021 – multi-handed case involving allegations that the defendants tied up and tortured the complainants
- R v JL – Manslaughter – Inner London Crown Court – 2020 – case involving one push that caused death – extensive expert reports obtained including a review of the initial post-mortem
- R v SS – Terrorism Offences – Central Criminal Court – 2020 – represented a female accused of planning to commit terrorist offences at St Paul’s Cathedral. Also acted during for the defendant during the Attorney General’s References – (R v Safiyyah Shaikh and R v Fatah Abdullah) [2021] EWCA Crim 45
- R v TH – Possession of Drugs and Firearms with Intent – 2020 – Multi-handed Encrochat case – Crown offered no evidence in respect of some allegations following legal argument and sentence significantly reduced as a result
- R v AV – Lewes Crown Court – Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs with contested POCA 2019
- R v TP – Inner London Crown Court – PWITS and Possessing Criminal Property with contested POCA – 2019
- R v DR – Southwark Crown Court – Fraud – Multi-handed high value fraud – 2019 – prepared case for trial
- Claire also acted for the appellant in the Court of Appeal and House of Lords case known as Kennedy No 2 – R v Kennedy [2007] UKHL 38, (2008) Crim LR 222 on appeal from [2005] EWCA 685
Education:
- University of Bangor, BA Hons in History
- College of Law, London – Postgraduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course
Membership:
- Claire is a member of Women in Criminal Law
Opinion
