Murder defence for Gordon Cole QC

August 30, 2016

Gordon Cole QC from Exchange Chambers represented defendant Sarah Williams in a high profile murder trial at Preston Crown Court.

Williams, 35, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years.  She attacked Sadie Hartley, 60, at her home in Lancashire in an attempt to win back ex-lover Ian Johnston.  Williams’ accomplice, Katrina Walsh, 56, was also found guilty of murder and given a life sentence.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court deliberated for seven hours and nine minutes before returning a verdict at the end of the seven-week trial.  Sentencing the pair, Mr Justice Turner said Ms Hartley had been “slaughtered like an animal” in a manner “more closely redolent of a clinical assassination than a personal killing”.

Gordon Cole QC specialises in all serious crime including murder, manslaughter, drugs, fraud, police corruption and serious sexual abuse.  He has specialised in crime for over 30 years and has both prosecuted and defended in all types of cases as a junior, a leading junior and in Silk. He has conducted cases all over the country and has considerable experience in cases which have been heard in the Court of Appeal. He is ranked as a leader in his field by the independent legal directories.