Laura Nash

Call 2009

Laura Nash | Call 2009

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Overview

Laura acts for officers in a number of tribunals and has been ranked in the Legal 500 for professional discipline. She provides thorough and robust advice on a range of police cases and has been instructed in high profile cases attracting significant media coverage.

“Laura is tenacious in her preparation and she is good at putting the points across.”
Chambers & Partners

Laura successfully represented one of three officers involved in a death in custody, with the jury making a finding that the officers were not at fault. Click here for press coverage.

EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

Laura acts in a range of police cases, including criminal, gross misconduct and coronial. She is most often instructed in cases where there are issues of mental health or substance abuse. Laura has recent experience of being instructed in lengthy multi-handed misconduct and inquest hearings acting for one of a number officers. Laura also has experienced defending in high profile criminal cases which have received significant media interest.

MISCONDUCT

  • WYP v PC JB
    Acted for an officer who had been charged with excess alcohol, following an overdose when she had left her house and driven to avoid her sons finding her body. Having successfully argued in the magistrates court against a change of charge which led to a dismissal of the case, Laura argued before the Panel that the officer’s actions did not amount to gross misconduct as defined within the 2020 Regulations due to the state of her mental health. Despite the Appropriate Authority submitting the officer’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct and therefore dismissal was appropriate, the Panel accepted Laura’s submissions, finding the officer’s actions amounted to misconduct only, and imposed a written warning.
  • Merseyside Police v PC CF
    Defended a Merseyside police officer who turned a ‘blind eye’ towards partner, PC Brown’s, cocaine use. She was found guilty of gross misconduct for breaching standards around challenging and reporting improper conduct, honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct, and dismissed without notice. This case was covered by The Daily Mail, Manchester Evening News and The Liverpool Echo.
  • Merseyside Police v PC DM
    Acted for an officer accused of fabricating evidence for the purposes of a criminal prosecution. Despite an admission the officer avoided dismissal and receiving a final written warning.
  • Metropolitan Police Service v PC IG
    Acted for an officer accused of failing to report her partner who had committed offences linked to an OCG.
  • Greater Manchester Police v PC TAW
    Successfully represented one of seven officers accused of causing the death of a detainee from positional asphyxiation.
  • Metropolitan Police Service v PH
    Representing a serving Police Sergeant convicted of assaulting an on-duty police officer. Despite having a conviction for violence on another officer submissions against dismissal without notice were successful and the officer received a Final Written Warning.

CRIMINAL

  • R v Hardy
    Laura, led by Julia Smart KC, defended DC Stephen Hardy of Greater Manchester Police who was charged with raping and sexually assaulting a child. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison. This case was covered by Sky News, The Daily Mail and Manchester Evening News.
  • R v Fraser
    Defended a married police officer, who used work computers 178 times to stalk and harass a junior colleague after she called off their affair. He used confidential police systems to check on the woman’s whereabouts and gather ‘evidence’ she was having an affair with another colleague. He was sentenced to 21 months for stalking, with a month to run concurrently for misuse of the police computer systems. This case received coverage in The Daily Mail and The Liverpool Echo.
  • PC v CP
    Defended a former police officer who pawned his police issue phone and tablet. He was sentenced to 34 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. The case was covered on ITV News and Manchester Evening News.
  • R v SL (Crown Court at Liverpool)
    Defending a serving detective against one count of misconduct in public office where the officer had groomed four vulnerable women who were complainants or witnesses in cases, with the officer engaging in consensual sexual activity with one complainant. Following a guilty plea, the judge was convinced to take the unusual step of suspending the sentence. The case had extensive coverage in the media, including BBC News, ITV News, and The Guardian.
  • R v AS (Crown Court at Liverpool) 
    Representing a police officer accused of dangerous driving. Prosecution accepted a plea to the lesser count following submissions to the Circuit Judge regarding deficiencies in the investigation.
  • R v BL (Crown Court at Bradford)
    Represented a serving police officer accused of raping and impregnating a friend while off duty.

INQUESTS

  • In the matter of EG (Sheffield Coroners Court)
    Acting for a detective who was the officer in the case for an allegation of sexual assault and anal rape on a schoolgirl which was discontinued due to inconsistencies in her account. In the months after the decision the girl took her own life and cited the attitude of the police as one of the reasons.
  • In the Matter of David James Molloy (Manchester West Coroner’s Court)
    Successfully represented the interest of an officer from Greater Manchester Police in connection with the death of David Molloy in custody. This case received coverage on Manchester Evening News and Bolton News.