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Olive Lycourgou

Year of call: 1997

VAT No: 748905491 | BSB Registration Click Here

Email: Send Email | Download full CV

Practice Profile

Specialist Practice Areas:

All degrees of Assault, Kidnapping, Robbery, Serious Sexual Offences, Dishonesty Offences, Drug Offences, Benefit Frauds, Road Traffic Offences.

Specialisations:

Defence:

Olive has extensive experience in sex cases. She has successfully defended highly sensitive and complex sex cases involving children and vulnerable witnesses. Furthermore, her experience extends to cross – examining children with learning and hearing disabilities. She has also dealt with complex issues arising from DNA evidence in sex and assault cases with the ability to extract the relevant information to cross – examine expert witnesses, such as forensic scientists and doctors.

She has also defended cases involving grooming over the internet (chat rooms), in particular a case where a 21 year old male paramedic (from the Royal Air Force) was grooming a 14 year old boy via a chat room and video link.

Olive has represented a wide spectrum of people from disadvantaged young offenders to vulnerable men and women. Olive has also represented members of the police and armed forces.

Furthermore she has represented numerous defendants suffering from mild to severe mental health problems and physical disabilities. In a recent case, Olive represented a tetraplegic male accused of sexually assaulting other vulnerable women in a care home.  Moreover, Olive has attained vast experience in instructing psychiatrists and psychologists on various mental health issues such as transferring defendants on remand to secure hospitals under the Mental Health Act, fitness to plead and stand trial and sentencing under the Mental Health Act.

Olive places a great deal of emphasis on client care particularly when dealing with vulnerable defendants who have never been arrested or charged with an offence before, including elderly defendants suffering from senile dementia and age related illnesses.

Olive has successfully defended numerous serious assault cases where the issues have involved self – defence and identification. Many of the assault cases that Olive has defended have a complex history between the parties such as domestic violence, fractured relationships and families.

In relation to dishonesty offences Olive has defended a number of conspiracy cases involving gangs stealing from cash machines to train ticket machines. Olive has defended a number of conspiracy to rob cases involving gangs of young men.

Olive has also successfully defended tax credit cases with complex issues and of high monetary value. Additionally Olive has successfully challenged handwriting and face mapping experts in Court where the defendant has been charged with possession of a false instrument.

In some cases, Olive has become familiar with the civil provisions of the law, in particular child neglect offences whereby leave is sought from the Family Court to disclose certain documents and alternatively in trade mark cases where both criminal and civil provisions apply.

Road Traffic:

Olive has represented defendants in cases of obligatory disqualification where she has successfully argued special reasons to avoid disqualification. Furthermore she has successfully appealed driving matters to the Crown Court such as the sentence of a youth for dangerous driving and running an abuse of process argument for failing to provide a specimen.

Prosecution:

Olive has prosecuted a wide range of cases on behalf of the CPS. She has also prosecuted on behalf of the RSPCA, the London Borough of Camden and other local authorities.

With regards to the RSPCA, Olive has gained valuable experience in dealing with vets and other related experts in case conferences and in Court.

Instructions under the Public Access Scheme:

Olive is also registered with the Bar Standards Board to undertake Public Access Cases.

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    Case Profile

    R v S

    Single mother of two children acquitted of ten counts of tax credit fraud.

     

    R v M   

    Crown offer no evidence on all counts of child neglect. Numerous applications made by the defence during the proceedings to allow the mother limited access to her children. Application for access allowed despite the Crown’s strong objections. Devoted single mother who suffered from depression and alcoholism due to the pressures of looking after three children (one of the children suffered from severe learning difficulties).

     

    R v H & Others

    The defendant (a serving police officer) was acquitted of assisting in the illegal entry of a Brazilian national. Background of the defendant being involved in a brothel run by the co – defendant.

    R v S

    Mother acquitted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on her son.

    R v R & Others

    All defendants acquitted of gang raping two teenage girls.

    R v B

    Defendant acquitted of assaulting and raping his girlfriend.

    R v M

    Eighteen year old boy with learning difficulties and a speech impediment acquitted of raping a teenage girl.

    R v H

    The defendant, 22 years old, with severe learning difficulties and Asperger’s syndrome built up a very close friendship with a nine year old boy. He was acquitted of sexual activity on the young boy.

    R v W

    Defendant acquitted of assault involving serious head injuries on his ex – wife’s partner. Issue of self – defence.

    R v Q

    Defendant acquitted of kidnapping his son and stealing his wife’s jewellery. Background of domestic violence against the wife.

    R v C & Others

    Defendant (a young law student) acquitted of robbery. Cut throat case whereby the first defendant implicated C. First defendant was convicted.

    Prosecution Case Profile:

    R v N

    Defendant found guilty of sexual activity with his two daughters and also raping his youngest daughter. Background of a controlling father and husband. The Prosecution was hindered by the mother’s refusal to accept her daughters allegations. The daughters also initially made withdrawal statements.

    R v H

    Defendant convicted of sexually assaulting and raping his seven year old niece.

    RSPCA v G

    Defendant found guilty of three counts of unnecessary suffering to a pony and four rabbits and guilty of failing to ensure the welfare of the four rabbits.