Marilyn Vitte

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“Red Lion Chambers offers a great depth of talented, approachable counsel.”
Legal 500, 2022

Personal profile

Marilyn Vitte provides advice and representation in all areas of Business Crime & Fraud, Murder & Manslaughter, Serious Violence, Sexual Offences and Drugs Offences as well as Inquests & Inquiries.

She is a skilled, astute and persuasive advocate, who offers meticulous case preparation, a keen tactical acumen and exceptional client care. She regularly appears in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal in cases involving complex issues of law.

Marilyn is instructed regularly in Serious & Organised Crime. She has both acted and advised in high profile and complex trials, including murder, large-scale conspiracies to commit violence, Fraud and Drugs Offences.

She can quickly assimilate substantial amounts of material and is skilled at identifying key issues. She has an engaging court style and a firm yet steadfast approach. She is frequently instructed as sole and led junior.

Murder & Manslaughter

Marilyn is instructed as led Junior counsel in allegations of Murder & Manslaughter. She is experienced in cases involving multiple defendants and has particular experience in cases involving gang-related violence.

Featured cases

R v CP (Starting August 2023) Led defence counsel (by King’s Counsel) representing the second defendant in a two-handed cut-throat murder in which the victim was stabbed seven times to the chest and upper torso.
R v JC (2022-2023) Led defence counsel (by King’s Counsel) representing the first defendant in a multi-handed murder in which the victim was stabbed 14 times during a home invasion robbery. The case involved complex issues relating to joint enterprise, cut-throat defences, bad character, the use of ‘rap lyrics’ to establish ‘confession’ evidence, hostile witness evidence, cell-site and telephone evidence. The defendant is due to be sentenced in February 2023.
R v L – Instructed as led defence counsel in a six-handed murder in which the victim was stabbed during an aggravated burglary concerning a cannabis farm. Defendant convicted of aggravated burglary as opposed to murder.
R v R – Instructed as led defence counsel representing a mother charged with the murder of her newborn baby hours after giving birth. The victim suffered multiple fractures to the skull as a result of multiple blunt force trauma and/or significant crush injuries. The case involved complex evidence from numerous experts in relation to causation and infanticide. The defendant was successfully acquitted of murder.
R v L – Instructed as led defence counsel in a multi-handed drug and gang related murder, involving complex issues relating to joint enterprise and secondary parties, severance, cell-site evidence, bad character and hearsay.
R v B – Instructed as led defence counsel in a multi-handed murder in which the victim was stabbed four times to the chest.

Serious Violence

Marilyn is a specialist in cases concerning allegations of serious and violent crime. She has considerable experience in representing young and/or vulnerable clients including those who have mental health or psychological difficulties that may impair their ability to communicate.

Featured cases

R v J – Represented the first defendant in a seven-handed conspiracy to commit s18 and violent disorder involving gang rivalry and legal argument regarding the admission of “drill” music videos as bad character evidence.
R v SD – Instructed to defend in a four-handed armed robbery where the robbers forced their way into the victim’s home, subjected him to violence and sexual degradation and stole high value items.
R v W – Instructed to represent a female defendant of good character charged with s18 wounding/GBH after stabbing her partner.
R v D – Instructed in this case concerning the possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The defendant was seen to be in possession of a firearm on CCTV footage following an altercation with a group of unknown males. Defendant acquitted on all counts.
R v H – Instructed to represent a mother jointly charged with her partner for child cruelty offences.

Business Crime & Fraud

Marilyn regularly represents clients charged with Fraud and Money Laundering & Proceeds of Crime offences. She has provided advice and assistance in preparation and/or anticipation of criminal litigation and is instructed both as a led junior and alone.

Featured cases

R v AC (2023) Led defence counsel (by King’s Counsel x2) instructed in an alleged £50 million Ponzi fraud carried out in the ‘guise’ of foreign exchange investment by a company based in the City of London’s Heron Tower. The Crown relied upon voluminous amounts of banking material.
R v HS (2018-2019) Led defence counsel in a 12-handed housing benefit fraud where false claims were made and paid into various accounts across 3 different local authorities to the value of £1m. Described as a well-planned and executed business to defraud the public-purse, the fraud spanned a period of 10 years. The Crown relied upon voluminous amounts of telephone evidence and banking material.
R v S – Instructed as led defence counsel in a nine-handed housing benefit fraud where false claims were made and paid into various accounts across three different local authorities to the value of £1m.
R v K – Instructed to represent a former bank employee charged with conspiracy to defraud Natwest Bank.
R v B – Instructed to defend in a sophisticated £1m wine investment fraud which used a wine investment company to facilitate the fraud from its inception.
R v D – Instructed as led defence counsel in a four-handed document heavy SFO case alleging a six-year £40m false invoice and factoring fraud against Barclays bank. The client was acquitted on all counts.

Serious & Organised Crime

Marilyn is frequently instructed in Serious & Organised Crime as both led junior and alone. She is experienced in representing clients across a range of offences, including those involving large-scale conspiracies with multiple defendants.

Featured cases

R v AW (2019) Defended in a multi-handed conspiracy involving the large-scale supply of import quality Class A drugs operated by high ranking OCG. The case involved the interaction with other organised networks and therefore operated more widely across Bedfordshire, London and Surrey. The Crown’s case involved the consideration of vast amounts of material including covert surveillance, CCTV, ANPR, telephone and cell-site evidence.
R v B – Instructed as led counsel for the first defendant in a five-handed conspiracy to commit multiple armed robberies involving telephone, imagery, DNA experts, the admissibility of bad character evidence to ascertain gang membership and the use of ‘rap lyrics’ to establish ‘confession’ evidence.
R v B – Instructed to defend in a six-handed conspiracy to commit multiple counts of blackmail and false imprisonment.
R v X – Instructed to defend in a large-scale five-handed, five week conspiracy to cultivate Class B drugs which involved extensive telephone and cell-site evidence.

Sexual Offences

Marilyn has experience in representing clients charged with allegations of Sexual Offences. Recent instructions include rape, historic sexual assault of a minor and the possession/production of indecent images.

Featured cases

R v K – Instructed to defend a male charged with rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault against a work colleague.
R v S – Instructed to defend a male charged with multiple allegations of historical indecent assault against a minor.
R v C – Instructed to defend a male charged with rape against a family member.

Inquests & Inquiries

Marilyn has experience in public inquiries. She is currently instructed as counsel to the Dame Linda Dobbs Review and welcomes instructions in both Inquests and inquiries work.

Featured cases

Counsel to the Dobbs’ Review (2019 – Ongoing)

The Dame Linda Dobbs Review (a non-statutory inquiry, chaired by Dame Linda Dobbs) was established to examine whether the issues relating to the Halifax Bank of Scotland (‘HBOS’) Reading fraud were investigated and appropriately reported to authorities following Lloyds Banking Group’s (‘LBG’) acquisition of HBOS.

The independent legal assessment will cover the period following HBOS’s acquisition by LBG, in January 2009, through to the conclusion of criminal proceedings commenced against six individuals in connection with the HBOS Reading fraud. In addition, the Review will examine relevant evidence from before 2009 in order to assess what LBG knew or should reasonably have known about what happened at HBOS Reading by the time of the acquisition.

Once the Review has completed, its findings will be shared with the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’).

Counsel to the Covid Inquiry (Instructed in 2022)

Instructed as Junior Counsel to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, which has been set up to examine the UKs response to ands impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and learn lessons for the future. Work on my particular module is due to commence in 2024.