Sue
Rodham
‘Very knowledgeable, with an amazing client manner – someone you want on your side.’ Legal 500
Sue
Rodham
Sue Rodham has for many years been recommended in Crime by Chambers and Partners and described as a 'Leader at the Bar'. Miss Rodham has a weighty criminal practice and has during her years at the Bar undertaken many high profile and difficult cases, both as junior and leading junior and is respected by her peers as a skilful and successful trial advocate.
Sue is frequently instructed as a Leading Junior in complex and demanding cases and defends across the full spectrum of criminal offending. In recent years her work has focused on cases involving prosecutions brought by SOCA, for international drug conspiracies and firearms offences and is instructed in cases involving Serious Fraud and Regulatory work and is described as “a skilful advocate, liked by juries, feared by opponents".
Her main areas of practice involves all forms of serious offending but in particular cases of murder, manslaughter, serious violence, drugs, firearms offences and appeals, fraud and money laundering. Sue is regularly instructed in complex multi-handed cases with voluminous papers requiring attention to detail and forensic analysis, and is frequently successful in cases where evidence is seemingly overwhelming. Current instructions include defending with Peter Joyce KC in the "Arnold town centre case" where the defendant's car drove into railings killing one and injuring others.
Recent Cases of Interest
2016
R v Weiss - Canterbury
Importation of 42 kilos Class A drugs
Sue defended this German National whom was acquitted by the jury for his alleged role in the importation of 42 kilos of class A drugs through the "EuroTunnel" port in Kent.
R v. MSA & ors [Croydon]
Conspiracy to Supply Firearms
Sue successfully represented this defendant whom was cleared of any involvement in trading firearms after detectives uncovered their stash of hand guns, 300 ammunition rounds, thousands of bullet casings and a bomb-making manual.
2018
R v. Smilginis [Snaresbrook & C.O.A.] EWCA Crim 550
Rape & Appeal Re: Inconsistent Verdicts
Sue defended in this multiple rape allegation trial, which subsequently went to the Appeal Court, and is now a guideline case involving inconsistent verdicts.2018
R v Bird and others – Nottingham Crown Court
National Class A drugs conspiracy, with imported drugs allegedly being brought to Nottingham by the main defendants.
2019 – 2020
R v Graham
Leading junior in the ‘Das Kino’ conspiracy to murder. City centre shooting in Sutton and Ashfield and in Nottingham City centre outside of the ‘Das Kino’ bar on Middle Hill.
2021
R v Sheldon -Southwark Crown Court
Allegations of large scale and invasive fraud within the Army financial departments worth millions of pounds and in breach of trust.
2022-2024
R v Petkovic and others – Loughborough ‘Supercourt’
23 month multi-handed and drugs trial. Possibly the longest criminal trial in England and Wales. 400 page sequence of events chart and multiple thousands of telephone call data and download material.
R v Newton and others – Nottingham Crown Court
Multi-handed Class A drugs conspiracy involving millions of pounds worth of drugs transported and supplied throughout the UK.
R v Cooper - Nottingham Crown Court
Speeding van driver who killed woman who staggered into the road.
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/speeding-van-driver-kills-woman-9488294
R v Fordham - Nottingham Crown Court
Multi handed case involving a gang of young masked violent armed robbers who broke into a house, stealing thousands of pound in jewellery and attacked the occupants.
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/armed-robbery-gangs-revenge-attack-10063773
2025
R v Cunningham -Nottingham Crown Court
Multi-handed firearms conversion and transfer case. Multiple experts called with regard to the conversion of blank firing pistols.
R v Munroe – Nottingham Crown Court
Leading junior in large scale multi-handed OCG drugs supply case with detailed forensic analysis required of telephone, and social media evidence.
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/grandma-among-gang-convicted-flooding-10634052
2026
R v Lawson Nottingham Crown Court
Multi-handed firearms conspiracy involving conversion and supply of firearms and converted blank firers from Nottingham to Leeds.
R v Robinson – Nottingham Crown Court
Attempted murder case with very serious injuries in Market Square Nottingham. https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/man-stabbed-nottingham-night-out-11085976
R v McHugh – Nottingham Crown Court
Attempted murder case – multiple stab wounds to victim who survived the assault. https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/knifeman-simon-mchugh-told-friend-10758091
R v Whistler – Nottingham Crown Court
Malicious communications and threats to kill case with difficult mental health and vulnerability issues.
R v Donohue – Liverpool Crown Court
National Class A drugs conspiracy.
CURRENT CASES
Including:
R v Duane Anthony – Nottingham Crown Court
With Peter Joyce KC, instructed for the defence in a murder and attempted murder x 5 by means of a vehicle in Arnold Town Centre.
R v Moon – Nottingham Crown Court
Attempted murder of a stranger.
R v Hall – Derby Crown Court
Stranger rape.
R v Harlow – Derby Crown Court
Crypto currency international fraud.
Notable Cases
Operation Farnhams [C.C.C.] 2012
Murder of schoolboy at Victoria Station.
Sue led by Sarah Fanshaw QC represented the defendant in the trial in respect of the brutal killing of the schoolboy Sofyen Belamouadden at Victoria Railway station by a gang of 19 youths in March 2010. The horrific nature of this killing led to widespread publicity of joint enterprise, knife related gang crime.
BBC News
“Baby P” Murder Trial [C.C.C.] 2009
Notorious case involving the death of 17 month old Baby 'P'
Sue led by Tim Roberts QC acted in the Defence of the "lodger" in the notorious case involving the death of a 17 month old baby when the local authority and other agencies were heavily criticised with regard to the lack of protection of the child. Complicated and detailed case involving the consideration of an enormous amount of disclosed multi-agency material.
R v. Iain Davis [H.O.L.] 2008
Landmark ruling on Anonymous Witnesses
Sue led by Malcolm Swift QC at the House of Lords on this landmark ruling on the use of anonymous witnesses in Criminal trials. The original case involved a double-murder perpetrated by the use of a handgun. The sole and decisive evidence came by way of witnesses who had had their identities hidden from the defendant and their evidence came from behind screens with their voices distorted to avoid recognition.
