Criminal defence solicitors London

Strategic defence from the first allegation to the final hearing.

Criminal cases are often shaped long before a courtroom is involved. Theodorous advises at every stage: investigation, voluntary interview, arrest, charging decision, Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court and appeal.

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Criminal defence built around the evidence

A criminal allegation can affect liberty, employment, professional status, family life and reputation. The response needs to be measured, fast and evidence-led. We focus on what the prosecution must prove, what material exists or should exist, what enquiries remain outstanding and where early representations can make a difference.

We act for clients facing allegations ranging from common assault and harassment to serious violence, sexual offences, drugs cases, fraud and complex financial crime. Where a case is still under investigation, we also advise on pre-charge strategy, bail, device downloads, disclosure requests, preservation of evidence and written representations to investigators or prosecutors.

When to involve a defence solicitor

The safest point to obtain advice is usually before the next formal step. That may be before attending a voluntary interview, before answering police questions, before responding to a bail extension, or before a charging decision is made. Early instructions allow the defence to understand the allegation while evidence is still fresh and to identify material that may otherwise be lost.

Under investigation?

Do not assume that “not charged yet” means nothing can be done. Pre-charge work can include legal submissions, evidence preservation, witness material, chronology building and targeted requests to the officer in the case.

Read about pre-charge representations →

Areas of criminal defence work

Police interviewsArrest, detention and voluntary attendance.Serious crimeViolence, sexual allegations, drugs and Crown Court cases.Fraud & POCAFraud, money laundering and proceeds of crime.BailConditions, extensions and investigation strategy.

What we do once instructed

We begin by establishing exactly where the case stands and what decisions are imminent. We obtain and analyse the available material, identify factual and legal issues, advise on interview or plea strategy, and plan the next steps around the client’s wider risks. Where appropriate, we liaise with police, prosecutors, counsel, experts and other professionals so that the defence case is developed coherently rather than reactively.

If proceedings have started, preparation may include reviewing statements and exhibits, identifying disclosure issues, drafting defence material, briefing counsel, preparing conferences, challenging admissibility, addressing bad character or hearsay applications, and ensuring that mitigation or evidential issues are properly advanced.

Why clients instruct Theodorous

The firm is deliberately focused. Clients deal with a solicitor who understands the criminal process and the practical pressure of being investigated or prosecuted. Advice is direct, written work is detailed, and strategy is revisited as the evidence develops.

Frequently asked questions

Can you act before I am charged?

Yes. We regularly advise during live police investigations, including voluntary interviews, bail, evidence preservation and pre-charge representations.

Do you represent clients outside London?

Yes. The firm is London based and accepts matters across England and Wales, subject to the nature of the case and availability.

Can I change solicitor during an investigation or case?

Often, yes. The position depends on the stage of the matter and any public funding arrangements, but a transfer can frequently be considered.

CRIMINAL DEFENCE SERVICES

Advice from investigation through trial and confiscation

Our criminal practice spans urgent police station work, early intervention, serious allegations and complex financial consequences. Select the issue closest to your case.

Criminal Legal Aid Sexual offences defence Assault & violent offences Crown Court defence POCA & confiscation Fraud & financial crime Pre-charge representations Bail & investigation advice

Criminal defence in practice

The decisions made early can shape the entire case

A criminal case does not begin at trial. It may begin with a phone call from an officer, a voluntary interview request, an arrest, a search, seizure of a phone or a notice that a file has been sent to the CPS. The defence strategy should develop from that first point rather than waiting until charge.

Before interview

We identify the allegation, request available disclosure, take a detailed account, consider documents or digital material that may contradict the complaint and advise on interview strategy. Depending on the evidence, the appropriate approach may be full comment, a prepared statement, selective answer or no comment. That decision should be evidence-led, not automatic.

During investigation

An investigation may involve phone extraction, CCTV, bank records, social-media material, expert evidence, medical evidence and witness enquiries. We can make focused requests, preserve defence evidence and, where appropriate, submit pre-charge representations addressing the evidential test, public interest and reasonable lines of enquiry.

After charge

The focus moves to bail, plea, allocation, disclosure, case management and trial preparation. In Magistrates’ Court cases that can mean summary trial preparation and sentencing advice; in Crown Court cases it may include PTPH, defence statements, unused material, expert evidence, witness summonses, bad character, hearsay and legal applications.

Consequences beyond sentence

For professionals, business owners, regulated people and those with immigration or family responsibilities, the consequences of a criminal allegation may extend beyond the immediate prosecution. We consider employment, disclosure, safeguarding, licensing, regulatory and reputation issues where they materially affect strategy.

Evidence we commonly scrutinise

custody records, interview recordings and written interview records;
body-worn video, CCTV, doorbell footage and vehicle footage;
999 calls, CAD logs, radio transmissions and officer notebooks;
phone downloads, messages, location data, photographs and social-media records;
witness statements, inconsistencies and prior accounts;
medical records, injury photographs and expert evidence;
financial records, bank statements, company documents and cash analysis in fraud or POCA cases;
unused material and disclosure schedules capable of undermining the prosecution or assisting the defence.

Funding: Theodorous holds a Legal Aid Agency criminal contract. Police-station advice is generally free. Court Legal Aid depends on the applicable eligibility rules. Private representation is also available by agreed fixed, staged or hourly fees.

BUILDING THE DEFENCE

A criminal case is more than the allegation on the charge sheet

Effective defence preparation involves reconstructing the chronology, testing the prosecution evidence, identifying material that has not yet been obtained and understanding the practical consequences of each procedural choice.

Prosecution evidence

Statements, CCTV, body-worn video, call data, phone downloads, financial records, forensic material, medical evidence and expert opinion should be assessed both individually and against the prosecution theory as a whole.

Defence material

Messages, photographs, location data, receipts, work records, witnesses, recordings and other contemporaneous material may support an account or undermine an allegation. Preservation should happen early.

Procedure

The strategy changes depending on whether the matter is pre-charge, in the Magistrates’ Court, sent to the Crown Court, approaching trial, sentence or appeal. Deadlines and disclosure obligations should drive preparation.

Consequences beyond court

Employment, professional regulation, immigration, family contact, travel, reputation and confiscation can all be affected by a criminal case. Those consequences should be identified before decisions such as plea or admissions are made.

What to send for an initial review

charge, requisition, bail sheet or voluntary-interview invitation;
the next police, bail or court date;
any prosecution papers or disclosure received;
a short chronology in date order;
the messages, recordings, photographs or documents you consider important; and
details of any urgent employment, family, regulatory or travel consequence.

Police station Crown Court Legal Aid Private funding

SPECIFIC CRIMINAL DEFENCE PROBLEMS

Advice for the stage you are actually at

Broad criminal defence is only the starting point. These focused routes deal with the problems people most often need to solve before charge or alongside a professional career.

Voluntary police interview

Prepare disclosure, evidence and interview strategy before attending under caution.

Released under investigation

Preserve evidence, manage police contact and consider pre-charge representations.

Police caution & record deletion

Cautions, PNC records, DBS consequences, career and travel issues.

Professional discipline

Coordinate criminal allegations with employer and regulatory proceedings.

Money laundering defence

Financial evidence, source of funds and related POCA risk.

Early strategy matters

Get advice before the next decision is made.

If police, prosecutors or a court are due to take the next step, speak to us first.

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Frequently asked questions

Criminal defence FAQs

When should I contact a criminal defence solicitor?

As early as possible. Advice before interview, charge or a charging decision can affect evidence preservation, interview strategy, disclosure requests, bail and the opportunity to make pre-charge representations.

Do you act before charge as well as at court?

Yes. Theodorous acts from arrest and voluntary interview through investigation, pre-charge representations, Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, sentencing, confiscation and appeal.

Can you act privately if Legal Aid may also be available?

Yes. Funding is discussed at the outset. Police-station advice is generally free through criminal Legal Aid, while later representation may be publicly funded subject to the applicable rules or privately funded where preferred.

What evidence should I preserve?

Potentially relevant messages, emails, call logs, photographs, CCTV, location data, financial records, documents and witness details should be preserved. Do not delete, alter or manufacture material. Early advice helps identify what should be secured lawfully.

Can a criminal case be stopped before trial?

Sometimes. Outcomes can include no further action, an out-of-court disposal, withdrawal, discontinuance, successful legal applications or acquittal. Which routes are realistically available depends on the evidence, public-interest test and stage of proceedings.