Pushpanjali Gohil

Call 2000

"Experienced in a wide range of criminal cases."

For enquiries please contact

Lucy Northeast
Practice Director - Crime & Sports
0117 930 9000
Click here to email

Grant Bidwell
Practice Manager - Crime
0117 930 9000
Click here to email

Shannon Cregg
Assistant Practice Manager - Crime
0117 930 9000
Click here to email

"Experienced in a wide range of criminal cases."


Legal 500 2021

"Very experienced in multi-defendant cases involving allegations of sexual abuse and gang violence."


Legal 500 2019

"She works hard and communicates effectively."


Chambers & Partners 2016

"She is technically and procedurally astute."


Legal 500 2014

"She is a passionate, bright, articulate and robust advocate with fantastic client care skills."


Legal 500 2014

Pushpanjali Gohil is known for her no-nonsense approach to Crime litigation and her fearlessness in court.

She has a ‘down to earth’ style, pleasing to juries and clients alike, and an ability for careful and sensitive yet robust cross-examination.

She is also renowned for her ability to not only properly consider the legal implications of presenting a case, but also to effectively manage the tactics involved.

Anjali’s past experiences include:

  • Majli’s, Mumbai, India – Working with this NGO to develop and deliver training for police, prosecutors and judges in the area of sex crime.
  • Texas Defender Service – Assisting those representing death row inmates and defendants facing capital trials with legal research, juror interviewing, mitigation research, instructing experts and case studies.
  • Anti Corruption Bureau, Malawi, Central Africa – Assisting the Deputy Director, Alex Nampota with legal research, investigation and case preparation.
  • Leicester Rape Crisis Centre – Anjali volunteered and trained as a rape crisis counsellor.
  • Commission for Racial Equality / Leicester Racial Equality Council – Anjali chaired a student conference attended by over 200 students addressing racial discrimination and disaffection amongst of BME youth. She also co-founded an organisation created to identify and meet the needs of BME youth.
  • Children’s Society, Leicester – Anjali ran a programme for disaffected Bengali young women/children in order to encourage participation in education, and to tackle the issue of forced marriage.
  • Diwa Asian Women’s Network – DAWN, London – Here Anjali provided pro bono legal advice to Asian victims of domestic violence and forced marriage.

Expertise

Anjali is regularly instructed in document-heavy, multi handed conspiracies, drugs, fraud and money laundering cases involving typically complex issues of law and fact,

She has developed a real ability to address voluminous case papers without any sacrifice to the high standards of advocacy demanded by such cases.

This is particularly evident in the delicate area of sexual crime, a field in which Anjali is used to defending in complex cases involving historic inter familial allegations, stranger rape, rape of minors, child defendants, gang rape, sexual harassment in the work environment and rape in the context of relationships and marriage.

As a result, she is well-placed to conduct the necessarily sensitive yet strong cross-examination required to put her client’s case forward without alienating a jury. Anjali has also developed a great deal of experience defending those with mental health issues.

Whilst primarily enjoying a ‘heavyweight’ criminal defence practice, Anjali has been appointed as a Grade 4 prosecutor on the Crown Prosecution Service list of prosecuting counsel and has also been appointed to the CPS Rape Panel.

Featured Murder & Serious Violence cases


R v P

Anjali was a led-junior in a case involving multiple defendants and complainants. The defendant was acquitted after five weeks, following submission based upon the undermining of expert identification evidence. Propriety of disclosure and police briefing of experts played a key role.


R v G

Anjali represented a father (charged together with the mother) where death was caused by methadone ingestion. The case required research into hair strand testing, and the reliability of methods employed / safety of conclusions reached from such analysis, together with research into industry best practice (in addition to methodology and best practice) in infant autopsies following suspected drug overdose.


R v S

Represented a youth charged with a revenge stabbing arising out of Somalian tribal friction on the streets of Bristol.


R v S

Represented a defendant alleged to have repeatedly stabbed a man he believed to have raped his friend. Following identification of flaws in disclosure, a plea to Section 20 was accepted and the defendant was acquitted of attempted murder.


R v P

An allegation of drunken violence fuelled by notions of ‘respect’ within the Italian community.


R v N

Representing a mother of good character charged together with her 18 year-old son, or Assault involving stabbing and the use of baseball bats. The trial issue was self-defence/defence of another, based upon a background of gang intimidation and violence.


R v S

A 5 week, multi-handed trial of Polish defendants alleged to have used violence in order to extort protection money from fellow Polish nationals working within a rural factory community. The case featured extensive legal arguments on witness anonymity, hearsay and bad character.

Featured Sexual Crime cases


R v T

A 15 year-old charged with the rape of another minor, involving fitness to plead issues. On-going.


R v C

A Local music celebrity charged with the rape of a stripper.


R v P

A Somali national who spoke little English charged with the historic stranger rape of a 14 year white girl in which the defence was consent, based upon a chance meeting in the street. The complainant spoke no Somali dialect. The defendant was acquitted.


R v W

Representing a man charged with the rape of his friend.


R v S

Led-junior in a multiple defendant, multiple complainant, inter-familial child abuse allegation. Anjali represented the lead defendant and father of the complainants. Trial preparation included managing and eliciting extensive third party material, which laid the foundation for the defendants’ eventual acquittal.


R v B

Represented the Director of a company charged with the sexual assault of a young trainee in which the defence was one of ‘fit up’ at the hands of other company directors. The defendant was acquitted.


R v P

Represented a soldier charged with sexually assaulting the 14 year old daughter of a fellow soldier. Defendant was acquitted.


R v P

The alleged vaginal and anal gang rape of a mother by two youths, The defendant was acquitted.

Featured Drugs cases


R v J

Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. A six-week trial arising out of an undercover surveillance operation of ten defendants. Ongoing.


R v B

The defendant was charged with the importation of five kilos of cocaine recovered from her suitcase.


R v WH

Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, possession with intent to supply and dangerous driving, arising out of an undercover operation in which police posed as buyers for multiple kilos of Class A drugs.


R v TH

Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, a 12-handed, 6-week trial arising out of an undercover sting operation.


R v C

Conspiracy to supply heroin. Anjali prosecuted an intelligence led operation uncovering an industrial size quantity of benzocaine, a press, and traces of cocaine. Medicinal use of benzocaine and personal use of heroin was claimed prior to a guilty plea.


R v B

Involving the largest single find of cocaine by Avon and Somerset Police (at the time) following a two year surveillance operation. Numerous defendants were charged and convicted separately in the lead up to the arrest of the two men said to be at the head of the conspiracy. Following legal argument on the admissibility of the co defendants’ pleas and telephone evidence, the defendant was acquitted.

Featured Fraud / Money Laundering cases


R v C

An alleged Pyramid Fraud charged under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trade Regulations and the Gambling Act. £40 million alleged pyramid fraud prosecution was brought by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) involving complex and novel issues of law surrounding definitions under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Act’s, Article 6. Involving informant material, disclosure, legal professional privilege, and potential plea bargaining on behalf of prosecution witnesses. The case papers are in excess of 30 000 pages. Anjali is acting as a junior alone. This case is ongoing, with the trial due to last 3 months.


R v P

Anjali is a led-junior in a £5 million money laundering case involving expert evidence on ‘Hawala’ banking. Leave to appeal conviction has been granted, and the case is awaiting a date for final hearing in the Court of Appeal.


R v F

A three-week trial alleging a conspiracy to handle stolen electronic goods and telephones, following an undercover surveillance and sting operation in which police posed as thieves seeking to steal goods to order, and to trade in apparently stolen goods.


R v P

A £1 million conspiracy to evade VAT on cigarettes allegedly smuggled into the UK from France.


R v B

A case involving benefit fraud and perverting the course of justice. Involved a 9-week trial where Anjali represented a woman who ran the defence of duress against her former partner and co-defendant. The case involved complex issues of law including the abuse of process, severance, disclosure, bad character applications in respect of her former partner’s conviction for rape, and other reprehensible conduct towards other former partners and concurrent proceedings, in respect of the unlawful retention and seizure by police of material subject to legal professional privilege.


R v C

Advised and prosecuted on behalf of Bristol City Council in a case raising the issue of whether and to what extent historic hits on a website generating a modest, infrequent and unpredictable income for a glamour model constitutes undeclared income.

Featured Road Traffic Offences cases


R v B

Death by careless driving. Hinged on expert evidence centred around ‘look but don’t see’ syndrome.


R v F

Death by dangerous driving. Involved the instruction of an expert in relation to issues of a complex and scientific nature.


R v PR

Dangerous driving. Allegations of the deliberate ramming of a police vehicle. Expert evidence subsequently proved that the Police were at fault for the collision.

For enquiries please contact

Lucy Northeast
Practice Director - Crime & Sports
0117 930 9000
Click here to email

Grant Bidwell
Practice Manager - Crime
0117 930 9000
Click here to email

Shannon Cregg
Assistant Practice Manager - Crime
0117 930 9000
Click here to email

"Experienced in a wide range of criminal cases."


Legal 500 2021

"Very experienced in multi-defendant cases involving allegations of sexual abuse and gang violence."


Legal 500 2019

"She works hard and communicates effectively."


Chambers & Partners 2016

"She is technically and procedurally astute."


Legal 500 2014

"She is a passionate, bright, articulate and robust advocate with fantastic client care skills."


Legal 500 2014

For help or advice please call 0117 930 9000 or complete the form below.

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