Hester Cavaciuti

Hester is an associate in our Crime, Fraud and Regulatory team. She represents individuals involved in serious criminal proceedings.

She represents individuals at all stages of the criminal justice process, from the police investigation stage to their trial. Hester also advises and represents clients appealing their convictions in the criminal courts.

General crime

Hester has experience acting for individuals accused of a wide range of offences, including, violent offences, drug-related offences, theft-related offences and sexual offences. She has worked on a number of high profile cases, including representing an individual charged with conspiracy to cause nuisance for his part in organising the Scumoween rave that took place in London in November 2015 and an individual accused of aggravated trespass for breaking into the Celebrity Big Brother house. Hester has also worked on cases defending journalists rights not to reveal their source material and she has an excellent knowledge of privileged and special procedure material.

Hester has an excellent track record, drafting representations to the CPS requesting that matters are discontinued on the basis that there is insufficient evidence to secure a realistic prospect of convictions and/or that it is not in the public interest to continue the prosecution. She is regularly instructed by the family members of vulnerable individuals who find themselves the subject of a police investigation and/or criminal prosecution. 

Hester also has significant experience opposing applications for Sexual Risk Orders and negotiating costs settlement following their withdrawal.

She has also developed expertise in defending persons who are victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. Hester is adept at negotiating referrals to the National Referral Mechanism, making representations to the Single Competent Authority and successfully running the statutory defence available under the Modern Slavery Act. In a very recent case, Hester successfully mounted a modern slavery defence in a trial of the act. Her client, who had been excused from attending court owing to her significant mental ill-health, was acquitted by a unanimous jury.

Multi-Jurisdictional issues

Hester has particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional issues and a particular interest in cases with an immigration element. In addition to her criminal expertise, Hester is accredited as a Senior Immigration Case Worker and has a detailed knowledge of immigration offences.

Most recently, Hester worked on a case involving a vulnerable woman from Nigeria who was acquitted of assaulting four immigration officers at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre when they attempted to remove her on a deportation charter flight.

Terrorism offences and TPIMs

Hester regularly advises individuals in relation to a wide range of terrorism-related offences at both the investigation and court stage of proceedings. She has developed particular expertise defending individuals who find themselves the subject of Terrorism, Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs) and are the subject of statutory review proceedings in the High Court. She is adept at defending individuals who face allegations of TPIM breaches, and most recently defended an individual in a prosecution that was subsequently discontinued. Hester is also experienced at advising individuals in relation to ‘stops’ under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act.

Extradition

Hester has worked on a number of part 1 and part 2 extradition cases, including, the leading extradition case on prison conditions in Portugal (Portugal v H). She has experience of extradition requests from Russia, the USA and India where arguments were raised in relation to prison conditions, abuse of process and right to a fair trial.

Hester has particular experience of extradition proceedings from an immigration perspective, and advises legal teams and clients on immigration matters arising from extradition proceedings.

Fraud, Financial Crime and Regulation

Hester was a member of the defence team representing a Chief Executive of a well-known business accused of a multi-million pound conspiracy to commit fraud, at the time, this prosecution was the highest value private prosecution to date. Hester has also represented individuals accused of smaller scale fraud, fare evasion and benefit fraud. She has experience of confiscation proceedings and successfully contesting the alleged benefit figure.

Inquests

Hester also represents individuals and organisations who find themselves appointed interested parties at inquests. 

Protest cases

Hester is part of the experienced team at Bindmans who deal with protest-related prosecutions. She has represented political, environmental and social justice activists and she has worked closely with protestors from a variety of movements, including Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter, Anti-fascist groups and a number of hunt saboteur groups.

If you would like to make an enquiry you can call the crime team’s direct line number on +44 (0)20 7014 2020.