Our Expertise
St Pauls Chambers provides legal services throughout the UK and worldwide. We are known for providing excellence in our areas of focus.
As a leading barristers chambers in Leeds, our expertise span the depth and breadth of a number of key areas of law.
Our People
St Pauls Chambers have an excellent team of Barristers, Clerks & Administration, with our barristers including KC’s, Members and Pupils.
View our teams in full detail, or browse by expertise to find a barrister.
Call 2022
Gabrielle Coates was called to the Bar in 2022 and joined St Pauls Chambers as a tenant in September 2024, following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of James Bourne-Arton KC.
Gabrielle has developed a busy and growing mixed criminal practice and is regularly instructed across the full spectrum of criminal proceedings. Gabrielle appears frequently in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. She is also instructed in both civil and criminal confiscation proceedings on behalf of the CPS and Police. She is regularly instructed in complex cases beyond her year of call and has already acted as junior counsel in multiple serious matters.
Alongside her Criminal practice, Gabrielle is developing a niche specialism in dog law, including cases involving specialises in cases involving dangerous dogs and allegations of animal cruelty.
Gabrielle has a strong interest in professional discipline and police misconduct work and is steadily building experience in this area.
Known for her personable approach and exceptional client care, Gabrielle is a confident and effective advocate who communicates well with people from a range of different backgrounds.
Before coming to the Bar, Gabrielle worked in Criminal Defence and specialised as a Prison Law Advocate, representing clients at Parole Board Hearings – practice area she continues to pursue with dedication.
Gabrielle also plays an active role in legal outreach and community engagement. She is the Head of Outreach at St Pauls Chambers and is a Charity Committee Member for the North Eastern Circuit.
Gabrielle has developed a busy and steadily growing mixed criminal practice. She is regularly instructed across the full spectrum of criminal proceedings and frequently appears in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. She also acts in criminal confiscation proceedings on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service and various police forces. She also has experience in private prosecution.
She is often instructed in complex and serious matters beyond her year of call. She has already acted as junior counsel in multiple serious matters, including those involved in organised crime and multi-Defendant conspiracies.
Gabrielle is a Grade 2 CPS Panel Advocate.
Operation G – Ongoing (Led Junior)
Gabrielle is currently being led by Nicholas Worsley KC in the prosecution of a multi-handed conspiracy involving large-scale drug supply.
R v D [2025]
Successfully persuaded the Crown to offer no evidence on all counts for a Defendant charged with racially aggravated intentional harassment and possession of a bladed article.
R v M [ 2025]
Represented a Defendant charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child under 16 and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act. Gabrielle secured the Defendant a suspended sentence.
R v B [2025]
Gabrielle successfully prosecuted a Defendant charged with Domestic Burglary, where he entered a Guilty plea on the first day of the Trial.
Following a two-day Jury Trial, Gabrielle successfully made a half-time submission of no case to answer for a Defendant charged with Domestic Burglary at Teesside Crown Court. The case was dismissed.
Gabrielle prosecuted a youth sentence of causing serious injury by Dangerous Driving.
R v R [2024]
Successfully defended a client accused of assaulting a door supervisor at a Bar. The Court concluded the Defendant acted in lawful self-defence and the force he used was reasonable.
Gabrielle is regularly instructed in a wide range of motoring offences, including driving with excess alcohol or drugs, failing to stop/report an accident, failing to provide a specimen, and both careless and dangerous driving. She also has significant experience advancing exceptional hardship arguments in cases where clients face disqualification under the totting up provisions.
Gabrielle has a strong grasp of the legal and procedural complexities of motoring law. Her detailed understanding of evidential issues allows her to provide a realistic case assessment and successful defend these cases.
She provides both clear and reasonable advice. She also utilises her robust advocacy both inside and outside of Court.
Gabrielle is regularly instructed in matters arising under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). She is frequently instructed by the police in cash for forfeiture and account freezing order hearings, both in the Magistrates’ and the Crown Court.
Chief Constable of Humberside Police v S [2025]
Gabrielle was instructed to act on behalf of the Police for a Forfeiture Hearing.
R v P, P and M [2025]
Gabrielle is instructed on a multi-handed POCA hearing, with multiple legal arguments arising.
Gabrielle is regularly instructed in Parole Board Hearings.
Prior to joining the Bar, Gabrielle worked as a Prison Law Advocate representing prisoners in Parole Board Hearings. Notably, Gabrielle has experience with IPP prisoners. She has frequently worked with vulnerable prisoners and those with mental health issues. Gabrielle has represented those convicted of a wide arrange of offences, including RASSO cases, Arson, dishonesty offences and murder.
Gabrielle is regularly instructed to act on behalf of the Police, for forfeiture hearings and applications, including Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, Stalking Protection Orders and Domestic Violence Protection Order’s.
Gabrielle is developing a recognised specialism in dog law and is regularly instructed by the defence in matters involving dangerous dogs and animal welfare offences.
She has experience dealing with proceedings under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, including applications relation to destruction and contingent destruction orders, as well as cases involving allegations of cruelty, neglect or failure to control. Gabrielle is familiar with handling expert evidence on canine behaviour and is well-versed in the procedural and evidential complexities these cases often raise.
Brown v Chief Constable of Sussex Police [2025] – Led Junior
Gabrielle was led by Cathryn McGahey KC for the case of Levi Brown v Chief Constable of Sussex Police in the High Court, on a case stated appeal, which concerned interpretation of the Dangerous Dogs Act, police powers of seizure and the jurisdiction to make control orders.
The Appellant argued that the clear wording of s.1(3) precluded a prohibited dog being seized under s.19 of the 1984 Act.
Reported on Westlaw: Brown v Chief Constable of Sussex Police [2025] 5 WLUK 128.
G v Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police [2025] – Led Junior
Gabrielle was led by Cathryn McGahey KC in an appeal against conviction. The Appeal was against the Magistrates Court’s decision to destroy a dog.
Counsel for the Appellant’s raised the lawfulness of the seizure and highlighted that the Chief Constable had made the Section 4B application out of time. The Chief Constable accepted that the application unlawful and that the seizure was also unlawful. This resulted in the Court allowing the appeal and quashing the destruction order.
The Court ordered costs against the Police. The Police also paid the kennel costs for the two year period.
RSPCA v M [2025]
Gabrielle represented the Defendant charged with animal neglect. She received a Suspended Sentence Order.
CPS Level 2 Prosecutor
The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
The Criminal Bar Association
“Technology: achieving a humane approach to the remote ways of working in the Family Justice System” in the Family Law Journal (Lexis Nexis).
Chambers is centrally located within walking distance of the train station, secure car parks and the Courts.
St Pauls Chambers
Park Row House
19-20 Park Row
Leeds
LS1 5JF
For out of hours assistance please call the senior clerk on 07854170429.
The switchboard will open from 08:30 until 17:30
Phone: +44 (0)1132 455 866
Email: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
