Grace McConnell

Practice areas

Crime
Regulatory Crime

Profile

Grace joined Devon Chambers in November 2025, following her relocation back to the South West where she grew up. At Grace’s previous chambers, she predominantly practiced in courts at the eastern end of the Western Circuit.

Grace is a criminal practitioner and is instructed to work primarily in the Crown Court, both defending and prosecuting. 

In terms of Grace’s defence work she is regularly instructed in a broad spectrum of matters including section 18 and 20 GBH, possession with intent to supply class A drugs, controlling coercive behaviour and other domestic matters, robbery and more. Grace has also been instructed within the Court Martial and Youth Court. Grace prides herself on her down-to-earth style and ability to build rapport with clients, both lay and professional.

Grace has also had the opportunity to be a led junior, defending in an 8-week multi-handed trial for conspiracies to kidnap and blackmail. This experience added to Grace’s organisational ability to prepare cases thoroughly, including utilising unused material and preparing for legal arguments that often crop up in trials of such length and complexity.

Having qualified within the Crown Prosecution Service, this provided Grace with a solid grounding in advocacy in the Magistrates’ Court, as well as a wealth of knowledge of internal procedure and preparation. This helps with both her defence and prosecution work. Grace has continued to build on her prosecution practice, and is currently a Grade 2 CPS prosecutor. Grace often provides detailed advice to the CPS, including for cases solely reliant on res gestae evidence. Grace’s recent prosecution work includes robbery, money laundering, being concerned in the supply of drugs, stalking, sexual assault and more. 

Grace also enjoys helping the next generation of barristers-to-be. Grace has recently been appointed as a ‘Barrister in Residence’ at the University of Portsmouth, and is keen to also assist those more locally since her move too.

Recent Cases

R v JS and others [2025] – defending as a led junior in 8-week conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to blackmail and money laundering trial. The defendants were accused of luring in people they had identified as talking to underage girls, and using this to blackmail them in the course of a kidnap.

R v AK and others [2025] – prosecuting a county line drugs case from London to Basingstoke. Presentation of the case involved call schedules and cell site analysis.

R v VP and others [2025] – defending a female charged with s18 GBH upon a taxi driver.

R v MM [2025] – defending a man accused of assault, in the context of an ongoing neighbour dispute where self defence was raised. The disclosure requests for third party material were critical to be able to advise the client properly on the possibility of a non-defendant bad character application.

R v IL [2025] – prosecuting two offences of threatening to destroy property. The Crown’s case was that he threatened to burn his partner’s house down after she left him. He then later made similar threats to attending police officers to blow the house up, who had to turn the gas supply off and begin to evacuate neighbouring properties.

R v LC [2025] – defending a vulnerable female for stalking her mother in law, alongside her partner, in order to obtain money for the purchase of drugs.

R v CC and others (Operation Plaudit) [2023-25] – defending one of 17 co-conspirators in a class A drugs case. A basis of plea was submitted explaining his role was just short of duress.

R v MH and R v JH [2024] – prosecuting two cases both solely reliant on res gestae evidence subject to legal argument following written submissions.

R v DW [2024] – defending a British Army sergeant at the Catterick Court Martial for events that had occurred whilst deployed overseas.

R v LD [2024] – defending a 13-year-old girl at sentence for attempted section 18 GBH upon a homeless person.

Grace is regulated by the Bar Standards Board.