Megan Topliss

Call 1994
Email megan.topliss@3pb.co.uk
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Crime

Megan Topliss specialises in criminal work, both for the prosecution and the defence. She has prosecuted and defended in a number of substantial cases, including aggravated burglary, armed robbery, violent disorder, blackmail, drug conspiracy, rape, child cruelty and soliciting suicide. She conducts cases at all levels including the Court of Appeal and regularly prosecutes multi handed cases.

She recently defended a case of section 18 wounding, threats to kill and perverting the course of public justice, where the Defendant had a previous conviction for manslaughter. The application for representation by a silk was refused, and so she conducted the case alone.

She has acted as junior in cases of murder, attempted murder, rape, conspiracy to supply class A drugs and fraud.

She recently acted as junior for the prosecution in a case of rape and attempted murder where the Defendant had selected his victim at random and led her at knife point into the woods where he sexually assaulted her, slit her throat, removed all her clothing and left her for dead. With no initial forensic link between the Defendant and the victim, there were many lines of inquiry generating huge amounts of material. She had specific responsibilities regarding disclosure and NAE’s.

Megan places emphasis on attention to detail and continuity of representation wherever possible. A particular strength is the conduct of cases involving large volumes of documentary evidence.

Notable Cases

Unduly Lenient Sentence (AG ref. No. 99 of 2009 sub nom R v B (2010)).
The offender had been sentenced to two years' imprisonment suspended for two years for an offence of rape. He was 41 at the time of sentence and had committed the offence some 25 years earlier on his sister, when he had been 15 and she 13. The Court held that the sentencing judge had been right to say the case was exceptional: a serious crime committed by a boy with devastating life-long effects on the victim. However, he had admitted his guilt 15 years earlier including to the family; and had continued to show genuine remorse, all in an attempt to assist her find closure. He had also matured into a man of exemplary character. Therefore, whilst the sentence was lenient, it was not unduly so: the reference was dismissed.