Sophie Kenny

Criminal

Sophie enjoys a busy criminal practice and is regularly instructed to both prosecute and defend across the full spectrum of proceedings, including the most serious sexual and violent offences. She has built a solid reputation as an effective and assiduous junior and has been praised for her thorough preparation and ability to deal with sensitive issues with compassion and tact.

Sophie has also developed a wide and varied practice in actions on behalf of the police, local authorities and other organisations, including firearms licensing, serious crime prevention orders, sexual risk orders, and anti-social behaviour injunctions, amongst others. She is also regularly instructed in matters concerning dangerous dogs and associated applications. She is adept at dealing with litigants in person and her sensible and down-to-earth approach is particularly effective when dealing with sensitive matters.

Her pragmatic and perceptive approach enables her to quickly build a rapport with clients, even when delivering difficult advice.

Notable Cases

FIREARMS

OPERATION WHEENGE – junior alone, prosecuting five-handed conspiracy to convert and supply firearms across the United Kingdom and into Europe, and to produce methylamphetamine; all five defendants convicted with sentences of 26 and 23 years for those with leading roles. 

R v CH – junior alone, prosecuting the possession of a prohibited firearm where the only evidence was the defendant’s DNA on the weapon; the DNA finding was contested and the case turned on the jury’s assessment of the expert scientific evidence, with the defendant declining to enter the witness box – the jury convicted.

R v AW and DC – defended female charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition and for harbouring an escaped prisoner (co-defendant) – offered plea to the harbouring offence, which was accepted by the Crown, despite having been in physical possession of the firearm on arrest.

VIOLENCE

OPERATION MOONCREST – led junior, prosecuting the murder case relating to the death of the headmaster of Stretford Grammar School in Spring 2026 – led by Phil Barnes KC, instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit (CCU).

OPERATION ALBUM – junior alone, defending first on indictment in multi-handed cryptocurrency-related series of kidnappings and robberies. Defendant pleaded to transferring criminal property, on a comprehensive basis, and received a sentence of 28-months custody, whilst others involved received sentences of up to 20 years. 

R v Youth Defendants – junior alone, prosecuting three-handed youth attempt murder: a machete attack on a teenage boy in a taxi, only streets away from a gang-related stabbing. The victim was attacked by three youths, two with machetes, having been wrongly identified as being involved in the earlier stabbing – catastrophic injuries resulting in permanent loss of function to both hands.

OPERATION DELAWARE – led junior, prosecuting one-punch manslaughter, causation in issue. 

R v ZD – defending 18-year-old charged with 2 pre-meditated knife-point robberies; submissions on sentencing guidelines resulted in 4-year sentence (starting point for single offence: 8 years).

DRUGS

OPERATION ARABELLA – led junior, prosecuting five-handed conspiracy to supply prescription medication across the United Kingdom and internationally – led by Phil Barnes KC, instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit (CCU).  

OPERATION IBEX – junior alone, prosecuting six-handed conspiracy to supply controlled drugs (Class A, B and C) spanning 6 years, which concerned the same drugs lines, but involved different defendants at different time periods, within the indictment dates. 

RASSO/OCSAU

OPERATION CAMERLEY (part of OPERATION GREEN JACKET) – led junior, prosecuting the first Operation Green Jacket case: non-recent child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester, namely forced child prostitution – instructed by the Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit (OCSAU). 

OPERATIONS COCENTRIC and BRUNFELSIA (part of OPERATION STOVEWOOD) – led junior, prosecuting two connected trials under the umbrella of Operation Stovewood: non-recent child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, in response to the Jay Report (2014) – instructed by the Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit (OCSAU).

R v MW and KS – led junior, prosecuting 72-count indictment concerning routine and systematic abuse of 5 siblings over an 11-year period. Both defendants were convicted of all counts – MW sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years, KS to 12 years.

R v JB – defending 13-count indictment of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour, against 4 ex-partners, all seemingly linked by a social media post and a sexually explicit video having been posted online of the defendant with one of the complainants; prosecuted by leading counsel. 

Appointments

Level 3 – CPS Advocate Panel (General Crime)

RaSSO Panel

Awards

Inner Temple, Major Scholarship

Inner Temple, Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award

BPP Manchester, Regional Programme Leader’s Award

BPP Manchester, Advocacy Award

Qualifications

University of Law Manchester, GDL

Loughborough University, BSc

BPP Manchester, BPTC

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association

Women in Law UK

Women in Criminal Law

Advocate

Northern Circuit

Related events

• Crime at Nine seminar series