Diana Payne
Partner
Head of Criminal Defence Team
Solicitor-Advocate
“Experienced, committed and hugely dedicated to client care”
-Legal 500
Diana, as head of the general crime team and a higher court advocate, brings three decades of experience to representing clients in road traffic matters, whether at police stations, magistrates’ courts or crown courts.
Diana has represented clients in the full range of offences including the serious offences of causing death by dangerous driving and using a motor vehicle as a weapon.
Notwithstanding the nature of the offence, the common link is that the outcome is crucial to the client. Diana therefore utilises her excellent knowledge to avoid or at the very least minimise prejudicial consequences of proceedings in court.
In all cases Diana focusses firstly on seeking to challenge all aspects of the prosecution case.
Diana has successfully:
- mitigated to avoid prison sentences for clients for offences such as driving whilst disqualified;
- mitigated successfully to avoid disqualifications in speeding cases;
- favourably argued exceptional hardship thereby allowing clients to retain their licences when the accumulation of penalty points has exceeded the limit;
- mitigated minimal disqualifications in mandatory ban cases such as driving with excess alcohol;
- persuaded courts that clients should not be disqualified following allegations of drunk in charge of a vehicle either by successful mitigation or successfully contesting matters at trial;
- utilised expert evidence to show that a client could not be driving in excess of alcohol at the time in question;
- presented Special Reason arguments to the court to avoid conviction.
Diana also acts for businesses in cases alleging the dangerous condition of company vehicles.
It is a priority always to Diana and her specialist motoring department that the most favourable outcome be secured for her clients.