Our criminal law specialists

Tiernan is the managing director of Purcell Parker and head of the firms Prison Law Department. He is also the firms Compliance Officer for Legal Practice. He was admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1991, joined the firm in 1996 and became a partner in 2000. He is a qualified duty solicitor and Higher Courts Advocate.

Tiernan has a vast array of experience in representing clients at the police station, Magistrates Court and the Crown Court but specialises in representing prisoners in often complex and high-profile cases before the Parole Board and in prison disciplinary hearings before the Independent Adjudicator. Tiernan is committed to securing justice for all his clients through his detailed knowledge of the law and strategic thinking yet does so in a friendly and approachable style.

Kevin was admitted to the roll of Solicitors in 1992 and has been practising as a criminal lawyer since. A regular face in the West Midlands Courts, Kevin is known for his commitment and hard work. He attained his Higher Rights of Audience in Criminal Proceedings in 2008 and since then has extended his practice to dealing with matters in the Crown Court also. Kevin is a qualified duty Solicitor and regularly provides advice to clients at Police Stations.

Theresa was called to the Bar in 2007 and specialises in criminal defence work in the Crown Court. Theresa appears in court for all criminal matters and regularly represents defendants in cases involving serious violence, sexual offences, drug offences and fraud cases. Theresa determinedly fights every case vigorously on behalf of each of her clients. Theresa has successfully appeared before the Court of Appeal on a number of occasions.

Joseph was called to the Bar in 2001 and has since continually strived to achieve the best possible results for all of his clients, whatever the stakes are. Joseph undertakes all levels of criminal work including murder, rape, cases which rely on evidence of child witnesses and cases before the Court of Appeal. Joseph previously worked in Arkansas representing clients on death row before returning to the UK and establishing a successful criminal practice.

Having qualified as a solicitor in 1992 Dave has over two decades’ experience practicing as a criminal defence lawyer. He both advises at the Police Station and appears before Courts across the West Midlands on a daily basis. Dave has a particular expertise in Youth Court matters and is also a qualified duty solicitor.

Charmaine qualified as a Solicitor in July 2010 and became Duty qualified in May 2011. She is a familiar face at local Magistrates Courts, Youth Court, Police stations and Prison Adjudications but has also represented clients throughout the country in relation to the full range of criminal and prison law offences. Charmaine has demonstrated herself to be a dedicated advocate and shows great empathy towards clients and their families who may be particularly young or vulnerable and as result has her own client following.

Gemma is the firm’s Office manager. Gemma forms an integral part of the management team, helping deliver the strategic and operational objectives of the firm.

Gemma is from an accounting background, having qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 2007. She joined the firm in 2012 having previously spent 10 years working in Accounts and audit, gaining a wealth of knowledge across a diverse range of businesses.

Her responsibilities encompass the general running of the office dealing with financial management, property management and provision of adequate resources to ensure the efficient running of the firm, enabling the directors to focus their time on clients.

David has been at Purcell Parker since 2002 and has achieved his police station accreditation at this firm. He now works as a specialist police station accredited representative and has quickly built up a deserved reputation for his hard work and dedication in achieving the best possible outcome for persons detained in police custody. He has advised clients in respect of the full range of criminal allegations, up to and including murder.

Abbie graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2019 with LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology. Since graduating, she has worked as a paralegal, specialising in Criminal and Family Law. Abbie started at Purcell Parker in November 2021 as a Crown Court Litigator, specialising in the preparation of Crown Court cases.

Elliot achieved a Distinction in the Graduate Diploma in Law, and subsequently completed the Bar Practice Course with the award of Very Competent. Since having become an accredited mediator, he was called to the Bar in July 2023 and has a keen interest in developing his career in the criminal law, aspiring to practice as a barrister in the not-so-distant future.

Maddison graduated from University of Birmingham in 2023 with an LLB (Hons) Law degree. She is currently studying on the Bar Practice Course LLM due to graduate from the University of Law in September 2025. Maddison joined Purcell Parker in January 2024 as a Crown Court Litigator, specialising in the preparation of Crown Court cases.