Charles Waddell - Charles qualified in September 2006 and works as a Consultant Solicitor in our Crime Department providing initial advice to clients who have been charged with criminal offences. He assists clients at the Police Station and if they are charged he will attend subsequent court hearings to represent their interests. Charles has worked as a Criminal Defence Practitioner within specialist criminal law practices throughout the Northeast, advising individuals on court procedures, likely timescales and possible defences to charges.  Where there is an acceptance of guilt, he will work with clients to prepare full mitigation to ensure the best possible outcome. If he believes a defendant has been treated unjustly, he will always look to appeal the findings, sentence or both. He has a proven track record for defending numerous cases in both the Magistrates and Crown Courts. Charles is also an Associate Lecturer in law at Northumbria University.