Criminal & Traffic Lawyers Chatswood
Sydney Criminal Lawyers®

PHONE: (02) 9261 8881

FAX: (02) 9264 0880

EMAIL: adminteam@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au

ADDRESS:
23 Daisy Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
By Appointment Only

Chatswood’s Best Criminal & Traffic Lawyers

No criminal law firm in Chatswood has achieved a track record of success comparable to Sydney Criminal Lawyers.

Our Principal, Mr Ugur Nedim, has decades of experience as a leading criminal defence lawyer, has been recognised by the Law Society of New South Wales as an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 2005 and has built a team of exceptional, vastly experienced specialist criminal defence lawyers to provide the highest level of service to our valued clients.

Mr Nedim has defended over two dozen murder trials achieving outstanding success, has represented clients in the most serious drug importation and supply cases in Australia (including the nation’s largest ever heroin importation case, where all three of his clients were found not guilty, while the remaining three co-accused – represented by other criminal law firms – were found guilty), dozens of serious sexual assault cases, complex fraud cases, armed robberies and many other serious and complex criminal matters.

Our law firm consistently manages to have cases withdrawn when other firms advise clients to plead guilty, and to achieve not guilty verdicts where the prosecution evidence appears at first instance to be insurmountable.

These results are achieved through developing and implementing effective defence strategies, harnessing our network of experts in a range of fields and fighting for positive outcomes.

Our Chatswood Offices

Our Chatswood offices are located at 23 Daisy Street, Chatswood, where conferences can be arranged by appointment.

Our criminal and traffic defence lawyers represent clients at nearby courts including Hornsby Local Court and Downing Centre Local and District Court on a regular basis, and are familiar with the magistrates who preside in those courts.

We consistently achieve outstanding results for both criminal and traffic cases, ranging from drug possession, drink driving and AVO to complex and serious criminal charges.

If you are going to court, we offer a free first conference with an experienced defence lawyer who will explain your options and the best way forward.

So call us anytime on (02) 9261 8881 to book your conference at our Chatswood office with Australia’s most awarded criminal law firm.

More information on Chatswood

If you are located near Chatswood or need a professional lawyer to represent you at Chatswood Local Court, find more information on the local area below or call us 24/7 on (02) 9261 8881.

CHATSWOOD OFFICE
Going to Court? (02) 9261 8881

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have a free first conference with a criminal lawyer in Chatswood?

Yes. If you are going to court for a criminal or traffic law case, we offer a free initial consultation with an experienced, specialist defence lawyer by appointment at our Chatswood office.

How much does a criminal lawyer in Chatswood cost?

We offer affordable fixed fees for several of our services and these fees are published on our website.

These fixed fee services include:

  • Bail applications in the Local, District and Supreme Court,
  • Prison visits,
  • Pleas of guilty and sentencing in the Local Court,
  • Appeals to the District Court on the ground that the Local Court penalty was too severe,
  • Driver licence appeals,
  • Mental health applications in the Local Court (to have cases dismissed under section 14 / 32)
  • Many less-serious defended hearings in the Local Court, and
  • Attending police stations, where appropriate.

For more substantial cases, your lawyer will provide you with an estimate of costs and our firm will always provide you with fully itemised invoices in a timely manner as your case proceeds.

What is the location of a criminal law firm in Chatswood?

Our Chatswood office is located at 23 Daisy Street.

If you are coming on public transport, just stroll down Chatswood mall, turn left onto Anderson Street just before The Concourse and you will see Daisy Street around 100 metres up Anderson Street on your right.

Our Chatswood office is set in a friendly setting just a few minutes walk from the CBD.

If you are driving, there is ample street parking on Daisy Street as well as the streets that surround it.

Conferences at our Chatswood office are available by appointment.

Can a criminal lawyer in Chatswood help me to avoid a criminal record?

Yes. Our experienced lawyers will be able to assess your case with a view to advising as to whether we can have your charges withdrawn or thrown out of court or, if you wish to plead guilty, or by persuading the court to make a ‘non-conviction order’.

Pleading not guilty

If you wish to plead not guilty, we may be able to have your case withdrawn by drafting and sending formal ‘representations’ to the prosecution requesting that the charges be dropped due, for instance, to:

  • insufficient or inconsistent evidence,
  • the lack of a public interest in proceedings continuing,
  • the failure to follow formal requirements for bringing or continuing with the charges, and/or
  • the availability of a legal defence.

If your case nevertheless proceeds to a defended hearing (in the Local Court) or a judge-alone or jury trial (in the District or Supreme Court), we will thoroughly prepare and persuasively argue your position in court with a view to having the case dismissed.

Pleading guilty

If you wish to plead guilty, we can increase the likelihood of a ‘non-conviction order’ being made in your case by:

  • negotiating the downgrading of your charges,
  • negotiating the amendment of the police allegations (known as the ‘police facts’) to make them less-serious,
  • guiding you on the preparation of materials such as character references and a letter of apology to the court, which can provide an insight into the conduct, show that you are remorseful, and help show there will be no further offending,
  • assisting you to undertake relevant programs to address any issues which the court may believe could lead to future offending, and
  • Presenting your case persuasively inside the courtroom.

These factors that significantly increase the change of you obtaining:

Each of these outcomes mean that you avoid a criminal conviction and the penalties that may go with it.

Making a mental health application

If you suffer from a mental health or cognitive impairment, such as depression, anxiety or another type of condition, an application can be made in the Local Court to have your case dismissed on the condition that you enter a mental health treatment plan

If the application is successful, there will be no criminal conviction or even a finding of guilty made against your name.

Why choose a criminal lawyer in Chatswood?

Going to court can be nerve-racking, but having a strong and compassionate legal team behind you can make the experience significantly easier to deal with.

Here are 12 reasons to choose our multi-award winning legal team:

  1. Proven Track Record of Exceptional Results

    Sydney Criminal Lawyers® consistently achieves outcomes which are in the highest percentile of the Judicial Commission’s sentencing statistics for criminal cases.

    Our legal team devises effective case-strategies and fights hard to have cases dropped entirely or charges downgraded – saving clients the time, expense and stress of a defended hearing or jury trial.

    Where cases nevertheless proceed, our lawyers have an outstanding track record of winning defended Local Court hearings, and complex jury trials in the District and Supreme Courts.

    We also consistently win appeals in the District and Supreme Courts (including the NSWCCA) after clients have received unsatisfactory results with other law firms in the lower courts.We are one of the few firms to achieve successful criminal law appeals in the High Court of Australia.

    Where our clients wish to plead guilty, we frequently achieve ‘dismissals’ and ‘non convictions’ in cases where other lawyers have advised there is no chance of doing so.

  2. Highest Level of Client Satisfaction

    We have the best and most comprehensive client review record of any law firm in Australia.

    Regular communication, accessibility and quality service are our team’s highest priorities.

    We are committed to thoroughly explaining all steps involved in the criminal law process, providing regular updates throughout the proceedings, and making ourselves accessible and responsive.

    We are passionate about providing an exceptional level of service to our clients, and we fight hard to achieve optimal results in the shortest period of time.

  3. Australia’s Most Awarded Criminal Law Firm

    We have received more awards and accolades than any other criminal law firm in Australia. Our team has been awarded “Criminal Defence Firm of the Year in Australia” in a number of prestigious and competitive awards programs for several years running.

    The awards recognise our exceptional track record of results, our outstanding client service, the high level of satisfaction we achieve, the affordability of our services and our overall excellence.

  4. Fixed Fees

    We want our clients to know exactly how much their cases will cost from the very start. That’s why we were the first criminal law firm in Australia to publish ‘fixed fees’, back in 2004.

    We offer fixed fees for most types of criminal cases and services.Our fixed fees apply to a range of Local Court cases such as drink driving, drug possession, fraud, common assault and AVOs, and also specific services such as prison visits, bail applications, appeals and defended hearings.

    Unlike many other law firms, our fixed fees are published on our website – which ensures transparency and certainty.

  5. Free First Appointment

    For those who are going to court, we offer a free first conference of up to an hour with one of our Senior Criminal Defence Lawyers.

    We also offer a free first conference to those who have received an unsatisfactory result after being represented in court by another law firm, or after representing themselves, and wish to appeal.

  6. Specialist Lawyer Guarantee

    We guarantee that only lawyers with substantial criminal defence experience will work on your case and appear for you in court.

    This ensures our clients receive the highest quality representation from an experienced, specialist criminal lawyer.

  7. All NSW Courts

    From Bombala to Broken Hill, our lawyers appear in courts throughout New South Wales – and across Australia for Commonwealth cases.

    And we offer fixed fees for most criminal and traffic law cases throughout the state.

  8. Accredited Specialists

    Our entire firm is exclusively dedicated to criminal law – which makes us true specialists.

    All of our lawyers have years of experience representing clients in criminal cases, and our principal has been certified by the Law Society of NSW as an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 2005.

    An ‘Accredited Specialist’ is a lawyer who has practised for at least 5 years in a particular field of law (such as criminal law), has passed a rigorous assessment process conducted by the Law Society of NSW, and has been selected by the Specialist Accreditation Committee of the Law Society as an expert in the field.

    Accredited Specialists are required to undertake more training each year than other lawyers and must be successful in having their accreditation renewed every year. Specialist Accreditation is the mark of a true specialist.

    Our firm’s specialist experience ensures you receive the best possible result, whatever your criminal law case may be.

  9. Results-Focused Law Firm

    Our team is passionate about achieving results, and unlike many other law firms, our lawyers do not have monthly financial ‘budgets’ to meet.

    The absence of budgets means our lawyers are entirely focused on achieving optimal results in the shortest space of time; whether by getting charges dropped or downgraded at an early stage or having cases ‘thrown out of court’.

    Not having budgets also means our lawyers are not under pressure to engage in unscrupulous practices such as unnecessarily adjourning cases or ‘overcharging’ clients – which, sadly, is a common complaint against many other lawyers and law firms.

    No budgets encourages regular consultation between lawyers within the firm – promoting an ‘open door’, team environment where lawyers bounce ideas off one another, formulate case strategy together and benefit from each other’s specialised experience, methods, techniques and insights.

    The result is a firm which delivers optimal outcomes in the shortest time periods, at the least expense and stress to our clients.

  10. Team of Lawyers Behind You

    Our clients benefit from the pool of knowledge that only an extensive team of experienced criminal defence lawyers can provide.

    Our lawyers regularly consult one another to stay ‘ahead of the pack’ in the ever-changing field of criminal law – constantly devising, refining and implementing specialised techniques which ensure our clients achieve the best possible outcomes.

    A team approach is particularly important when it comes to serious criminal cases such as murder, commercial drug cases, serious and sexual assaults, large-scale fraud, robbery and other ‘indictable’ cases.

    In such matters, clients reap the benefits of several lawyers devising and executing case strategies which maximise the chances of having cases dropped or downgraded at an early stage, or ‘thrown out of court’ – often saving clients a great deal of cost, time and anxiety.

  11. Familiar with Magistrates and Judges

    Each of our lawyers appears in court on a daily basis, and has done so for years. We have therefore been able to develop an understanding of, and rapport with, magistrates and judges in Sydney and indeed across the state.

    Our team’s extensive experience before the courts ensures your case is tailored to the specific nuances of individual judicial officers, maximising the likelihood of a favourable result.

  12. Convenience

    We have offices in locations across the Sydney Metropolitan Area and beyond, including:

    We offer free parking at our Sydney CBD offices, and all of our offices are close to train stations and bus terminals.

    For those who are unable to attend our offices, we offer conferences by telephone, Skye and FaceTime anywhere around the world.

    If you are going to court and wish to arrange a free first consultation, call our 24 hour hotline on (02) 9261 8881 or send us an email at info@sydneycriminallawyers.com.au.

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Recent Cases near Chatswood

Sexual Assault and Detain for Advantage Charges Dropped

Our client is a 36-year old tradesman from North Western Sydney.

He was at a hotel in the Sydney CBD when he entered into a conversation with a 25-year old female.

Both had already been drinking, and they drank a number of further alcoholic drinks together, before catching a taxi together to our client’s apartment.

While there, the female exchanged text messages with a female friend to the effect that everything was ok and for her friend not to worry.

The next morning, the complainant sent further text messages to her friend to the effect that she had been forced into having sexual intercourse.

She left our client’s home, met her friend and they both attended a police station where a formal complaint of sexual assault was made. In the complaint, the woman alleged that the pair were drinking on a couch at our client’s apartment when he forced himself on her and had non-consensual sexual intercourse with her. She claimed she had stated ‘no’ several times and attempted to ‘fight off’ our client.

The complainant attended a hospital during which an examination was performed and samples taken.

Police attended the home of our client several days later where they arrested him, placed him in custody and conducted an interview during which our client was adamant the sexual intercourse was consensual.

Police nevertheless charged our client with one count of sexual intercourse without consent (also known as ‘sexual assault’) under section 61I of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) and one count of detain for advantage under section 86 of the same Act.

They refused him bail at the police station and we made a successful application in court the very next day.

Based on our client's instructions, we quickly subpoenaed CCTV footage from the hotel and from our client’s apartment complex, and managed to track down and obtain in-car footage from the taxi they took to our client's premises– all of which were highly suggestive of the complainant being a willing participant in the events leading up to the pair entering our client’s unit.

We also relied on photographs of our client and the complainant which showed no evidence of any struggle.

We wrote detailed ‘representations’ to the DPP – who eventually took the case over from the police – to the effect that neither of the offences could be proved beyond reasonable doubt on the admissible evidence available. Representations are a formal letter requesting the withdrawal of charges.

We followed up our representations with extensive negotiations with the DPP, after which both of the charges against our client were withdrawn, saving our client the stress, expense and potential risk of a lengthy District Court jury trial.

Client Granted Bail for Commercial Drug Supply, While All Co-accused Refused

Our client is a 24-year old overseas student.

Police alleged that he and 7 others were involved in Supplying a Commercial Quantity of a Prohibited Drug and Participating in a Joint Criminal Enterprise.

The suspects were alleged to have communicated through coded messages on their mobile telephones.

All were charged and brought before Manly Local Court.

For the purposes of bail, the offences are ‘show cause’ offences, which means the defence bears the onus of establishing the defendant does not pose an ‘unacceptable risk’ to the community, and that imprisonment would therefore be unjustified.

The prosecution strenuously opposed bail for all 7 defendants on the basis of the alleged strength of the prosecution case and likelihood of a full-time custodial sentence in the event of a conviction.

Each of the defendants had similar evidence against them and were alleged to be at similar levels in the hierarchy of the enterprise.

However, our client (and two others) were at a significant disadvantage because they were from overseas and had limited links to the local community – which makes it more difficult to achieve bail.

Our defence team got to work and quickly prepared material addressing a number of the bail concerns, including the risk of flight. We took detailed instructions with a view to disputing the prosecution’s submissions regarding the strength of the prosecution case.

By the time we were ready to run our client’s bail application, all 7 co-accused had been refused bail.

We presented material and made detailed verbal submissions regarding the law.

The submissions included reference to the pivotal NSW Supreme Court cases of R v Melmeth [2015] and the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal case of DPP v Mawad [2015], which made a number of findings in respect of the meaning of ‘show cause’, including the applicable test.

Among other things, the cases establish that ‘exceptional circumstances’ do not necessarily need to be shown to overcome the ‘show cause’ hurdle – which is a common but incorrect assumption amongst practitioners. Rather, a combination of factors including proposed bail conditions can meet the test, and alleviate any bail concerns.

The presiding magistrate was convinced and saw fit to grant bail on strict conditions, including daily reporting, surrender or passport and non-association with co-accused and witnesses in the case.

The outcome demonstrates that with the right knowledge, meticulous preparation and persuasive presentation, bail can be achieved in ‘show cause’ cases regardless of the seriousness of the allegations and the findings against co-accused.

The merits of each case must be assessed independently, and it is important to engage specialist criminal defence lawyers who are knowledgeable, thorough and persuasive.

Client Keeps Licence and Avoids Criminal Record for Mid-Range Drink Driving

Our client is a 46 year old Sales Executive living in Frenchs Forest, Sydney.

He was pulled over for a random breath test just after 9pm on a Friday night on Blackbutts Road, Frenchs Forest where he registered a blood alcohol reading of 0.100.

He told police that he had been drinking red wine at his home from 6pm to 9pm and was on his way to a friend's place. He was then charged with 'mid-range drink driving'.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about the facts of the case.

Our legal team ensured that he took the right steps in the lead-up to the court date; by helping him with his apology letter and character references, and referring him to counselling.

The matter came before Manly Local Court where two defendants who registered very similar readings (0.09 and 0.115) both received criminal convictions and licence disqualifications because, as the Magistrate put it, "the reading is too high". This was despite it being their first drink driving offence and both having a strong need for a driver licence.

Our client's case then came before the very same Magistrate, who was ultimately persuaded to allow our client to keep his licence and avoid a criminal conviction despite the reading.

It is an example of how careful preparation and persuasive presentation in court can make all the difference when it comes to the result in drink driving cases.

Yet Another AVO Dismissed and Costs Awarded in Favour of Our Client

The Presiding Magistrate in Hornsby Local Court has dismissed the AVO brought against our client by his neighbour, and then ordered him to pay our client's legal costs.

Our client and the applicant are next door neighbours in the northern suburbs of Sydney. They have been engaged in various disputes for over 4 years.

The applicant alleged that our client had "harassed and intimidated" him and his partner "at least 15 times" over a one-month period by "prying" on them, "making videos" and "using abusive language" both in-person and in text messages.

Our defence team prepared transcripts of all text messages, obtained relevant videos and arranged transcripts of those videos, gathered photographs and prepared witness statements - all of which undermined the applicant's version of events.

The case ultimately reached a defended hearing wherein it became abundantly clear during the applicant's lengthy cross-examination that he was primarily responsible for escalating the disputes, not our client.

The Presiding Magistrate was scathing in her criticism of the applicant as she dismissed his case and ordered him to pay our client's legal costs in full.

Client Avoids Conviction and Disqualification for 2 x Driving Whilst Suspended

The Magistrate in Manly Local Court has allowed our 48 year old client from Fairfield to avoid a conviction and a licence disqualification despite driving whilst suspended twice and also running a red light.

Our client has a lengthy traffic record including: speeding by more than 45km/h three times, speeding by more than 30km/h twice, negligent driving, not give particulars after crash and several others.

He also has criminal convictions.

He was on a demerit point suspension when he drove his car towards his workplace at Cromer.

Police observed him drive through a red light, pulled him over and advised him that his licence was suspended.

He admitted knowing that he was suspended and that he ran the red light.

He was then charged with 'Driving Whilst Suspended' and the red light offence.

Despite this, he drove again a short time later and was again pulled over and charged with a second count of Driving Whilst Suspended.

This meant that he was facing a 3 year licence disqualification and hefty fines, which would have caused him to lose his job as a machine operator and delivery driver.

However, our defence team assisted him to prepare his case thoroughly and presented it strongly in court.

The Magistrate was ultimately persuaded to grant him 'Section 10s' for all of the offences - which means that he avoids a further criminal record, avoids a licence disqualification and also avoids fines.

He now has his licence back and can keep working and looking after his family.

Assault Charges & AVO (domestic violence related) Dropped

Police have withdrawn the charge of Reckless Wounding and AVO (domestic violence related) against our 26 year old client after our defence team prepared two detailed sets of written submissions requesting withdrawal and pushed relentlessly for the case to be dropped.

The charge and AVO arose from an incident on 17th May 2014 when our client stabbed her partner in the leg with a 20cm long kitchen knife causing a large open wound requiring hospitalisation and sutures.

Our client maintained that her actions were undertaken in self defence after her partner threw a mug and then advanced upon her.

The case was scheduled to go to a defended hearing in Hornsby Local Court, but police have decided to drop the charge and the AVO rather than pursue the case in court.

Our client is now spared from the stress and expense of defended proceedings.

It is yet another example of 'domestic violence-related' charges being dropped through hard work and perseverance.

Drug Charges Dismissed Due to Illegal Search

The Presiding Magistrate in Hornsby Local Court dismissed drug possession charges against our 21 year old client from Wahroonga who was stopped and searched in a Pennant Hills carpark.

Police approached our client claiming he appeared to be 'acting suspiciously' by standing outside his car with a friend in an unlit area.

As usual, police alleged that our client appeared 'nervous' and 'agitated' and that he could not adequately explain why he was there.

They searched him and found 4 ecstacy tablets and a small amount of cannabis in resealable bags in his pocket.

The Magistrate found that this was not enough to ground a 'suspicion on reasonable grounds' and ruled the search to be illegal.

The evidence was then excluded and both charges were dismissed.

Speed Camera Case Thrown Out of Court

The Magistrate in Hornsby Local Court upheld our 36 year old client's court election against a LIDAR-detected ticket for speeding by more than 15km per hour on Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills.

Police issued the ticket based upon a reading from the hand-held device just after 3.45pm on a weekday.

Our client was adamant that he was not speeding and wished to dispute the ticket.

A photo served upon our office shortly before the hearing date supported our client's instructions that there was heavy traffic at the time and it could have been another vehicle that was speeding.

He gave evidence to that effect on the witness stand, and the Presiding Magistrate ultimately accepted our submissions that the reading could have been for a vehicle that was in the lane beside our client's or could otherwise have been inaccurate due to the number of other vehicles on the road at the time.

Domestic Assault Charges and AVO Dropped

Sydney Criminal Lawyers® convinced police to withdraw charges of 'armed with intent to commit indictable offence' and 'assault occasioning actual bodily harm' after submitting detailed written submissions on the weakness of the police case and pushing for withdrawal.

The case involved our 44 year old client allegedly making death threats against her partner then slashing him with a 30cm kitchen knife.

All charges and the associated Apprehended Violence Order ('AVO') were withdrawn and dismissed in Manly Local Court.

No Conviction for 'Road Rage' Assault

In Hornsby Local Court, Sydney Criminal Lawyers® persuaded the Magistrate not to convict our 45 year old Chatswood client who smashed the window and assaulted another driver in a 'road rage' incident, leaving his face cut & bleeding.

Our client was of previous good character and having great difficulties in his life leading up to the incident. He was concerned that a criminal conviction would have prevented him from obtaining further employment in his chosen profession.

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