I can’t recommend PCD solicitors enough .. It’s been the longest four years of my life and PCD have been by my side all the way. PCD and the team they have are second to none the support and help and kindness they have shown me and my family over the years has made such a difference at my lowest they where there for me and I have to say that Marcus
Specialists in Sexual Offences
PCD Solicitors are a nationwide criminal defence firm, specialising in defending false allegations of sexual offences.
Our team have advised hundreds of clients across England and Wales who have been accused of serious sexual crimes, including rape, sexual assault, sexual offences against children, historic sexual offences, and indecent images offences.
Through our legal specialism and proactive approach to defence and advocacy, we have secured outstanding outcomes for the majority of clients we have advised at every stage of the criminal justice process, from pre-police involvement to investigation, prosecution, and appeal.
| PCD Solicitors | General Firm | Legal Aid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual Offence Specialists | Yes | No | No |
| Operate Nationwide | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pre-Charge Engagement and Advocacy | Yes | Yes | No |
| Appeals and Prison Law Experts | Yes | No | No |
| Reputation Management and Professional Representation | Yes | No | No |
Experts in Criminal Defence and Advocacy.
Sexual offence allegations are among the most serious cases in criminal law.
As one of the only solicitors firms in England and Wales to specialise in sexual offences, PCD Solicitors are uniquely positioned to advise clients on complex criminal cases like rape, sexual assault, sexual offences against children, historic sexual offences, and indecent images offences.
A proven track record.
We provide expert criminal defence representation to clients across England and Wales, regardless of location or allegation.
Our legal team specialises in defending serious sexual offences, including rape, indecent images, sexual assault, and historic cases – offences that often carry custodial sentences.
Hear from our customers
PCD Solicitors are proud to provide an outstanding standard of client care and support.
Marcus Johnstone
Solicitor & Managing Director LinkedIn X ProfileMarcus Johnstone is a solicitor and managing director of PCD Solicitors.
An experienced criminal defence solicitor of over 20 years, Marcus began his legal career at Maidments in Manchester, before joining national criminal defence firm JMW Solicitors as its first head of prisons law in 2003. During this time, he specialised in advising clients accused or convicted of the most serious criminal offences, including organised crime, murder, and sexual offences like rape and sexual assault.
Marcus founded PCD Solicitors in 2020, and has since grown the firm into one of the country’s leading boutique criminal defence practices. As the firm’s senior solicitor, Marcus directs all ongoing cases and advises clients accused of the most serious sexual crimes, including rape, sexual assault, historic sexual offences, indecent images offences, and sexual offences against children. He has a particular expertise in sensitive criminal cases involving high-profile individuals, and has been repeatedly recognised as one of the leading sexual offence specialists in England and Wales.
Over the course of his career, Marcus has acted on behalf of hundreds of individuals at the pre-police involvement, pre-charge, post-charge and appeals stages, and regularly attends hearings in the Magistrates’ Court, the Crown Court, and the Court of Appeal.
Marcus also routinely appears in the national press and media as an expert legal commentator on law, criminal justice, and politics.
Dylan Houghton
Head of Legal LinkedInDylan Houghton is head of legal at PCD Solicitors.
A graduate in Law from the University of Oxford, he previously held roles in local government and education before joining our firm.
In his role as head of legal, Dylan is responsible for leading our legal team of solicitors and sexual offence specialists. This includes reviewing and coordinating cases, advising on defence strategies, and managing relationships with our network of barristers’ chambers and forensic experts.
Dylan also works with clients accused of sexual offences including rape, sexual assault, historic sexual offences, indecent images offences, and sexual offences against children. He routinely attends client conferences and hearings in the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court.
Dylan’s recent cases include a rape and sexual assault appeal, and a No Further Action decision in an indecent images and child sexual offences investigation.
Nona Gill
SolicitorNona Gill is a solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
A qualified solicitor of over 25 years, Nona began her legal career in civil law, specialising in complex and high-value civil cases with a criminal component. She joined the international firm DWP in 2003, and began her role at PCD Solicitors in 2024.
As one of our criminal defence solicitors, Nona advises clients accused of all sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault, historic sexual offences, indecent images offences, and sexual offences against children. She has been instructed on cases at every stage of the criminal justice process, from pre-police involvement to pre-charge, post-charge and appeal.
Nona’s recent cases include a complex rape and sexual assault prosecution, and a No Further Action decision in an indecent images investigation.
Brian Mason
Head of Client ServicesBrian Mason is head of client services at PCD Solicitors.
With a career in criminal law spanning over 30 years, Brian has advised thousands of clients accused of serious criminal offences, including murder, organised crime, fraud, and sexual offences like rape, sexual assault, sexual offences against children, and indecent images offences.
Formerly the head of department at national criminal defence firm JMW Solicitors, he has worked on multiple high-profile criminal cases across the country, including major international and high-cost investigations through the Very High Cost Cases (VHCC) scheme.
In his role as head of client services, Brian is responsible for ensuring that current and prospective clients receive a high quality of advice and support. As a highly experienced police station representative, he also manages our network of police station representatives and regularly advises clients on police interviews and prepared statements at the pre-charge stage.
Brian’s recent cases include the successful management of a complex youth sexual offending case before police involvement, and a No Further Action decision in an indecent images investigation.
Hannah Myall
Head of Legal Administration LinkedInHannah Myall is head of legal administration at PCD Solicitors.
She studied Criminology at the University of Central Lancaster, and joined our firm as a legal assistant.
As head of legal administration, Hannah is responsible for coordinating our team of trainee solicitors and legal assistants, including reviewing case files and managing training and compliance. She also regularly manages serious sexual offence cases at all stages of the criminal justice process, with a particular focus on youth offending and supporting children accused of sexual offences.
Hannah’s recent cases include an acquittal at trial in a rape prosecution, and an indecent images investigation.
Paula Shaw
Head of OperationsPaula Shaw is head of operations at PCD Solicitor.
With over 30 years of professional experience, Paula held senior business and operations roles across a variety of large organisations before joining our firm.
As head of operations, Paula leads our operations team and manages our back office, including human resources, accounts, payments and procurements, logistics, and digital services.
Victoria Brown
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInVictoria Brown is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
A graduate in Law from the University of Liverpool, Victoria began her legal career at a law firm in the North West of England before joining PCD Solicitors as a legal assistant in 2025.
As part of our legal team, Victoria is responsible for supporting our solicitors in advising clients accused of serious sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault, historic sexual offences, sexual offences against children, and indecent images offences. This includes reviewing evidence and defence statements, managing case files, and liaising with the barristers, forensic experts, the police, and the Crown Prosecution Service. She has worked on cases across the pre-police involvement, pre-charge and post-charge stages.
Victoria’s recent cases include a No Further Action decision in an indecent images investigation, and a child sexual offences prosecution.
Ffion Fox
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInFfion Fox is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
She graduated with a degree in Law from the University of Oxford, and joined our firm as a legal assistant in 2025.
As a trainee solicitor, Ffion works as part of our legal team on a variety of serious sexual offence cases, including rape, sexual assault, historic sexual offences, sexual offences against children, and indecent images offences. She supports our solicitors in maintaining and updating case files, inputting on defence strategies, reviewing evidence and defence statements, and communicating with clients.
Ffion’s recent cases include an indecent images appeal and a rape, and sexual assault investigation.
Libby Tullett
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInLibby Tullett is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
A recent graduate of the University of Law, Libby joined our firm in 2025 as part of our legal team.
In her role as a trainee solicitor, Libby works closely alongside our solicitors in advising clients accused of serious sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault, and indecent images offences. She has worked on cases at all stages of the criminal justice process, including appeals on conviction and sentence.
Libby’s recent cases include a client acquitted of rape and sexual assault at trial, and a complex historic child sexual offences investigation.
Angeline Walker
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInAngeline Walker is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
A graduate in Law from the University of Liverpool, Libby joined PCD Solicitors as a legal assistant and began her training contract in 2026.
As part of our legal team, Angeline works alongside our solicitors and sexual offence specialists in managing sexual offence cases at every stage of the criminal justice process. This includes reviewing and managing case files, assessing evidence, attending hearings in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court, and liaising with the police and Crown Prosecution Service.
Angeline’s recent cases include a No Further Action decision in a rape investigation, and a No Further Action decision in an indecent images investigation.
Rhiannon Geering
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInRhiannon Geering is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
She graduated with a degree in Law from the University of Lancaster, and joined our firm as a legal assistant.
In her role as a trainee solicitor, Rhiannon supports our team of solicitors and sexual offence specialists in managing sexual offence cases at the pre-charge and post-charge stages. This includes organising case files, communicating with clients, reviewing evidence and defence statements, and liaising with the police and Crown Prosecution Service.
Rhiannon’s recent cases include a No Further Action decision in a complex rape and sexual assault investigation.
Dylan Mederos
Administrative AssistantDylan Mederos is an administrative assistant at PCD Solicitors. A graduate of Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University, Dylan joined our operations team in 2025.
In his role as an administrative assistant, Dylan is responsible for supporting our back office functions, including updating and organising digital case files, assigning case loads, scheduling conferences and hearings, handling invoices and transactions, and managing client enquiries.
Tia Lalor
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInTia Lalor is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
A graduate in Law from Birmingham City University, Tia joined our firm as a legal assistant and began her training contract in 2026.
As part of our legal team, Tia works alongside our solicitors and sexual offence specialists in supporting clients accused of all types of serious sexual offence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual offences against children, historic sexual offences, and indecent images offences. This includes managing case files and reviewing evidence and defence statements, liaising with barristers, and attending conferences and hearings.
Tia’s recent cases include a No Further Action decision in an indecent images investigation.
Alicia Johns
Trainee Solicitor LinkedInAlicia Johns is a trainee solicitor at PCD Solicitors.
A Law graduate from Liverpool John Moores University, she joined our firm as a legal assistant and began her training contract in 2026.
In her role as a trainee solicitor, Alicia works with our legal team in executing defence strategies on behalf of clients accused of all types of sexual offence, including rape, sexual assault, child sexual offences, historic sexual offences, and indecent images offences. This includes communicating with clients, managing case files, reviewing evidence and defence statements, and attending conferences and hearings.
Alicia’s recent cases include a No Further Action decision in an indecent images investigation, and a rape and sexual assault prosecution.
Let’s talk.
Tell us what you can about your case and a specialist solicitor will call you in confidence to discuss your options.
If you’d prefer to talk in person, drop us an email to arrange a consultation.
All initial advice is completely free of charge.
23 Derby Rd, Widnes, WA8 9LG
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