Katie Wheatley, defended Frances Inglis who was last week sentenced to life in prison

Who? Katie Wheatley, 45, a partner in the criminal law department at London firm Bindmans.

Why is she in the news? Defended Frances Inglis, who was last week sentenced to life in prison for administering a fatal dose of heroin to her severely brain-injured son.

Tom Inglis had received his catastrophic injuries after falling out of the back of a moving ambulance. Despite the optimistic prognosis of one doctor, his mother believed Tom would never recover and resolved, in her words, to ‘release him from a living death’. After her first attempt failed, she was on bail for the attempted murder of Tom, and banned from visiting him, when she entered his nursing home posing as an aunt and gave him the lethal injection.

She was convicted of ­murder and must serve a ­minimum of nine years.

Thoughts on the case: ‘Prosecution has proved to be a very blunt tool in dealing with the unspeakable tragedy of this case. I am particularly disappointed that the judge would not permit the defence of provocation to be left to the jury, and then imposed such a long tariff, giving Mrs Inglis no prospect of release and reunion with her family until she has spent nine years in prison. We will be appealing against conviction and sentence and I sincerely hope that the Court of Appeal will intervene in a sensitive way which will more properly reflect the facts.’

Dealing with the media: ‘There was intense media interest, with some journalists sitting in court throughout the trial to hear the evidence. If I have any criticism, it is that the full extent of Tom’s disability did not really come out.’

Career high: ‘Proving that the cocaine found by UK customs in the luggage of a Nigerian national had been planted on him by a witch doctor.’

Career low: ‘Hearing the verdict and sentence passed on Mrs Inglis.’