Maria Koukou

Maria joined Olliers in November 2021 as part of the Litigation Support team. In June 2022 she progressed to the DBS department as DBS Paralegal and was part of the Business Development Team. Maria commenced her training contract with Olliers in February 2024.

Maria completed her law degree at the University of Leicester before completing a Master’s degree in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Birmingham. Maria’s dissertation topic was the treatment of mentally disordered sex offenders in contact with the criminal justice system. Maria then went on to complete her Legal Practice Course with a Distinction at the University of Law in Manchester.

Maria will be involved in the various areas of criminal defence that Olliers specialise in including pre-charge engagement, Magistrates and Crown Court cases as well as regulatory matters. Maria is a Probationary Police Station Representative and is currently undertaking our internal Crown Court and pre-charge accreditations.

Recent cases

• 2025 – DK – Represented a client at the police station who received No Further Action in relation to breaches of a Non-Molestation Order
• 2025 – AM – Assisting in the preparation of a Crown Court trial where our client facesallegations of sexual assault, stalking and threating to disclose private photos
• 2025 – DT – Prepared a case for sentence at the Crown Court where our client received a suspended sentence for dangerous driving and driving without a licence or insurance
• 2024 – ST – Assisting in the preparation of a Crown Court trial where our client facesmultiple charges of sexual offences
• 2024 – KG – Assisting in the preparation of a Crown Court trial where our client faces multiple charges of historic indecent assault
• 2024 – ME – Assisting in the preparation of a Crown Court trial where our client faces charges of controlling and coercive behaviour, strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• 2024 – AM – Prepared a case for sentence at the Crown Court where our client received a suspended sentence for importation of drugs
• 2024 – SK – Representing a client in the pre-charge stage in relation to child neglect
• 2024 – CT – Represented a client at the police station who received No Further Action in relation to theft of a motor vehicle
• 2024 – SH – Prepared a case for trial at the Magistrates’ Court where the Prosecution offered no evidence against our youth client in relation to assault by beating
• 2024 – CD – Assisted in a Crown Court trial where the client was acquitted of sexual assault allegations and being drunk in an aircraft

DBS/PNC cases:

• 2025 – MT – Successfully applied to have an arrest for harassment removed from PNC records
• 2024 – KD – Successfully removed disclosure from an enhanced DBS certificate regarding allegations of inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour towards a service user
• 2024 – CL – Successfully removed from both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following convictions for child cruelty
• 2024 – HA – Successfully applied to have an arrest for domestic violence removed from PNC records
• 2024 – PM – Successfully removed from the Children’s barred list following an application to the Upper Tribunal for permission to appeal against a barring decision by the DBS. The allegations involved sexual communications with a child
• 2024 – CC – Successfully applied to have an arrest following allegations of attempt/rape of a male removed from PNC records
• 2024 – LB – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following allegations of failing to protect their own children from physical abuse
• 2024 – AA – Successfully applied to have an arrest following a false allegation of causing grievous bodily harm removed from PNC records
• 2023 – CJ – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list following multiple historic convictions of indecent assault, possessing controlled drugs and handling stolen goods
• 2023 – JJ – Successfully applied to have an arrest following allegations of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm removed from PNC records
• 2023 – JC – Successfully applied to have an arrest following allegations of common assault and sexual assault on a male removed from PNC records
• 2023 – LC – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list following allegations of inappropriate physical handling of a vulnerable child
• 2023 – JM – Successfully applied to have an arrest for theft of a vehicle and interfering with a vehicle removed from PNC records
• 2023 – GR – Successfully removed from both the Vulnerable Adults’ and Children’s barred lists following submission of late representations regarding allegations of emotionally abusive behaviour towards service users
• 2023 – LT – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following two convictions for harassment
• 2023 – AO – Successfully applied to have information disclosed on an enhanced DBS certificate regarding an allegation of theft from a service user deleted from the certificate
• 2023 – PH – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list for having a caution as well as a historic conviction for common assault
• 2023 – AT – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following a conviction of committing an act outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner and other indecent exposure allegations
• 2023 – FP – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list following an allegation of hitting a vulnerable child
• 2023 – HA – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Children’s barred list for allegations regarding indecent images of children
• 2023 – WB – Successfully removed from the Children’s barred list following submission of late representations regarding allegations of endangerment of a child and failure to safeguard a child
• 2023 – BL – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for a conviction of assault of an emergency worker and other assault incidents
• 2023 – RN – Successfully applied to have an arrest for alleged possession of indecent images of children removed from PNC records
• 2023 – AI – Successfully avoided inclusion on both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists for a conviction of blackmail and alleged possession of indecent images
• 2023 – ZA – Successfully applied to have arrests for alleged sexual assault, attempt to take a child without lawful authority, being drunk and disorderly as well as using threatening behaviour to cause alarm or distress removed from PNC records
• 2023 – DC – Successfully applied to have an arrest for alleged assault occasioning actual bodily harm removed from PNC records
• 2023 – CH – Successfully removed from both the Vulnerable Adults and the Children’s barred lists following submission of late representations regarding a conviction for ill-treatment/wilful neglect of a person without mental capacity
• 2023 – BH – Successfully avoided inclusion on the Vulnerable Adults’ barred list for allegedly keeping money intended for the use of a service user

Testimonials

“I want thank you and Nathalie from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work and assistance. You’ve helped my life in a fundamental and permanent way, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“Thank you so much for all your hard work, I cannot thank you enough it is has been an emotional ride and to finally have closure and to now carry on doing what I love doing is an amazing feeling.”

“I recently contacted Olliers Solicitors to act on behalf of my wife in connection with a notification received from the D.B.S. suggesting that my wife was to be barred from working with vulnerable adults and children with learning difficulties. The case was handled by Maria Koukou, one of the D.B.S. Paralegal Specialist Solicitors. Throughout the case I found Maria to act in a highly professional manner and was extremely thorough in her comprehensive investigation and submissions. As a result of the examinations the D.B.S. found that there was no case to answer and concluded that in this situation that no such bar would be instigated. This meant that my wife could continue with her excellent work caring for the many needs of vulnerable adults and children.With this in mind I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of Olliers Solicitors in general and Maria Koukou in particular to any potential new clients.”

“I want to say a huge thank you to Nathalie and Maria for being incredible and playing a huge role towards me not loosing my career and means of livelihood. They were empathetic and dedicated through out my case. It was a depressing period of my life and they have helped bring back smiles to my face. Thank you immensely.”

“They won the case for me! Natalie and Maria were brilliant! I really appreciate their effort. I was at risk of losing my livelihood and reputation.”

Articles written by Maria