Katie is a criminal defence lawyer at Bloem Law having worked as a law clerk at Bloem Law since 2021 prior to her admission to the bar.

Katie works on a range of cases from traffic offences to serious violence charges, drug offending, sexual violence and a range of conviction and sentence appeals. Katie is junioring on an appeal (Wharekura v R) which will be heard in the Court of Appeal in 2025.

Katie is interested in appeals and cases where a client’s mental health may come into question at the time of the alleged incident. She also strives for the best possible sentencing outcome for clients. Katie has achieved a favourable sentence for a young person looking at a lengthy time of imprisonment, however successfully managed to argue a sentence of home detention at a rehabilitation facility.

Katie is a dedicated lawyer with strong attention to detail, exploring every avenue for your defence. She believes everyone deserves a fair trial and compassionate representation. She brings empathy to each case, ensuring that she understands her client’s circumstances.

In 2023 Katie wrote her dissertation on “A trauma informed approach to criminal justice in New Zealand”. This is an area she is particularly passionate about and uses this knowledge in her every day practice.