When Thomas Partey walks into court in August 2025 to answer the serious criminal charges now hanging over him, he will not be alone.
Standing firmly by his side will be Jenny Wiltshire, one of the UK’s most respected criminal defence solicitors, renowned for her fierce advocacy, calm expertise and a long track record of guiding high-profile clients through the gravest of allegations.
As Head of Serious & General Crime at top law firm Hickman & Rose, Wiltshire has made her name in the toughest corners of criminal law: murder, manslaughter, historic and current sexual offences, and allegations so reputationally explosive that clients fight not just for their freedom, but for their entire lives and careers.
Few solicitors know this territory better. Over decades in practice, Wiltshire has built a reputation for stepping in early, sometimes within hours of an allegation surfacing, to unpick the evidence and close down investigations before they ever reach a courtroom.
For high-profile figures like Partey, that early intervention can mean the difference between private resolution and a public ordeal.
But when cases do reach trial, as Partey’s is now due to, Wiltshire is equally formidable. She is widely recognised for her ability to master vast quantities of complex medical and forensic evidence.
Especially in so-called ‘baby shaking’ cases and intricate sexual offence allegations, where disclosure failures can mean the difference between conviction and acquittal.
Her client list reads like a cross-section of Britain’s elite: politicians, sports stars, doctors, city professionals, celebrities, people for whom even a whiff of scandal can end a career overnight.
Her recent defence of Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy, who was unanimously acquitted of rape and attempted rape in 2023, is just one high-profile example of Wiltshire’s tenacious work.
Yet for all her courtroom success, those who know her say the key to Wiltshire’s reputation is not just her sharp legal mind but her gift for listening, and for making clients feel heard at the lowest moments of their lives.
Former clients and colleagues often cite her meticulous attention to detail and her relentless search for flaws in the prosecution’s case.
For Partey, facing five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving three different women, charges he strongly denies, the stakes could not be higher.
If convicted, Partey’s career and reputation would be in tatters. If acquitted, he will owe that freedom, in no small part, to the quiet but determined woman steering his defence.
With a CV that includes top roles such as Vice President of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and founding member of Women in Criminal Law, Jenny Wiltshire is far more than a lawyer for hire, she is an influential voice shaping the way Britain’s criminal justice system treats the accused, especially in high-profile and sensitive cases.
As Partey prepares to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5, all eyes will be on the footballer, but many will also be watching the steely figure beside him.
For Wiltshire, this is familiar ground: a high-stakes courtroom, a client’s career on the line, and the fight of a lifetime to come.
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