Legal News Round-Up – May 2024

What else made the headlines in the month of May?…

As we head towards the busy summer months and (hopefully) some better weather, we look back on the month of May – and some of the other legal news stories that made the headlines.

Solicitor struck off for coercing vulnerable client into sending explicit pictures

Sunny Sidhu – a solicitor from a Warwickshire based law firm – has been struck off and ordered to pay the Solicitor Regulator’s Authority £32,394.72 legal costs.

Sidhu was representing a divorcee and was found to have manipulated a client into sending explicit images by saying they were required for legal purposes connected to her case.

He claimed the images were to help protect his client against revenge porn from her partner and were needed to support a non-molestation order.

The SDT Judgement states that Sidhu acknowledged his client to be vulnerable but that he did not seek the images for his own gratification – and denied being dishonest.

The SDT disagreed and stated;

“There was no credible motivation for the respondent to request explicit images from Person A other than in pursuit of sexual gratification or in pursuit of a future sexual relationship.”

To read more about the article in The Law Gazette, click here.

Containers found at funeral home in missing ashes probe.

Eight containers of ashes have been found at A Milne Funeral Directors in Springburn, Glasgow, as a police conduct a probe into missing ashes.

The BBC report that an investigation was launched following complaints by several families following concerns over their ashes and financial misconduct.

Det Insp Gerry Shovlin of Clydebank CID said:

“This is a very sensitive and emotive case and we recognise the upset and distress that families have experienced. Our investigation has been going on for several weeks now and will continue for some time, due to the level of inquiry that will need to be followed up.”

You can find out more in the full article on the BBC website by clicking here.

Tenth inmate dies at prison in the last 3 months.

Also on the BBC website last month was the rather startling news that a tenth inmate had died within the last 3 months at the same prison – amid claims of drug misuse.

Parc Prison in Bridgend is run by security firm G4S and with 38 year-old Wayne Manners the latest prisoner to die on-site following a further 9 deaths since 27th February.

South Wales Police have said that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr. Manners’ death.

Four of the deaths have been drug-related and a member of staff has been arrested in connection with drug-dealing there.

Families of inmates who have died have been protesting outside the prison, whilst two MPs have now called on the Government to take control of the prison amid concerns of the running of the site.

To read the full article, click here.

Ex-police officer and wife jailed over sharing murder scene footage.

A police officer who accessed and sent video footage – including his own bodycam recording of a murder scene – to his wife has been jailed.

Cameron Hanson, 33 from Lancashire, sent the video to his wife, who was also working for the Lancashire Constabulary at the time.

Both Mr & Mrs. Hanson, along with another colleague discovered who Mrs. Hanson had forwarded the videos onto – were found to have the video on their phone, were suspended immediately.

Further investigation revealed that Hanson had accessed numerous force case files to access video footage, and had sent bodycam footage of other incidents to his wife.

Cameron Hanson was jailed for 32 months, whilst his wife, Kirstie Hanson was sentenced to 18 months in custody. Their colleague was handed a two-year suspended custodial sentence.

You can read more about this on the Metro website here.

And Finally – The “White Witch of Rye” Found Guilty of Stalking Her “Wizard”.

Barbara Maura Lane, 42, bombarded self-proclaimed wizard Alfred Douglas with calls and texts after she signed up for a magic course, Brighton Magistrates Court heard – The Metro reports.

Soon things took a turn for the worse for Mr. Douglas as Ms. Lane persuaded him to let her move in -citing that she had nowhere to live.

After moving in, it was reported to control what he ate and drank, who he saw, held his bank card and access to his bank account and her behaviour towards him and his property became violent.

She also managed to get Mr. Douglas’ uncle to change his will – leaving her £1.5m which included his home and shop.

She has been charged with seven offences including stalking, criminal damage and assault of Mr Douglas and his family.

You can read the full extent to which these incredible circumstances escalated here.

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