By Ashley Young-
A barrister who supplied his boyfriend with ‘chemsex’ drugs that led to his death has been suspended again by a disciplinary tribunal.
Henry Hendron, a former legal representative of Conservative MP Nadine Dorries and former Apprentice contestant Stella English, failed to pay a complainant £850 despite a ruling from the legal ombudsman. Charges were brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
In 2015, the 38 year old(then 35) bought £1,000 of mephedrone and GBL from BBC producer Alexander Parkin, 41, to take to parties and sell on to friends. Hendron gave detailed instructions to his Colombian boyfriend Miguel Jimenez, 18, on how to use and package the drugs. On the morning of January 20 last year, Hendron woke up to find Miguel lying dead next to him in bed at his flat in London’s Temple, the collection of chambers where Britain’s top lawyers and judges are based.
At the Central Criminal Court, he admitted possession of the drug with intent to supply. He should have been struck off the roll indefinitely, but was not.
Hendron now faces a three-month suspension and is banned from carrying out public access instructions for nine months. The tribunal ruled that his actions were likely to diminish the trust and confidence the public places in the profession, and that he failed to give the legal ombudsman all reasonable assistance in connection with the complaint.
BSB director of professional conduct, Sara Jagger, said: ‘’All barristers are obliged to provide all reasonable assistance to the legal ombudsman, and to comply with its determinations. A failure to do so undermines public confidence in the profession and has a significant impact on the complainant.’’
Image: Twitter.Com