Top Barrister Stripped of Licence for Drug Deal with Clients
Henry Hendron, a once-prominent barrister, has been struck off by the Bar Standards Board after attempting to buy drugs from two clients he was defending at Woolwich Crown Court. The 42-year-old solicitor was jailed last June for 14 months for trying to score Class A methamphetamine and Class C GBL from his clients, Arno Smit and Ezra Benson.
Arrested During Prison Visit
Hendron, who represented both men on drug supply charges, was caught red-handed outside Belmarsh prison in May 2023 while visiting Smit as his lawyer. An independent disciplinary tribunal ruled on July 3 that Hendron deserved disbarment.
A Bar Standards Board spokesperson slammed the barrister’s actions: “Possessing and encouraging the supply of Class A drugs is a very serious matter. Mr Hendron’s conduct, including involvement in his client’s criminal activity, is unacceptable for a barrister. The Tribunal’s decision to disbar him is spot on.”
Scandal Unfolds: Client and Barrister Cross The Line
Court documents revealed Hendron asked Smit to sell him drugs in September 2021, just weeks before Smit’s arrest. Despite this, he continued to represent him at the police station, magistrates’ court, and Crown Court, where Smit pleaded not guilty but was later jailed.
Judge Jonathan Mann KC remarked during sentencing: “You messaged a client facing Crown Court drug supply proceedings, encouraging him to supply drugs to you—then went to court to represent him.”
From High-Profile Lawyer to Disgrace
Called to the Bar in 2006, Hendron built a reputation defending high-profile clients, including the Earl of Cardigan and Tory MP Nadine Dorries. But his career nosedived after his 18-year-old boyfriend died from a lethal mix of party drugs at their London flat.
In 2016, Hendron admitted buying £1,000 worth of party drugs, including M-cat and GBL, resulting in a community order and unpaid work. The supplier, BBC producer Alex Parkin, also faced unpaid work.
Following this, Hendron was suspended by the Bar Standards Board for three years. A 2021 disciplinary hearing exposed that he had falsely continued working as a barrister during his suspension, leading to further reprimands and bans.
The recent disbarment finally ends the rollercoaster career of a lawyer once trusted by the establishment but undone by drugs and disgrace.
