A senior solicitor has been fined £15,000 after she was hauled in front of a tribunal for failing to disclose two driving convictions.
Cardiff-based Helen Hancock, 57, was ‘unsteady on her feet’ and ‘smelt of alcohol‘ after she drove erratically on a road and nearly crashed on a roundabout before eventually hitting another vehicle in November 2019.
The lawyer of more than 30 years then carried on her journey and later refused to use the breathalyser when arrested. She was later convicted at Cardiff Magistrates Court of failure to stop after an accident and failure to provide a specimen of breath.
The mother-of-two was given a suspended sentence and banned from driving for four years – but failed to report it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
She also failed to report a 2014 drunk driving conviction to the regulator.
Now, she has been slapped with a £15,000 fine and ordered to pay £1,286 costs after a Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal criticised her for being a ‘danger to the public’.
Cardiff-based Helen Hancock, 57, was convicted at Cardiff Magistrates Court of failure to stop after an accident and failure to provide a specimen of breath
Cardiff-based Hancock – who has a first class law degree from Bristol University – qualified in 1988 and worked her way up to partner at leading international law firm Simmons & Simmons as an expert in banking and finance.
In May 2019 she joined Bristol Water as director of legal affairs then became company secretary while holding an unconditional practising certificate.
The tribunal heard in October 2014 Hancock was convicted of drink driving at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, was fined £2,000 and banned from the roads for 12 months.
However, she didn’t report it to her regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
In November 2019, she found herself in trouble again.
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On November 13 a member of the public called police after spotting Hancock’s car driving dangerously.
A tribunal report said: ‘Hancock was seen by a witness to be driving all over the road including on the wrong side, narrowly missing curbs and stopping in the middle of the road.
‘Hancock narrowly missed crashing into a wall whilst driving over roundabout. Moments later, Hancock hit a parked vehicle causing damage and causing Hancock’s vehicle to ricochet backwards.
‘Hancock then drove around the damaged vehicle and continued her journey. Officers stated Hancock appeared intoxicated, unsteady on her feet and smelt of alcohol.’
The mother-of-two was given a suspended sentence and banned from driving for four years – but failed to report it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. She also failed to report a 2014 drunk driving conviction to the regulator
She refused to provide a breath sample and was later convicted at Cardiff Magistrates Court of failure to stop after an accident and failure to provide a specimen of breath.
The mother of two was given a suspended sentence and banned from driving for four years – but again failed to report it to her regulator.
The tribunal criticised the experienced lawyer for her behaviour.
The report said: ‘A solicitor would be expected to comply with any lawful request made by a member of law enforcement.
‘A member of the public would not expect a solicitor to be convicted and act in a way that constitutes a criminal offence.’
In mitigation, Hancock said she had an alcohol problem and used booze to ‘ease symptoms’ of mental health struggles.
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