BBCA former defence solicitor has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his clients.
Alan Harris, of Thorn Park, Plymouth, was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of five counts of indecent assault and five of sexual assault but not guilty of two counts of rape.
The claimants told the trial the 72-year-old had abused them in locations which included cells at Charles Cross Police Station, Plymouth Magistrates’ Court and his car.
The jury found Harris not guilty of nine charges of indecent and sexual assault following a five-week trial.
He was released on conditional bail ahead of a sentencing hearing at the same court on 25 February.
The offences Harris was found guilty of involved six men and a woman who he had provided legal representation for between 1989 and 2015.
Another man had also accused Harris of indecent assault, but this charge was among those he was acquitted of.
The trial heard Harris had made clients perform sexual acts on him and he had also touched them in a sexual manner.
During the trial, prosecution barrister Anne Whyte KC said Harris, who ended his legal career in 2016, had “absolutely no respect” for the victims and had gone through the trial in a move of “self-preservation”.
“I’m going to suggest he’s done that because he’s banking on the victims being seen as second-class citizens and witnesses,” she told jurors.
Recorder of Winchester Judge Angela Morris thanked the jury as she dismissed them from the court after the verdicts were returned.
“This has not been an easy matter by any stretch of the imagination,” she said.
