A solicitor who made ‘puerile and inflammatory remarks’ in emails to another solicitor has been fined £7,500 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Roland David Taylor also contacted a school attended by children of a defendant in possession proceedings, where he was acting for the landlord.
The regulator found Taylor’s conduct was serious as it ‘had the potential to cause harm to others’. He had previously been warned by the SRA in October 2018 and February 2022 for similar conduct.
The SRA said: ‘He is an experienced solicitor with direct responsibility for the conduct and with full control over his behaviour.’
Between 29 March 2021 and 30 November 2021, Taylor made ‘inappropriate, derogatory, puerile and inflammatory remarks in emails sent to another solicitor’ and, in doing so, breached Principle 2.
On 17 January 2022, Taylor informed a defendant in possession proceedings, in which he was acting for the landlord, that ‘unless there were proposals for payment of arrears, he would contact the defendant’s children’s school’. On 9 February 2022 Taylor contacted the school about the possession proceedings. He was found to have breached principles 2 and 5 as well as paragraph 1.2 of the Code of Conduct.
In a decision notice, the SRA said: ‘A public sanction was required to maintain standards. A financial penalty will deter [Taylor], and others, from similar behaviour in the future.’
Taylor was also ordered to pay £600 costs.
