3 days ago
Barrister defending ‘Starmer fire-bomber' fined for drinking during a trial
A barrister who will defend an alleged fire-bomber of Sir Keir Starmer's house has been fined after he was caught drinking brandy in his car during the lunch break of a trial.
Dominic Charles D'Souza had a daytime drink in the car park of Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London in March 2023.
The trial collapsed when his tipple was discovered by the judge, who discharged the jury.
Mr D'Souza has now been fined £3,000 by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) for 'professional misconduct'.
A tribunal heard last month that the barrister, who is head of crime at London's Goldsmith Chambers, was representing a client in a criminal trial on March 23.
During the lunch break, Mr D'Souza went to his car and drank brandy while sitting in the driver's seat.
He was filmed by the driver of a van parked next to him, who then made a complaint to the judge.
'The film shows [Mr D'Souza] to take two short drinks from a bottle of spirits,' a BSB tribunal found.
Mr D'Souza initially denied that he had been drinking brandy and told the BSB he 'was drinking Kombucha from a brandy bottle'.
But he later admitted drinking brandy, saying he 'was ill and... that he took drink to calm his stomach'.
The tribunal's report reads: 'When a report of this behaviour was made to the judge, Mr D'Souza withdrew from the case, the jury was discharged, and a new date was fixed for the criminal trial.'
The panel concluded that the barrister had 'behaved in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or in the profession'.
It found that he had also 'behaved in a way which foreseeably interfered with the administration of justice' and 'wasted the time of the court'.
'It is difficult to conceive of a situation more likely to cause public disquiet than a barrister engaged in a trial sitting in the driver's seat of a car in the Crown Court car park drinking directly from a bottle of spirits,' the panel ruled.
'However, we bear in mind that [Mr D'Souza] believed himself to be acting unobserved in private, that he drank very little, and that he did so misguidedly in circumstances when he was unwell.'
It added: 'There is no suggestion that [Mr D'Souza] was drunk before or after the event; in fact the evidence suggests he had performed effectively in Court.'
Mr D'Souza, who was called to the bar in 1993, admitted three disciplinary charges brought against him by the Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service (BTAS).
He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,670.
Mr D'Souza is one of Britain's most prominent defence barristers and is said to achieve 'spectacular results for clients', according to his Goldsmith Chambers biography.
'Dominic is an exceptionally charismatic jury advocate and over his 25 years at the Bar has become well known for his powerful cross examinations and dramatic closing speeches,' it reads.
He has been instructed to defend one of the men charged in connection with arson attacks on properties owned by the Prime Minister earlier this year.
The barrister was previously in hot water in 2021 after he posted a photo from inside his electric Tesla car that appeared to show he was travelling at 59mph.
He denied that he was driving when the photo was taken, saying he was 'parked in a service station'.
Using a mobile phone while driving is a criminal offence punishable by a £200 fine and six points on a licence. However, no further action was taken against D'Souza.
