Michael Shrimpton

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Barrister Michael Shrimpton, called in 1983, faced two charges of professional misconduct arising from criminal convictions: a 2014 conviction for communicating false information (a bomb hoax before the 2012 London Olympics), for which he received 12 months' imprisonment, and a 2014 conviction for making 40 indecent/pseudo images of children. The Tribunal ruled there was no significant fresh evidence or exceptional circumstances to allow it to go behind the convictions (per rE169 the conviction was conclusive proof), and refused to hear his expert's fourth report. Both charges were found proved. The bomb hoax was treated as an offence of dishonesty (starting point disbarment); the images offence had a starting point of medium-level suspension, raised to high-level by aggravating factors, but combined with the dishonesty offence warranted disbarment. Shrimpton was disbarred forthwith on both charges. No order for costs was sought or made.

Duties found breached:

• Proper basis for allegations
• Uphold public trust in the profession
• Self-report to the regulator
• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues

Aggravating factors:

• Lack of insight into both offences
• Premeditation
• Lack of remorse (in relation to the sexual offence)
• Second offence of a different category (combination of bomb hoax and indecent images)
• 40 indecent images involved

Mitigating factors:

• Previous good character
• Bomb hoax was a single incident of such criminal behaviour
• Making indecent images was a single offence of that type
• Had already been under suspension from practice for around four years