Peter Savage, a top Midlands personal injury solicitor may be struck off over a a previous conviction for assaulting a hotel manageress.
Mr Savage was convicted in August 2006 after a night out celebrating a win in court ended with him slapping Amanda Rymond in the face. In court Mr Savage pleaded guilty to the charges but went on to continue practising as a lawyer.
The assault occurred on the evening of the 21st of April 2006 when Mr Savage, along with a group of friends entered the Forest Hotel where Ms Rymond was duty manager.
After Mr Savage spilled a drink she asked him to leave. She recalls that "he had been drinking a lot and seemed very drunk to me. He was staggering about, falling into people. It's a nice hotel and a lot of local people and business people go there for a relaxed drink after work."
"I spoke to Mr Savage a couple of times during the evening. I'd been told he and some others were celebrating winning a big court case in London."
"I offered to call him a taxi but he got angry. He raised his voice at some of the other customers and started shouting silly things."
"I called him a taxi and went outside with him. He was very rude to me. But when the taxi came, just before he got in, he walked back over to me and slapped me hard across the face. It hurt but it was more a shock than anything."
"I wasn't expecting him to do something like that and I could hardly believe it. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before and thankfully nothing like it since."
"He didn't apologise and went to get into the taxi but myself and another customer managed to stop him and kept him there until the police arrived. He was then arrested and taken away."
After the incident, Mr Savage pleaded guilty to assault in court, where he was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £500 compensation and £50 court costs. The judge justified the large fine stating that "solicitors should know better than to behave in such a way"
The incident has now come to the attention of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Mr Savage faces a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. He could be struck off and banned from practising and faces fines of up to £5000.
The SRA said that "in cases like this where someone has been convicted in court we wouldn't have to make a case but the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal would decide the punishment."
Geoffry Negus, a spokesman for the SRA explained why the charges were being looked into by the SRA, saying that "it is important that solicitors' conduct outside the workplace does not bring the profession into disrepute."
While the SRA do take violent offences very seriously, it is possible that Mr Savage will escape being struck off as he has no previous blots on his record. He is also a member of the Association for Personal Injury Lawyers and is described as a very talented lawyer.
His area of expertise covers serious head and spinal injuries, fatal accidents and injuries to children. Mr Savage offered no comment on his current situation.
Source by Carys Robshaw
