Director rebuked by SRA for drink-driving conviction

A director of a Liverpool-based firm has been rebuked after being convicted of a drink-driving offence.

John Weston Hayward, admitted in 1980, self-reported his conviction to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. 

Hayward was sentenced at Telford Magistrates Court to a 27-month driving disqualification, reduced to 27 weeks if he completed a course; fined £1,057 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £423 and £135 in costs.

Hayward had been driving to pick up his wife at a railway station when he was pulled over by police because his MOT was out of date. He was arrested after failing a breath test. 

The SRA said a written rebuke was an ‘appropriate outcome’ after considering Hayward’s mitigation, which included that he was remorseful, that the incident wss isolated and out-of-character and not linked to his legal practice.

It added: ‘Mr Hayward was directly responsible for his conduct. The conduct was reckless and disregarded the risk, or potential risk, of harm to others. A rebuke is appropriate to uphold public confidence in the solicitors’ profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons. A rebuke is also intended to deter the individual and others from similar behaviour in the future. Any lesser sanction would not provide a credible deterrent to Mr Hayward and others.’

As well as the rebuke, Hayward agreed to pay the £300 costs of the SRA’s investigation.