The
Guardian
Quote:
Lawyer who kept celebrities on the road is arrested
· Millionaire solicitor says he is totally innocent
· Manchester offices raided in police investigation
Helen Carter
Wednesday November 1, 2006
The Guardian
He is known as Mr Loophole for his ability to get his celebrity clients off speeding or drink-driving charges on legal technicalities. But yesterday Nick Freeman, the high-profile Manchester solicitor, was declaring his own total innocence after he was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The 49-year-old millionaire, who has become an irritant for police and prosecutors, was arrested at 11am on Monday at the request of Gwent police in south Wales. His offices in Manchester city centre were raided as part of the police investigation. He was freed on police bail 12½ hours later from Pendleton police station in Salford.
Mr Freeman's past celebrity clients include David Beckham, Alex Ferguson, Wayne Rooney, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Colin Montgomerie and Caprice Bourret, whom he unsuccessfully defended when the model was convicted of drink-driving earlier this year. It is understood that Mr Freeman had represented a number of clients from the Gwent police area - who are not thought to be celebrities - and had been under investigation by detectives there for some time.
He issued a statement from outside his £3.5m lakeside home in the Cheshire village of Mere, which he shares with his wife, Stephanie, and their two children.
"At this stage I can't go into any details at all in relation to these allegations, other than to say I am totally innocent of the allegations made against me," Mr Freeman said. "I can't really expand on it any more. I hope you understand." He declined to answer further questions on whether he will be defending himself or if the allegations relate to motoring matters.
He is known for his lavish lifestyle and owns cars including a Bentley, Aston Martin DB9 and Jaguar XK120 roadster. He has also launched a members' only club called Freeman Keep on Driving which gives people access to an emergency round-the-clock helpline should they be stopped by police.
In September the chief constable of South Yorkshire police said there was increasing frustration with lawyers who used legal technicalities to help win acquittals. Merdydd Hughes, who is head of road policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "There have been a number of cases where people feel that justice has not been done, both in the drink-driving world and in other cases where people have evaded the law having driven cars recklessly and at very high speeds."
At the time Mr Freeman said there was no such thing as "loopholes" in these cases. "People are acquitted because the police are not doing their job properly," he said in response to Mr Hughes' comments. "Many people are acquitted because the case has not been investigated in the right way."
Mr Freeman was born in Nottingham and enjoyed a comfortable upbringing. He studied law at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic and became a prosecutor in Manchester before working for a prominent criminal law firm.
At the age of 42, he gambled on going it alone. His big break came with the Alex Ferguson case seven years ago.
Generally, Mr Freeman relies on oversights by police officers during the legal process and his own encyclopaedic knowledge of road traffic regulations and procedures. In some cases he has identified discrepancies in the evidence of police officers or shortcomings in procedures leading to charges during cross-examination. Often he has simply established that inadequate warnings were given prior to blood or breath tests being taken.
In an interview with the Guardian earlier this year, he said: "I am a lawyer and my job is to give my clients the best defence I can. That is the job of every defence lawyer. I can't pick and choose who I defend based on my opinion; that would mean I was judging them and that would be a dereliction of my duty.
"If I repeatedly identify shortcomings in police procedures, then perhaps we will end up with better standards in policing and then we will all be safer on the roads because people will not take chances. Until then, it is my job to identify inadequate policing and procedures."
A spokeswoman for Gwent police said yesterday: "A 45-year-old man and a 49-year-old man, both from the Manchester area, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice as part of an ongoing criminal investigation being carried out by Gwent police. The two men being questioned in the Manchester area yesterday were subsequently released on police bail pending further inquiries."
Freeman's successful defences
October 1999 Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, is cleared of driving BMW on M602 hard shoulder in Eccles, Greater Manchester. Freeman argued it was an emergency as Sir Alex had an upset stomach and needed to use the toilet. Later the same month, Sir Alex was cleared at Derby magistrates court of speeding after Freeman argued there was no proof he was driving at the time.
December 1999 David Beckham, then a Manchester United player, was banned from driving after his Ferrari was caught in a police trap doing 76mph along a 50mph stretch of the A34 near Cheadle. This conviction was later overturned on appeal after Freeman argued that Beckham was attempting to escape the paparazzi.
December 2001 World snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan cleared of a drink-driving charge at Stratford magistrates court, east London. Freeman argued O'Sullivan was unable to give a urine sample because of depression.
September 2004 Colin Montgomerie cleared of speeding when he appeared before Staines magistrates in Surrey, the day after he brought the Ryder Cup home for Europe. Freeman argued that the prosecution had failed to prove his client was driving after the officer who stopped him failed to appear in court.
September 2004 Wayne Rooney, then 18, had three driving convictions overturned after Freeman argued there had been a clerical error. Freeman argued that his firm sent a fax requesting an adjournment of the case but the court did not marry it up with the papers in time for the hearing. The prosecution agreed to take no further action.
December 2005 Film director Matthew Vaughn, husband of supermodel Claudia Schiffer, escaped ban after he was cleared of driving at 95mph on the M11 in Essex. The Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence after Freeman argued the case was flawed, due to an error in police procedure.
June 2006 Former EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney cleared of speeding at 131mph on the M40 after a police officer in the case failed to turn up at court. Freeman successfully argued that the case should not be adjourned.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Members
I hope he takes them to the cleaners.
