Richard also ‘sacked’ Henry from his law firm after finding ‘quantity of drugs in the office’
Two barrister brothers have clashed in the High Court over an apartment in London’s trendy Covent Garden.
Henry Hendron (pictured top left), former tenant of Strand Chambers, hit headlines in January 2015 after his boyfriend was found dead at his Temple-based flat. It later transpired that his boyfriend, Miguel Jimenez, who was just 18 at the time, had died from a drugs overdose. There was no evidence to suggest that the drugs that resulted in his death were supplied by Hendron.
Junior barrister Henry — who has represented high-profile clients including the Earl of Cardigan, MP Nadine Dorries and The Apprentice winner Stella English — pleaded guilty to two counts relating to possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. In May, appearing at the Old Bailey, he was sentenced to 140 hours of unpaid work and given an 18-month supervision order.
But it would appear his legal problems were far from over. According to the Mail Online, Henry has, until recently, been locked in a bitter High Court injunction dispute with his barrister bro Richard.
Appearing before Mr Justice Ouseley, Richard Hendron (pictured top right) — who had briefly represented Henry during his drug case — explained how he had invited Henry to stay at his rented Covent Garden pad following his brush with the law. Keen to see his sibling get back on his feet, Richard told the court that he had given Henry some work at his legal firm, but “sacked him” after allegedly discovering a “quantity of drugs in the office”. He branded Henry a “drug addict”.
When Richard told his brother that he would have to leave the flat due to the landlord terminating the lease, Henry didn’t take the news well, refusing to hand over the keys or let Richard access the property, the court heard. Henry — perhaps using his legal skills — even managed to obtain an emergency injunction, preventing his brother and the estate agents from removing him from the Central London property. Richard claimed that it later emerged his brother had access to another property and was renting out the flat on Airbnb.
Discharging the injunction, Mr Justice Ouseley concluded that Henry, who wasn’t in attendance at the hearing, had “no licence or tenancy” in relation to the flat. Continuing, he said:
I have not heard from Henry Hendron and that is his fault… The balance of convenience favours me allowing the landlord to get on with letting the property rather than allowing the trespasser to remain there.
Henry was also banned from making any further applications without prior notice to the court and ordered him to file an affidavit and statement of truth revealing what he told the judge on the phone in order to obtain the original injunction.
In April, following his conviction for drug offences, Henry was suspended from practice for three years by an independent disciplinary tribunal. Speaking at the time, the Bar Standards Board’s director of professional conduct, Sara Jagger, said:
A conviction for supplying illegal drugs is a serious matter. In this case, it had tragic consequences. Mr Hendron failed to meet one of the core duties of a barrister, which is to uphold public trust and confidence. The suspension imposed by the tribunal reflects this.
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