Devon defence lawyer who abused vulnerable clients jailed for 13 years

A criminal defence lawyer who sexually abused vulnerable clients as young as 14 over almost three decades has been jailed for 13 years.Alan Harris, 72, from Plymouth, Devon, assaulted children and adults during consultations in police and court cells, targeting victims he judged would not be believed if they revealed what he had done.Harris, who has now retired, was found guilty of 10 offences against seven people – six male and one female – between 1988 and 2015.He showed little emotion in the dock as survivors described what he had done to them and the damage it had caused.One man told Winchester Crown Court: “I want Mr Harris to understand the lasting impact he has had on my life. I believe that the sexual abuse has affected my path in life. I will continually have to live with the repercussions.”Addressing Harris directly, he said: “Wrong choices brought me into contact with the police. I was young and vulnerable and I saw you as a professional individual. I told you my huge fear of returning to prison, where I had been raped and beaten.“You should have been professional but you did these depraved, sickening sexual acts. It was a systematic pattern of abuse. What is worse, is that most of the actions took place in the police station, where I should have been safe. I have lost my home, my family and have been living rough. I have lost my confidence and have night terrors. I see his evil grin.”Harris’s female survivor said: “It is a massive thing for me to be believed by the jury and I am grateful for that. The emotional and psychological trauma will be with me for ever.”Another said: “I now have no self-worth and feel isolated. I was a heroin addict for 36 years and Harris was a big factor. He abused me when I was at my most vulnerable.”Judge Morris told Harris: “There is no greater fall from grace than this. [The victims] had placed their trust in you as their lawyer. They relied upon you as their legal adviser to help them when they were in difficult circumstances. In some cases, they were still under influence of drugs or alcohol when you sexually abused them.”Christine Agnew KC, defending, said Harris had helped out hundreds – if not thousands – of clients over the years.She said: “His fall from grace is a mighty one. He did enjoy extremely good standing in his local community. He will find it particularly difficult to serve a custodial sentence.”Agnew added that Harris had retired from practising as a solicitor in 2016.Ch Supt Roy Linden, of Devon and Cornwall police, said: “He targeted because of their vulnerability, thinking nobody would ever believe them. The victims in this case have shown enormous courage in reporting these offences, placing trust in the criminal justice process and in giving evidence in court.”