Barrister pleads not guilty to drugs offences

Barrister Henry Hendron pleaded not guilty to drugs offences at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday.

File image of the exterior of Woolwich Crown Court in south London (John Stillwell/PA) (PA Archive)

A barrister accused of encouraging his client to supply drugs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Henry Hendron, who previously represented high-profile figures including the Earl of Cardigan and Nadine Dorries, is alleged to have bought crystal meth and GBL.

The 41-year-old represented himself, and barrister Kerry Broome was prosecuting, as he appeared at Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London on Thursday.

Wearing a grey suit and striped shirt, he pleaded not guilty to all counts.

He is charged with two counts of encouraging an either way offence between August 31 last year and March 31 this year by buying Class A and C drugs.

He is also accused of offering to supply a Class A drug, crystal meth, between January 26 2018 and February 2 2018, and possession of the same drug at an address in Dagenham, east London, on May 5 this year.

At a previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in August, prosecutor Tom Broomfield said the first two charges relate to Hendron “encouraging the supply of Class A, crystal methamphetamine, and Class C, GBL, drugs from a former client of Mr Hendron, who was a practising barrister at the time”.

Hendron previously gave his address as in Covent Garden, central London.

The barrister, who was called to the bar in 2016, is due to stand trial at the same court on July 24, with proceedings expected to last for five days.

He was bailed by His Honour Judge Mann KC with one condition which is condition of residence.

Hendron represented Ms Dorries, who later served as culture secretary, in a civil matter in 2009, The Times has reported.