Des Collins, Collins Solicitors

Who? Des Collins, 59-year-old personal injury and clinical negligence senior partner at Watford firm Collins Solicitors.

Why is he in the news? Acted for rail crash victim and convicted killer Kerrie Gray in an appeal court hearing to win the right to recover compensation from Thames Trains and Network Rail for loss of earnings.

Gray suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following the Paddington train crash in October 1999. His personality changed and he stabbed a man to death. He was convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and ordered to be detained in Runwell Hospital, Essex.

The appeal court overturned an earlier ruling that Gray was not entitled to compensation for loss of earnings for the period after the murder, accepting the killing was a direct result of the rail crash.

Route to the case: Has acted on several rail disasters since the 1990s, including Watford, Southall and Paddington.

Background: English degree (1970) and postgraduate law degree (1971), both at Trinity College, Dublin. Legal Practice Course, College of Law, London then training contract at Nabarro, qualifying in 1975. Worked for now-defunct Watford law firm before leaving to set up Collins Solicitors in 1995.

Thoughts on the case: ‘The court’s ruling was a victory for common sense. Prior to the accident Mr Gray was a normal man who avoided confrontation. However, the train crash brought about a significant personality change and the homicide was a direct result of it – but for the crash the killing would not have happened.

‘The court directed the blame to where it ultimately lay – Thames Trains and Network Rail, not Kerrie Gray.’

Dealing with the media: ‘Some of the media took a balanced view, others were outraged that Kerrie could murder someone and then go on to get compensation. They couldn’t grasp – or didn’t want to grasp – that Kerrie was as much a victim as the person he killed.’

Career landmarks: ‘The low-light has to be some years ago when we were in court with a case in the bag thanks to perfect psychiatric evidence. We over-egged the pudding with a ­ second expert psychiatric ­ witness, who chose that moment to change his mind and say our client was faking it. I sat with my head in my hands wondering how to sneak out of the courtroom without being seen.

‘The highlight was going on to win that same case in the court of appeal.’