A family law specialist barrister who was found guilty of harassing a women and making her ‘fearful of violence’ has been disbarred.

Sanjay Roy, a former member of Northampton Chambers, was ordered to be disbarred following a disciplinary tribunal today.

In July last year, Roy was handed an 18-month suspended sentence at Northampton Crown Court following a conviction of putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.

Roy is said to have been abusive and controlling towards a woman from the US that he was in a long-distance relationship with.

According to press reports at the time of the court case, Roy is said to have controlled the woman, who was not named, from afar and had control over her Facebook page. He also made her call him ‘master’.

On one occasion he allegedly beat the woman with a belt buckle and poured iced water on her head.

A spokesperson for the Bar Standards Board, which brought the case against Roy, said: ‘A conviction for putting a person in fear of violence is a serious matter. This behaviour is likely to diminish the confidence the public has in Roy and the barrister profession in general.’

Roy, who was called to the bar by Inner Temple in 2011, had been suspended from practice by the BSB since August 2016 pending the outcome of today’s tribunal.