The solicitor convicted last week of stalking a legal blogger is under investigation over allegations about his behaviour in litigation, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has revealed.
Andrew Jonathan Milne, admitted in 1986, was last week convicted of stalking without fear after a seven-day trial at Stratford Magistrates’ Court, London. He will be sentenced next month.
Following the conviction, a spokesperson for the SRA said: 'We are aware of the conviction and are deeply concerned to see this serious development in the context of existing, but separate, issues over Mr Milne’s conduct. Our focus remains on protecting the public and we will continue to take steps necessary to do so.'
The separate issues are understood to be concerns raised by MPs about threats to leaseholders of freeholds acquired by Milne in the north of England. Louise Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, said she and her Labour colleague Olivia Blake had written to the SRA to seek the immediate removal of Milne’s licence to practise.
The solicitor’s name has been raised previously this year by MPs speaking in the House of Commons on the topic of leasehold reform.
Bolton West MP Phil Brickell said Milne had been ‘bullying, threatening and harassing’ leaseholders, including his constituents, into buying freeholds from him at inflated prices. Brickell said in parliament that Milne had ‘caused immeasurable pain and suffering to my constituents’ and that homeowners ‘should not have to live in fear of being ripped off by crooked lawyers’.
In response, Sir Alan Campbell, leader of the Commons, said the justice minister had written to the SRA seeking an update and assurance about what action was being taken.
In a subsequent parliamentary session, Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake stated that more than 170 houses in her constituency have had their freeholds purchased by Milne, who was ‘demanding that residents pay sums sometimes exceeding £25,000 to buy out the freeholds, and is threatening forfeiture and High Court action if they do not pay up’.
A spokesperson for the SRA said today: 'We can confirm we are investigating Mr Milne’s conduct and recognise the seriousness of the issues and allegations raised. Whilst the investigation progresses, we are urgently considering the imposition of interim conditions on his practising certificate for the purpose of protecting the public.'
Milne's law firm has previously denied any allegations impropriety in relation to the leaseholds. The Gazette has attempted to contact Milne in relation to comments made by MPs.
