Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Leslie Cumming ‘hit’ trial : Accused pleads not guilty to attack used by Law Society Chiefs in media effort to silence critics of crooked lawyers

Leslie Cumming, former Law Society Chief Accountant was attacked in January 2006, Law Society blamed critics, others blamed corrupt lawyers who feared investigation. NEARLY SIX YEARS after a ‘murder hit’ was carried out on Leslie Cumming, the now retired Chief Accountant of the Law Society of Scotland, the trial of the man charged over the attack, Robert Graham (46) who was arrested in Australia late last year and extradited back to Scotland earlier in 2011, began yesterday at the High Court in Edinburgh, with the accused pleading not guilty to the ‘frenzied attack’ on Mr Cumming, lodging a special defence claiming the offence was not committed by him but by a third party, whose name he did not know.

The attack in late January 2006, saw Mr Cumming suffer multiple stab wounds during an attack near his home in Murrayfield, Edinburgh. However, just a few hours after the attack, Mr Cumming’s colleagues at the Law Society of Scotland rushed to contact journalists at certain newspapers, to organise an effort to blame the ‘murder hit’ on critics of the legal profession & campaign groups who called for reform of regulation of lawyers in Scotland. According to one newspaper journalist who covered the story at the time, private off-the-record briefings were given by senior Law Society officials to selected journalists where it was made plain that critics of the Law Society “deserved to be blamed for the attack”.

Law Society of Scotland officials used Police, newspapers in attempt to link their critics to attack on Chief Accountant Leslie Cumming. As it became clear the Law Society was not to have its way in media attempts to finger its key critics for a part in the attack on Mr Cumming, information discussed among journalists in the few days after the incident revealed that senior officials of the Law Society had provided claims & statements to Lothian & Borders Police alleging critics, campaigners and even some ruined clients who had complained to the Law Society were behind what was described as a ‘murder hit’ on Mr Cumming.

A journalist had also reported from Police sources that “Law Society officials were putting pressure on the Police to interrogate & charge certain people over the incident”, (the same certain people the Law Society wanted to discredit before a Justice Committee investigation into regulation got off the ground later that year) although none of the individuals whose names were allegedly handed over to Lothian & Borders Police by the Law Society reported being contacted by the Police at any time during the investigation.

Yesterday during the first day of the trial of Robert Graham at the High Court in Edinburgh, who is being prosecuted by the current Solicitor General, Lesley Thomson, (who may be better known to some as the Procurator Fiscal in the abandoned Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of a patient who was massively overdosed with radiation at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow ), the court heard from Dr Rachel Miller, the forensic medical examiner who examined Mr Cumming in hospital three days after the attack occurred. Dr Millar told the court : “The pattern and type of injuries were consistent with a sustained, frenzied, vicious attack with a sharp, pointed weapon such as a knife which could have had a serrated edge”.

Dr Miller said she was informed that Mr Cumming fell onto his knees pulling the attacker towards him. The attacker had then walked away. She said Mr Cumming had sustained more than 40 injuries, although some were due to medical treatment and others had been picked up while gardening.

Dr Miller continued, telling the court Mr Cumming had injuries to the face, chest, back, arms and legs and that sutures & staples had been used to close some wounds and a chest drain had been put in. Dr Miller said the pattern and type of injuries sustained by Mr Cumming were "consistent with sustained, frenzied, vicious attack" with a sharp pointed weapon which could have had a serrated edge. At the initial hearing yesterday, the jury were also shown photographs of Mr Cumming's injuries.

Today the High Court heard from Mr Cumming himself, who told the jury he saw a "circle of pale face coming out of the darkness" as he emerged from his car in Ormidale Terrace, a lane behind his home in Murrayfield. Mr Cumming went onto describe the attack, telling jurors he realised a blade or knife was involved. He remembered being struck on the side of his face and then shortly afterwards realising he had blood running down the side of his neck. Further details on today’s hearing before judge John Morris QC is reported in the Daily Record newspaper HERE.

Followers of the story so far on the attack on Leslie Cumming will now be familiar with a report which appeared in the newspaper Scotland on Sunday on 29 January 2006,a report which appeared in the newspaper Scotland on Sunday (Cash laundering link to law chief stabbing, 29 January 2006)) a few days after the incident occurred, where senior Law Society figures attempted to pin the blame for the attack on this blog, critics of the Law Society’s poor regulation of crooked lawyers and campaign groups.

Without naming the Law Society officials who said it, Scotland on Sunday reported in the article : Senior figures in the Law Society have made it known they feel some of the websites criticising lawyers are tantamount to incitement to violence” while sources close to the Police confirmed separately to this reporter the highest officials at the Law Society were urging the Police and even the Scottish Executive of the time to stamp out online criticism of lawyers.

At the time of the incident, Diary of Injustice had existed for around three weeks after its creation in the first few days of 2006 to support the passage of the Legal Profession & Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill through the Scottish Parliament in what was to become a very bitter, at times venomous fight between the vested interests of lawyers and consumer groups campaigning for independent regulation of corrupt Scottish lawyers. Needless to say as the evidence now shows, the vested interests won and what became the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission was compromised by the Law Society before it began its official duties in October 2008.

Turning back to the attack on Mr Cumming, as the years dragged on without a result on the case, and after several appeals by Lothian & Borders Police to catch the attacker, along with a report on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme, a development eventually led to the arrest of Robert Graham in Australia in early November of last year, reported by Diary of Injustice here : Australian Police arrest suspect in connection with 2006 murder bid on Law Society of Scotland Chief Accountant Leslie Cumming.

Police hunt for clues on the attempted murder of Law Society Chief Accountant Leslie Cumming in January 2006 (click image or HERE to view video)


The trial at the High Court in Edinburgh is expected to last all week. Mr Cumming retired from the Law Society of Scotland after the attack and now runs his own consultancy business, Leslie Cumming Consultancy Services.

67 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think its safe to say when newspapers are so willing to tow the Law Society's line like that one needs to ask what kind of country Scotland actually is.

Pretty disgusting attempt at killing free speech I'm glad it failed.

Anonymous said...

Some people at the Law Soceity have some explaining to do..

Anonymous said...

and ironically the accused will be represented by members of the same Law Society of Scotland who tried to stitch others up on the crime

Anonymous said...

I understand Jane Irvine and the SLCC raised the Cumming case with Kevin Dunion's FOI office to try and shut you up too.What happened to all that?

Anonymous said...

Tricky to write about as its a live issue in court however you seem to have made a good job of it.

I read in the Record about the balaclava clad attacker however did they not ask Cumming if he thought it was a client or a fellow lawyer who did it?

Surely with all that experience investigating complaints about his own colleagues he must have some thoughts on who might have did it to share with the court?

Anonymous said...

"Senior figures in the Law Society have made it known they feel some of the websites criticising lawyers are tantamount to incitement to violence"

OH right of course anything which criticizes the Law Society must be bad and therefore illegal so it has to be shut down.

These people stink to high heaven of corruption when coming out with stuff like that.Disgusting!Next thing you know they will be asking for the death penalty for anyone who mentions the word "crooked lawyer"!

Anonymous said...

The Law Society of Scotland is a dangerous criminal organisation no doubt about it.

Anonymous said...

According to one newspaper journalist who covered the story at the time, private off-the-record briefings were given by senior Law Society officials to selected journalists where it was made plain that critics of the Law Society “deserved to be blamed for the attack”

We all know who the briefer will be.Scum.

Anonymous said...

It wouldn't surprise me if a few legal aid fraudsters/lawyers were behind this, or maybe some firm doing business in Dubai.

The Law Society of Scotland of course follows its usual predictable and pre-empive mantra, namely;

'Accuse them before they accuse
us'.

A fair trial? said...

Just one thing you forgot to mention.

This guy Graham is accused of attacking a member of the Law Society of Scotland.

The judge in the case will have been or may still be a member of the Law Society of Scotland so will the Crown Office team and also the accused's own defence team.

The court will be flooded with Law Society personnel or those hoping to stay in their good books.There may even be relatives of people who work for the Law Society on the jury and no one will ever know it.

Now I'm not advocating anything or anyone's side but if the right to a fair trial is anything to go by I doubt having a court full of Law Society members on all sides of the floor qualifies as fair.

Anonymous said...

A hit by the Law Society of Scotland. Who ordered it?

Anonymous said...

I bet the cops were raring to go and hunt down the Law Society's enemies for a few freebies or cheap houses stolen off of clients who couldnt afford their legal bills.I wonder what stopped them?Too much publicity this time?The Law Society shot themselves in the foot going after you in the paper like that.It has revenge and fit up written all over it.No wonder you are able to write so well about them they must hate your guts to try something like that just a few weeks after you started writing about them.Its also got me thinking whether they might have attacked one of their own just to get back at you!

Anonymous said...

The Law Society is a house of evil, nasty vile people with no compunction for who they damage.

Anonymous said...

Is the accused a scapegoat for the Nazi's who ordered the attack.

Anonymous said...

After reading the comment by "A fair trial?" I would be worried if I was accused of whatever against the Law Society because they will stitch up the case to suit themselves

Anonymous said...

http://www.scotsman.com/news/cash_laundering_link_to_law_chief_stabbing_1_1408834

Cash laundering link to law chief stabbing

Cumming, who is viewed as a tough customer by many members of the legal profession he helps regulate, is understood to have spearheaded a recent crackdown on all forms of misconduct relating to finance, including money-laundering.

At present, 16 Scottish solicitors face charges, including four on allegations of money-laundering. A Lothian and Borders Police source said: "We will be questioning people who have been involved in money-laundering because he and his team normally take to investigating them. There are some guys - especially some in criminal practice - who give us a lot of concern because of the people they associate with. And they will know some pretty nasty guys who could carry out an attack for them."

Police will also this week begin sifting through all Law Society files that were being dealt with by Cumming and his team of 12 accountants. They will be looking for anyone who could have a grudge against Cumming, or who might have feared being investigated.

Cumming has given detectives the names of two former solicitors who have been banned from practising at least partially because of his inquiries and could have a grudge against him. One was struck off for professional misconduct and the other for embezzling.

But officers say they will not be restricting their inquiries to these two individuals. Another force insider said: "Because of his position there are any number of people who will have had a grudge against him."



So where is all this in the trial?Why are there no quotes about this in the trial so far?

Anonymous said...

http://www.scotsman.com/news/cash_laundering_link_to_law_chief_stabbing_1_1408834

Cash laundering link to law chief stabbing

The attacker is described as being in his twenties, stocky and wearing dark clothing. Police will begin putting up posters in the area tomorrow in an effort to get more information from potential witnesses.



In his 20s???

The man in the court this week is 46!!!

Anonymous said...

There are decent people Peter, I know this. Excuse me for being a pessimist but when I look at the chaos in this world I wonder if the human race will survive long term.

Too many people are causing too many problems. Too much ruthless hatred. The Law Society and it's membership for example.

Anonymous said...

http://www.scotsman.com/news/cash_laundering_link_to_law_chief_stabbing_1_1408834

Cash laundering link to law chief stabbing

Meanwhile, campaigners for greater openness in the legal profession have hit back at suggestions that their organisations and websites could have been linked to the attack.

Senior figures in the Law Society have made it known they feel some of the websites criticising lawyers are tantamount to incitement to violence.

But Peter Cherbi, a long-time critic of the Law Society who runs a weblog "A Diary of Injustice in Scotland", said: "I'm concerned that some people will try and use this to stifle criticism and open debate. I can't imagine anyone connected to the campaigns would be involved in anything like this. Lawyers are supposed to uphold the right to free speech and not be acting against it."

He added: "As for Mr Cumming, I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery from this terrible attack."



Good thing you know how to react on such occasions as I'm sure the press had a hint to try and get you to say something other than what you did!!

And more importantly who the hell are these Law Society "senior figures" and why are their names not in the story in the paper??

This is very far from an open and shut case and all this should be coming out in the court if we are to get to the truth of what happened and who at the Law Society tried to use this crime to target their own enemies.

God help whoever these evil people decide to target next!!

Anonymous said...

Senior figures in the Law Society have made it known they feel some of the websites criticising lawyers are tantamount to incitement to violence” (NUTTERS, FORCING PEOPLE TO DISPAIR SO THEY COMMIT SUICIDE, THAT IS LAW SOCIETY VIOLENCE) while sources close to the Police confirmed separately to this reporter the highest officials at the Law Society (SHOULD BE JAILED) were urging the Police and even the Scottish Executive of the time to stamp out online criticism of lawyers. (NO FREE SPEECH NO POLITICS, THEY WILL BE BURNING THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT NEXT AND USING THAT TO CRUSH ALL CIVIL LIBERTIES). WILL WE HAVE A "NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES" WHERE DISIDENTS WILL BE SHOT, THEY WOULD IF THEY COULD MAKE NO MISTAKE).

THESE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR POWER AND IT TERRIFIES THEM.

Anonymous said...

Kill free speech, kill the websites. Who do these people think they are? This is all the more reason to avoid the legal profession because if a lawyer ruins you, the Law Society want to kill off Solicitors from Hell, Diary of Injustice, BentJudges.com.

Some justice system if the attacker is charged but the Reichsfuhrer who ordered it does not suffer the consequences. Will he be a scapegoat for Law Society violence?

Anonymous said...

So if I understand this correctly (Please correct me if I am wrong on anything)

You start writing about the Law Society in January 2006 because some new law is going through your Scottish Parliament the same year to regulate lawyers.

A few days after you start the blog, conveniently the Law Society Chief is attacked.

They then try via the newspapers to pin it on you and others who are campaigning for the same thing probably in an attempt to discredit you so your campaign collapses and the law is not passed (although it looks like it was passed just not in the form it should have been after the politicians chickened out)

Now there's just no coincidence about any of this wouldn't you agree?

If I have all this correct there are some serious things going on here with lawyers ,politicians and your criminal justice system. People normally call this type of thing "CORRUPTION".

SLCC SAFE HOUSE FOR LAWYERS said...

ABOUT THE SLCC
The introduction of the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 2007 created the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission or SLCC and we opened for business on 1 October 2008. We provide a single gateway for complaints against legal practitioners.

DO NOT COMPLAIN TO THESE PEOPLE, POST YOUR COMPLAINT ON SOLICITORS FROM HELL WHERE IT WILL BE PUBLISHED, NOT BURIED.

Anonymous said...

The SLCC is under no obligation to investigate a complaint, or an aspect of a complaint, that it thinks is "frivolous, vexatious or without merit". WARNING ALL COMPLAINTS ARE BURIED. THIS IS MACASKILLS BULLDOG WHICH HAS SHARP TEETH TO BITE CLIENTS. LAWYERS ARE WRAPPED IN COTTON AND MOLLYCODDLED. IT IS NOT ABOUT JUSTICE, JUST MORE INJUSTICE.

Anonymous said...

The Police confirmed separately to this reporter the highest officials at the Law Society were urging the Police and even the Scottish Executive of the time to stamp out online criticism of lawyers. ONLY PEOPLE OF A TOTALITARIAN MINDSET WANT TO CRUSH FREE SPEECH. THIS SCREAMS HOW MUCH CRITICISM IS NEEDED. AN EVIL UNION. THE ENGLISH LAW SOCIETY TRIED TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICE AGAINST RICK KORDOWSKI, LAW SOCIETY POWER MUST BE DESTROYED.

Anonymous said...

Law Society, "violence manifests itself where power is being lost" Hannah Arendt.

Anonymous said...

IF GOD EXISTS THE LAW SOCIETY WILL BE DESCENDING THE STAIRS TO HELL. SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL SOCIALISTS, NAZI'S.

Anonymous said...

IF GOD EXISTS THE LAW SOCIETY WILL BE DESCENDING THE STAIRS TO HELL. SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL SOCIALISTS, NAZI'S.

Anonymous said...

A Few More Sites For You.

www.ibtl.co.uk A web site which exposes corruption and fraud within the Scottish legal system.

www.unjustis.co.uk A web site set up to expose falling standards within the so called legal profession.

www.casiaweb.com Supports an end to self regulation in the legal system.

www.solicitorsfromhell.com One man's grievance against the corrupt legal system.

www.solicitorsfromhell.co.uk Name and shame your crooked solicitor.

www.crookedlawyers.com Seems crooked solicitors abound just about everywhere.

www.legalbullies.co.uk Yet another who is disgusted at failure by the Law Society.

Anonymous said...

I'm no criminal law or libel expert however if this were the US you would be able to sue the newspaper and the Law Society for those accusations against you and unless the prosecution have a magic bullet which puts the suspect at the scene of the crime the trial would collapse after his defending advocate began introducing all this into evidence which I assume will not happen due to the niceties of Scottish law.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of whether he is guilty or not if none of this comes out at the trial it is a fit-up.

Anonymous said...

Hmm the usual way is to buy off journalists like you (I know of two who jumped at the chance of well paid jobs with lawyers after rubbing them up the wrong way)

There must be something more potent about you which prevents this.Is it you just cant be bought off or wont be bought off?

Anonymous said...

The word on the street is that this guy Robert Graeme is a patsy, a means to an end.

The Law Society and Leslie know who the real perpetrator is and why...

THM in Tuscany...?

Anonymous said...

All this because he was run-over by his lawnmower?

Anonymous said...

Leslie Cumming's testimony describes a large pale moon shape coming towards him...

I am no John Nettles or Serrano De Berga Jack , I am actually a Countryside Ranger but it sounds to me like a Barn Owl.

Anonymous said...

In reply to the 1st comment would it surprise you to learn every time a Scottish newspaper runs a story about a crooked lawyer the Law Society or someone from the profession tries to make life difficult by way of threats and intimidation.

Now with some papers this wont mean a thing as their circulation is much bigger than say a paper known to constantly fawn over the Law Society.

The message here is buy a paper which has a decent circulation rather than those with lawyers writing in them!

Anonymous said...

Can anyone explain how it will be possible for this guy Graham to get a fair trial, when it is a prerequisite as a Scottish Lawyer to be able to tell lies in Court. Surely, Mr Cumming's evidence should therefore be inadmissable?

Anonymous said...

I'm not a legal expert either but to me it sounds like more than one person should be in the dock over this and I am referring to the swill at the Law Society.

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to know if the Law Society of Scotland staff who took over from Leslie Cumming when he retired (never turned up one day) ever got that filing cabinet key off him re those files on those solicitors

Anonymous said...

Maybe Mr Cumming's conscience got the better of him (or outside pressure) and he was going to come clean about the goings on at Castle Greyskull and was preparing for full disclosure regarding the actions of long serving office bearers.

Anonymous said...

Something very rotten about how the Law Society gets away with using newspapers to attack people I think its time for protests because our politicians are in their pockets too much

Anonymous said...

How much money have the Crown Office spent on this wild goose chase? FOI please?

They didn't spend too much time and money with the off-duty PC who ran over and killed the woman's husband on Hogmanay!

Is this not just a case of vengeance?

Anonymous said...

Of course the guy is guilty. Megrahi was too.

Just wait to see the sentence....

He'll get done with assault with a deadly weapon, rape, murder, peodophilia and sent to the tower of London for 75 years after which he'll be drawn and quartered, with his head stuck on the Law Society's railing as a warning to all....lol

Anonymous said...

There are problems with this case far beyond what is being reported in the press

Anonymous said...

Its a wonder the guy they caught didnt accidentally hang himself inside before the trial could start as is usual in these kinds of cases.

My money is on the Law Society hiding a lot about this case there are probably some high up lawyers involved probably inside the Law Society itself and it was so important they had to set up people to take the blame.

Anonymous said...

We were taking bets on who the Law Society wanted to blame the day after it happened.Your name was third with SACL first and a certain zealot from Perth second.

Anonymous said...

What kind of country Scotland actually is you said ?

Its the kind of country where sectarianism,racism & prejudice is rife with all the justice institutions willing to cover it up to suit their own ends and its all happening under the SNP for the past 5 years and no one has done anything about it!

Anonymous said...

In his twenties v in his forties is a heck of a discrepancy although half the descriptions given out by the cops are either made up or as wide of the mark as possible so whoever they lay their hands on they can refer back to it later on.Bit of a mess here though and if his lawyers have any sense i.e. they are not following orders from the Law Society to convict their own client this age diff should form a considerable part of his defence.

Any update on how the case is going today?

Anonymous said...

Not wanting to sound like I am making fun of what happened however the FME said he had suffered gardening injuries "She said Mr Cumming had sustained more than 40 injuries, although some were due to medical treatment and others had been picked up while gardening. "

Sounds to me like she said this because she was being pushed to say it was all due to the attack.

On what we've heard so far I reckon the case for conviction is paper thin.

Can we expect to see leaked Police interview tapes and a proper explanation about how it took 6 years to catch him?

Anonymous said...

"She said Mr Cumming had sustained more than 40 injuries, although some were due to medical treatment and others had been picked up while gardening. "

Sounds to me like she said this because she was being pushed to say it was all due to the attack.

Important point and well spotted.I agree,it sounds like someone was trying to put words in the mouth of the doctor

Anonymous said...

Leslie Cumming, former Law Society Chief Accountant was attacked in January 2006, Law Society blamed critics.
===================================
It is never a lawyer doing anything wrong. Always a client or a pressure group. The Law Society must be the most corrupt union in the world.

Anonymous said...

So a man is in the dock charged with the attack on Mr Cummings. What are the chances of the Crown Office charging the criminals at the Law Society for ordering the attack?

No doubt there will not be enough admissible evidence.

Anonymous said...

Quite a good discussion of the case going on here and I agree the whole story of the attack needs to come out rather than the flowery version we've been seeing on television.

Anonymous said...

If it was a crooked lawyer who did it who was afraid he might be caught by the Law Society it will be a world first!

More like someone else from within and probably closer..

Anonymous said...

A fair trial? said...
Just one thing you forgot to mention.

This guy Graham is accused of attacking a member of the Law Society of Scotland.

The judge in the case will have been or may still be a member of the Law Society of Scotland so will the Crown Office team and also the accused's own defence team.
==============================
LIKE A BLACK MAN ON TRIAL BY THE KLU KLUX KLAN.

Anonymous said...

Hamilton's colleagues in charge of a trial where a Law Society big wig or wigs ordered the attack. Legal engineering to protect their own profession.

I think it stinks to high heaven, with these people lawyers are never wrong.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Hmm the usual way is to buy off journalists like you (I know of two who jumped at the chance of well paid jobs with lawyers after rubbing them up the wrong way)

There must be something more potent about you which prevents this.Is it you just cant be bought off or wont be bought off?
===============================
Peter's family have been at the sharp end of lawyer corruption. He will never be bought off.

LONG LIVE FREE SPEECH AND EXPRESSION said...

Solicitors From Hell from Rick Kordowski

Your right to ‘Freedom of Speech’ - Preserved!

I would like to thank the dozens of authors who have taken the trouble to write and send in a Witness Statement confirming that what is posted on this website is true. I would also like to thank the lawyers and barristers who have contacted me offering their pro-bono help and expressing their concerns (click here) about the Law Society’s High Court action to have this website shut down.

However, past experience has taught me that regardless of how much evidence I present in the High Court to support my defence or claim, the judicial system will always side with the law firm, solicitor, or in this case The Law Society. THEY WORK THE SAME WAY A THE LAW SOCIETY RICK.

In order to secure the future of this website and your right to freedom of speech, I have decided to give the website away,(BRILLIANT OUT OF THE REACH OF HOSE CRIMINALS AT THE LAW SOCIETY).The new experienced owners, who operate overseas, will be taking this site to the next level in terms of world wide promotion and ease of access by the public.

All current reviews will need to be re-entered and they will be posted automatically on a new style website (similar to TripAdvisor). Authors will be able to edit and update their listings at any time. Others can make further reviews and solicitors can post a response. Full rating system and the ability to upload evidence, to name just a few advantages. All totally free of charge and out of the reach of The Law Society of England and Wales, AND THOSE OTHER REPROBATES RICK THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND AND THEIR SLCC PUPPETS.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for their previous support and kind words. Godspeed. WE THANK YOU AND PETER TOO RICK. ALL THE BEST.

Anonymous said...

Love the quality of witnesses they are putting up :

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/11/10/robert-graham-allegedly-pal-he-was-paid-10k-to-do-in-leslie-cumming-86908-23551523/

Robert Graham allegedly pal he was paid £10k to 'do in' Leslie Cumming

Nov 10 2011 Dave Finlay

A MAN accused of attempted murder boasted of being paid £10,000 to "do in a judge", a court heard yesterday.

Robert Graham, 46, is alleged to have made the claim weeks after former Law Society of Scotland deputy chief executive Leslie Cumming was brutally attacked and stabbed near his home in January 2006.

The High Court in Edinburgh was told yesterday a former workmate of Graham - who denies attempted murder - told police of the alleged boast.

Lesley Thomson QC, prosecuting, said scaffolder Nicholas Wells told them he started work at Wembley Stadium in January 2006 and Graham joined a few weeks later.

In a statement to police, he said: "He told me around this time he had done a judge in in Edinburgh, having jumped out some bushes at him. I can recall him telling me the guy from the BMW paid him £10,000 to do the job and told him to give the guy a good working over."

In court yesterday, Mr Wells said he had been approached by the police at a site he was working on in Edinburgh in 2009. Asked if he had told them the truth, he replied: "As I remember it at the time."

Mr Wells added: "I was taking a lot of drugs at the time. I was taking a lot of sleeping tablets ... it is hard to remember it all clearly now."

Accountant Mr Cumming, now 68, who headed a team of inspectors who made regular checks on the books of law firms, was attacked at the rear of his home in Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on January 23, 2006.

Graham is charged with repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a knife or similar instrument to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.

Jurors were also told that Graham was flown back from Australia earlier this year to stand trial. Sergeant Derek Macdonald, 42, said he and three colleagues from the Lothian and Borders force went to Australia in February for a "prisoner handover".

The trial continues.

Anonymous said...

The Law Society want to silence critics of crooked lawyers. I thought regimes like Nazi Germany were the only ones to crush dissent.

MacAskill calls this a professional union, you missed one word Kenny, dictatorship. I think with their attitudes some of these hate filled people belong in mental institutions. Why are they terrified of feedback? It is because they know the truth will come out, that the Law Society is a protection racket for our legal mafia.

Every time they walk through the door of a lawyers office clients take great risks, but not for long, the web sites will drive you and your protector out of business. Kill off the supply lines of clients = crooked lawyers become
extinct. See you all at the unemployment benefit office.

Anonymous said...

The Law Society want to silence critics of crooked lawyers. I thought regimes like Nazi Germany were the only ones to crush dissent.

MacAskill calls this a professional union, you missed one word Kenny, dictatorship. I think with their attitudes some of these hate filled people belong in mental institutions. Why are they terrified of feedback? It is because they know the truth will come out, that the Law Society is a protection racket for our legal mafia.

Every time they walk through the door of a lawyers office clients take great risks, but not for long, the web sites will drive you and your protector out of business. Kill off the supply lines of clients = crooked lawyers become
extinct. See you all at the unemployment benefit office.

Anonymous said...

Well Mr Hudson you have failed in your high court bit to close Solicitors from Hell. How do you feel about this? I am mega pleased, Christmas come early for me.

Rick Kordowski has brilliantly put his website out of your juristiction, but this is because they Law Societies have kept crooked lawyers operating to ruin more clients.

There is no smoke without fire Mr Hudson, if the Law Societies did what the websites are doing the websites would never have materialised.

Try and put yourself in lawyers victims, shoes, people have had enough and you have condemned yourself. Why, here is the reason, you wanted to shut the site, not deal with those complaining and that is because you cannot. The posts are TRUE, you know that so you cannot do anything but silence the messenger. Shame on you.

Anonymous said...

Joe Bloggs steals money from your bank account. The police catch him and the procurator fiscal sends the case to court.

A member of Scotland's legal profession steals money from your bank account. You send the evidence to The Law Society of Scotland. Result lawyer left to do the same again.

Self regulation is political because is allows difference, one law for Joe and another for the one with the LLB.

LAW SOCIETIES ARE BAD BAD NEWS said...

English, Scots Law Societies ‘team up’ in legal moves against “Solicitors from Hell” in bid to stop Legal Ombudsman ‘Naming & Shaming’ crooked lawyers.

They failed, what will they do now? Lets face it lawyers from hell will not need the Law Society, not need practicing certificates so Hudson's lot will lose money.

Bypass the Law Society, (cut them out of the complaints structure by stopping people going to bad lawyers) if they want websites closed it gives us an idea of the hatred they feel when they receive written complaints from the public. Those who want to kill of freedom of expression are anti democratic,dictatorial and reject the principle of universality.

LAW SOCIETIES ARE BAD BAD NEWS said...

English, Scots Law Societies ‘team up’ in legal moves against “Solicitors from Hell” in bid to stop Legal Ombudsman ‘Naming & Shaming’ crooked lawyers.

They failed, what will they do now? Lets face it lawyers from hell will not need the Law Society, not need practicing certificates so Hudson's lot will lose money.

Bypass the Law Society, (cut them out of the complaints structure by stopping people going to bad lawyers) if they want websites closed it gives us an idea of the hatred they feel when they receive written complaints from the public. Those who want to kill of freedom of expression are anti democratic,dictatorial and reject the principle of universality.

Anonymous said...

The Law Society and the paper are looking pretty stupid now someone other than a lawyer critic is in court for it..

A good lesson to save money and not buy papers who try and fit up others on behalf of lawyers

Anonymous said...

Are the Law Society & the paper preparing another fit up do you know?