Victim abused by Plymouth solicitor tells court it will 'forever haunt' him
Alan Harris, 72, was previously convicted of 10 offences against seven victims
Last updated 24th Feb 2026
A man who was sexually assaulted by a criminal defence solicitor told a court the abuse will "forever haunt" him.
Alan Harris, 72, of Plymouth, Devon, was previously convicted of 10 offences against seven victims - six men and one woman - following a five-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.
He was found guilty of five counts of indecent assaults and five sexual assaults, relating to incidents between 1988 and 2015, in December.
The majority of his offending took place during private legal consultations at Plymouth Magistrates' Court and Charles Cross Police Station in the Devon city.
Judge Angela Morris, the Recorder of Winchester, heard victim personal statements and representations from prosecution and defence barristers on Tuesday.
She will sentence Harris on Wednesday morning.
One victim spoke directly to Harris as he recounted the impact of the abuse on his life, at a time when he had trusted the solicitor.
"I will never understand or be able to accept your behaviour," he told Harris.
"Your actions will forever haunt me and will remain with me to the grave.
"I was young, I was scared and vulnerable. I was locked in a cell with no escape."
He added: "Your reputation lies in tatters and any good work you did is now tarnished.
"I really hope that you, at some stage, will reflect on your sickening behaviour on those that trusted and needed you and how it has affected those that were abused."
A second victim told the court how the actions of Harris were a contributing factor to his heroin addiction.
"I was happy when I heard the verdict that I had been believed after all this time," he said.
A third victim, who read his victim personal statement to the court, described the lasting impact of Harris's abuse.
He told Harris: "There is no peace for me. There never will be.
"You will always be in my head. You will always be in my nightmares."
Prosecuting, Anne Whyte KC read statements on behalf of other victims in the case.
One, directed at Harris, described how he was the only person who could have helped him but "you abused your position".
"You are vile," he said.
Another victim described being touched by Harris without their consent and saying "no" but he "took no notice".
"He touched me because he felt he had the right and the power to do so," they said.
"I was frozen to the ground in shock and used my voice to say 'no' but he took no notice.
"Whatever sentence Alan Harris receives, it will never be enough for how he has made me feel.
"Whatever his sentence is, I hope it is nothing less than hell because he deserves no more than that."
Christine Agnew KC, representing Harris, said her client does not agree with the jury's guilty verdicts but accepts them.
Describing his career, she told the court that the father-of-two had a "very loyal following".
"He helped out hundreds if not thousands of clients over the years," she said.
"He had many clients who returned to him because of the service provided.
"His fall from grace is a mighty one. He did enjoy extremely good standing in his local community.
"He will find it particularly difficult to serve a custodial sentence."
Ms Agnew added that Harris had retired from practicing as a solicitor in 2016.
Judge Angela Morris will sentence Harris on Wednesday at 10am.