"I Put My Trust in My Solicitor—Until He Assaulted Me in Court and Revealed His Dark Past"

STOOD in her prison-issued grey tracksuit, Becky Humphrey had never felt more vulnerable in her life.

It should have been a relief and comfort when she met with her Alan Harris but instead it was the start of her nightmare.

Becky Humphrey was assaulted by her solicitor in a courtroom Credit: SWNS Alan Harris was found guilty of five counts of indecent assaults and five sexual assaults on seven people Credit: PA

Rather than being the figure of trust that Becky sorely needed, Harris used his position of power to abuse Becky in a

Harris, now 72, was a well-respected solicitor and– but used his power to target and abuse multiple victims.

His fall from grace began when Becky gave a video statement about attacks against her in 2015.

Although Harris was released at the time due to a lack of evidence, Becky’s report sparked a probe that uncovered multiple further victims of Harris – dating back to the 1980s.

Becky (seen around the time of the asault) lived with the trauma for ten years before Harris was sentenced Credit: Supplied Becky is sharing her story to prove to people of power that they are not above the law Credit: SWNS

Harris was jailed for 13 years earlier this year after a court heard he had exploited his professional access as an “opportunity” to abuse vulnerable young people.

The court heard he targeted victims with complex backgrounds who were ‘desperately’ dependent on his

Becky, of , Devon, has now waived her right to anonymity, and revealed she was sexually assaulted by Harris on two occasions while he was meant to be representing her in court for a driving charge.

And after watching him finally brought down, she says: “I had to wait ten years but I do feel vindicated.

“People in power or that have authority are not above the law and if they do wrong and people speak up they can be prosecuted and you might get justice.

“He was the system so the system was designed to protect him. He was a powerful man and I just think people turned a blind eye to his behaviour for a long time.

“Many of his victims were abused by him a long long time ago and never spoke up at the time. But more victims need to speak up and not be worried they won’t be believed.”

Harris’ campaign of abuse spanned from 1988 until 2015 before he was convicted in December last year of 10 sexual offences against seven victims – six male and Becky being the only female.

But he would never have been brought to justice without Becky bravely reporting his offending to and giving a video statement about two incidents in January and March 2015 while she was just 21.

Becky, who had just moved to Plymouth a year earlier in 2014 for a fresh start, was on probation after being arrested for a driving offence.

She recalls: “Alan was my duty solicitor and I didn’t know anyone else so I just went for the first one name on the top of the list the police gave.

“I first met him when I was being taken over to Plymouth magistrates from the police station and was in the cells to go up to court.

“When I walked in he looked at me. I didn’t have a bra on as I had just been given a prison issued grey track suit. He just said ‘you look very relaxed’ and was looking up from my hips to my boobs.

“He came over and put his hand on my shoulder. He put his hands on me and made me feel very uncomfortable although he did not do anything else at that time.

“I got called up to court, received a fine and left.”

Becky said she was arrested a second time a few months later but he overruled her decision to not have him represent her.

She adds: “I knew his name by then and when it got to court I said ‘I don’t want Alan.’ I did not tell them the reason why then.

“We were in a room in the court and Alan came in. He just said ‘it is you, I know your case, I’ll take you on.’

“I just wanted to get in and out of court. Afterwards I had to speak to him as my solicitor so we went into one room and he did not talk about the case at all.

“He asked if I was a ‘working girl’ and if I was in a relationship. He then put his hands on my hips and slid his hands down and groped my breasts.

“I told him I wasn’t into that. He then took me down a very long walkway in the court. We walked past lots of empty rooms, past all the security guards and he took me to an empty room right at the back of the court.

“I only thought at the time I was following my solicitor as I had to to discuss my case. I did not know where he was taking me.

“He stood right in front of me and kissed my lips but I pushed him away. He put his hand down the front of my jeans and tried to put his fingers inside me and I pushed him away.”

When CCTV was shown in court Becky saw the ordeal lasted just 20 seconds before she fled, but to her it felt much longer,

“Time went very slowly in my mind as I think I just froze,” she adds.

“I was very vulnerable and he just thought he had the right to do what he wanted and was too powerful to be stopped.”

The following week she met her probation officer and opened up about the horrific ordeal.

She was later asked by police if she would give a video statement, to which she agreed.

“I felt both very angry and very dirty but I had to do something because of the way he made me feel,” she says.

“I was worried I was not strong enough and that I wouldn’t be believed.

“It breaks my heart that victims don’t report what happened over a fear they won’t be believed.”

A month later she was told Harris had been arrested but there was not enough evidence at that time to charge him so he was released.

But, unbeknown to Becky at the time, her bravery to go on camera led to cops launching a wide-ranging operation to bring down Harris and find more victims.

It wasn’t until a decade later that Becky heard from police again.

She adds: “The police came back to me in November 2024 – nearly ten years later – and asked if they could use my video statement.

“It turns out that as a result of my report they had been doing an undercover investigation and had found loads of other victims and gathered their evidence.

“I was the only female – all the rest were young boys.

“To start with there 13 alleged victims, one dropped out and one sadly died.

“There were six that managed to make it through to the court case.”

Becky came face to face with Harris for the first time since her assault while giving evidence during the trial at Winchester Crown Court in December 2025.

The trial heard he arrogantly preyed on his victims during private consultations and made them believe that they were powerless to speak out – and that no-one would believe them if they did.

Harris spent his working life as a criminal defence solicitor in Plymouth before he retired in 2016.

The majority of the offences took place within the cells at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court and in Charles Cross Police Station’s custody suite.

Others happened at private homes and in Harris’ car.

Becky adds: “The barrister tried to make me out to be a liar and that I had made it all up – but they couldn’t as all the evidence was there.

“I was there to tell my truth – not just for myself but for every other victim who did not have the strength to come forward or it was deemed there was not enough evidence.

“I stood strong as I was standing there for myself and every other person who has been through what I did.

“It was hard but I knew I had to stand my ground.”

On 10 December 2025, Alan Harris was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and five counts of sexual assault but not guilty of two counts of rape.

In February 2026 he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Her Honour Judge Angela Morris told him as he was jailed: “There is no greater fall from grace than this.”

Becky adds: “I knew he was guilty so was very relieved that they had got the b*****d. It felt like vindication.

“I feel nothing towards him now and don’t think about him.”

Becky decided to share her story to prove to people in power that they are ‘not above the law.’

She adds: “It has been ten years but it still affects me greatly. I see certain things on telly, hear and smell certain things and it takes me back to that moment.

“I am usually a strong woman but it still really impacts me.”

Becky is now working part time and is rebuilding her life.

She adds: “I am doing really well now and it is a big contrast to how I was ten years ago.

“I still have trust issues but I hope this will bring some closure. I want people in authority who have power to know they will not get away with it and anyone can speak up.

“Even if it doesn’t result in the justice they deserve, it will help instead of bottling it up inside.

“Now I can breathe knowing I won’t see him around the streets of Plymouth and knowing he won’t do what he did to anyone else.

“He will become a vulnerable person now in prison. I hope his time inside is nothing less than hell. He deserves nothing more than that.”