A BARRISTER was warned to be on time in future after his double-booking delayed a case at York Crown Court for half a day.

Glenn Parsons, of a Leeds chambers, was engaged to represent a woman due to be sentenced for a glassing incident at 10am. But he was also engaged to appear in a longer hearing at Leeds Crown Court at the same time.

He started at Leeds and didn’t arrive at the York court until shortly before 1pm, during which time Recorder Sandeep Kairn had had to rise for a long period to wait for him. The other barrister appearing in the case, and Mr Parsons’ client, also had to wait.

It was the second time he had kept the judge waiting.

After hearing his excuses the judge took no further action. But he added: “A third time will result in an entirely different course of action.”

Mr Parsons said it wasn’t until 5pm the previous day that it became clear he was double-booked. He had tried to rearrange matters, but he said the solicitors and the defendant in the York case had insisted that he continue to represent her.

The judge said he had spoken to the solicitors and they had said they would not have minded a change of barristers.