An architect who accepted a police caution for assault has been fined by his professional body.
Jerry Harrall, of Long Sutton SEArch Architects, has been ordered to pay £500 by the Architects Registration Board after being found guilty of professional misconduct.
Dr Harrall had initially denied assaulting Glenn Eldridge following an incident on October 23, 2013, and the case was due to go to trial, but just days before he was due to appear in court Mr Harrall accepted the police caution.
The assault to Mr Eldridge happened just moments after South Holland District Council’s planning committee had approved SEArch’s application to build 87 homes on the former Butterfly and Wildlife Park at Little London, Long Sutton.
Mr Eldridge (43) was supporting Laura Hargreaves, who addressed planning councillors in opposition to the plan.
In a statement to a hearing of the Architects Registration Board’s Professional Conduct Committee, Dr Harrall said he regretted accepting the police caution as he was “innocent of assault”, but did so to protect the scheme from adverse publicity, avoid further discontent in the neighbourhood, and protect his client who lived very close to the complainant.
But the board found that by accepting the police caution Dr Harrall admitted committing the assault – falling short of the standards required by a registered member by conducting himself in a manner which would bring the profession into disrepute.
In mitigation, Dr Harrall told the panel that the whole experience had been “horrendous”.
He said that he had learnt a great deal from it, and that he had made a mistake which he now understands.
He stated that his family and clients have suffered enough as a result of that mistake.
Mr Harrall was given 28 days from the date of the hearing to make the payment of £500 or could face further sanctions, including a suspension or exclusion from the organisation.
