Fake barrister jailed for 18 months

David Evans sentenced to 18 months in jail after the judge became suspicious of his 'strange' outfit

David Evans was jailed for 18 months for impersonating a qualified barrister. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

A man with a "grandiose sense of self-importance" who donned a wig and robe to pose as a barrister and represent a friend in a crown court case has been jailed for 18 months.

David Evans spent time in the advocates' dressing room and managed to trick his way into the cells to visit his "client", Terry Moss, a convicted cannabis farmer.

Evans was caught out because the presiding judge in the confiscation hearing noticed his outfit was not quite right and his legal submissions were "hopelessly wrong". The judge questioned Evans about his legal qualifications and he admitted he had none.

Jailing him, Mrs Justice Laura Cox told Evans, who worked as an entertainer, that he had "manipulated" Moss. She said: "The planning of this enterprise was entirely yours, it was your decision to style yourself as a senior advocate. You are a complex and clearly intelligent man … you have a grandiose sense of self-importance. You have exhibited no remorse and you have no appreciation that you did anything wrong."

During the trial at Bristol crown court, it emerged that Evans, 57, from Penarth, south Wales, had previously impersonated a clinical psychologist and had eight consultations with four patients. He was jailed for that deception and met Moss in Dartmoor prison in Devon.

Later, when Moss was brought before Plymouth crown court for a proceeds of crime application while serving a sentence for growing £68,000 of cannabis at his Cornish home, Evans appeared to represent him.

Evans told the court he was a "senior advocate" at a London law firm, but the judge, Stephen Wildblood, became suspicious after he made a series of legal blunders. Wildblood told the Bristol court that Evans's appearance struck him immediately as curious. He noticed that Evans appeared to be wearing a solicitor's gown but a barrister's wig.

He said: "Although there may be circumstances in which a solicitor may wear a wig, it struck me immediately as strange. I was surprised to see the confusion of court attire."

The judge became more concerned having read written submissions from Evans.

"Some of these manifestations were wrong, completely wrong, in an elementary way that worried me," he said. "There were three really fundamental and simple points he was trying to advocate that were hopeless."

Evans was arrested and charged with "carrying out reserved legal activities when not entitled to" and "wilfully pretending to be a person with the right of audience". He had denied both charges, but the jury at Bristol took 30 minutes to convict him.

In mitigation, Huw Evans said that Moss, having sacked two separate legal teams, was "desperate" for someone to represent him and Evans was simply trying to help a friend. But the court heard that Moss had agreed to pay Evans £1,000 a month plus expenses to represent him. Moss's relatives bought Evans a solicitor's gown, barrister's wig and legal books,