The Aporia · Barrister is fined £7,000 for dialling into hearing from noisy train while overseas

Barrister is fined £7,000 for dialling into hearing from noisy train while overseas

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Qurashi, N. (2026, September 30). Barrister is fined £7,000 for dialling into hearing from noisy train while overseas. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16173713/barrister-fined-7-000-dialling-hearing-noisy-train-overseas.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Michael Engelhardt-Sprack, a barrister at Garden Court Chambers in London, was fined £7,000 for conducting a hearing remotely from a noisy train in Germany while representing Shannon Burns, who had been fired after falling asleep drunk in a sauna. Despite initial permission to appear via video link due to his permanent residence in Germany, Engelhardt-Sprack faced criticism when background noise and poor internet connection disrupted the proceedings. The tribunal judge ordered him to pay £6,767.44 in wasted costs as one day of the hearing had to be abandoned.

Written by AI on 2026-09-30, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Michael Engelhardt-Sprack, an employment and housing law specialist at Garden Court Chambers in London, was fined £7,000 for attending a hearing remotely from a noisy train in Germany. Despite initially being allowed to participate virtually due to his permanent residence there with his family, he faced issues connecting during the actual hearing, causing delays. The case involved Shannon Burns, a technology executive fired after sleeping in a sauna while intoxicated. Although Ms Burns won her initial discrimination case against her former employer, she is now pursuing damages of £76 million from OpenAI, the current owner of her former company and developer of ChatGPT. The hearing for these damages claims will proceed on another date.

Written for “Barrister Fined For Noisy Train Hearing” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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14%

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takes no side on a contested political question

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68/100

Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Crime & Law

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articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Noor Qurashi

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All 56 articles by Noor Qurashi →

Claims (14 extracted, 2 hedged)

A barrister has been fined £7,000 after he dialled in remotely to a hearing from a train in Germany. asserted

he → fin → Germany

Michael Engelhardt-Sprack appeared via video link while representing Shannon Burns, a technology executive who was fired from her job for sleeping in a sauna after becoming intoxicated. Mr Engelhardt-Sprack, an employment and housing law specialist at Garden Court Chambers in London, told the tribunal that despite practising in the UK he lived permanently in Germany with his family. asserted

he → appear → family

A wasted costs hearing was told a tribunal judge had allowed Mr Engelhardt-Sprack to appear at the first day of the hearing last year remotely. asserted

Sprack → waste → hearing

Despite this Ms Burns won her case after a tribunal found her male colleagues were also drunk the same night she fell asleep in a sauna. asserted

she → win → sauna

She has now claimed damages of £76million against the company, which is now owned by OpenAI – the developer of ChatGPT. asserted

which → claim → ChatGPT

Ms Burns' attempt to win damages will continue at a hearing on a later date. asserted

attempt → win → date

The case was initially postponed for 20 minutes before Mr Engelhardt-Sprack was able to dial in wearing headphones while travelling on a train in Germany. asserted

Sprack → postpone → Germany

Michael Engelhardt-Sprack (pictured) appeared via video link while representing Shannon Burns, a technology executive who was fired from her job for sleeping in a sauna while drunk He reportedly assured the tribunal he could conduct the case but the judge ruled it was 'not a suitably quiet environment'. Instead of finding a quiet place, Mr Engelhardt-Sprack took another train. uncertain

Sprack → picture → train

Costs hearing judge Rachel Wedderspoon said 'the background noise of other passengers could be heard' and 'the internet connection was poor and it was difficult to hear the representative above the other noise'. uncertain

it → say → noise

The case was postponed to the next day when Mr Engelhardt-Sprack appeared in-person at the tribunal in Birmingham. asserted

Sprack → postpone → Birmingham

Ms Wedderspoon ruled 'one day of the hearing was aborted and wasted' and Mr Engelhardt-Sprack was ordered to pay £6,767.44 in wasted costs. asserted

Sprack → rule → costs

Mr Engelhardt-Sprack was called to the Bar in 2014, and is described as having 'extensive experience' – with solicitor testimonials describing him as being 'fantastic with clients' and having 'encyclopedic knowledge'. asserted

testimonials → call → knowledge

His case follows Priyank Tanwar being struck off the solicitors' roll after he lied to a county court judge that he was working remotely from London – when in reality he too was in Germany. asserted

he → follow → Germany

Mr Tanwar was banned from the legal profession and told to pay £7,500 in costs. asserted

Tanwar → ban → costs

Barrister is fined £7,000 for dialling into hearing from noisy train while overseas

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Claims (14 extracted, 2 hedged)