PLYMOUTH SOLICITOR engaged in misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and abusive Twitter/X rant
CHARLES KNAPPER (67) of Devon law firm Curtis Whiteford Crocker abused former professional opponent STEPHANIE HAYDEN on the Twitter/X platform over many months describing Hayden as a ‘pervert’, ‘Ugly Bit*h’ ‘b*m bandit’, and speculating that she had transitioned so she could imagine having her own ‘c*nt’
KNAPPER also described well known transgender former news reader INDIA WILLOUGHBY as ‘Himdia Willyboy’
Solicitor Charles Edward Swatman Knapper of the law firm Curtis Whiteford Crocker (a trading name of Curtis Law LLP) targeted lawyer and transgender woman Stephanie Hayden (50) with months of abuse on the Twitter/X platform. Knapper operated a so called ‘anonymous’ Twitter/X account in which he described himself as ‘Married, loads of kids & dogs. Solicitor and was an RN submariner, see my photo. I add my voice to the women being oppressed by men. I don’t like antisemitism.’ Judicial Cat is NOT identifying Knapper’s Twitter/X handle.
The biographical information stated on the Twitter/X profile page corresponds with Knapper’s LinkedIn profile in which Knapper states he had spent ‘12 years in the Royal Navy’ and had ‘served on nuclear submarines.’
In mid-August of 2023, Ms Hayden became aware of abusive posts by Knapper on his Twitter/X profile claiming to know Ms Hayden and referencing her by her former pre-transition birth name; however, Knapper made a major mistake when he posted information that only Knapper himself would have been aware of. This is because Knapper had crossed Hayden’s path professionally almost a decade earlier in 2014.
During 2014, Hayden had provided legal advice to a client who was engaged in litigation with Knapper and his then law firm Fursdon Knapper. This led to a hearing in Torquay during which Knapper had become physical with Hayden, abusing her verbally, shocking Hayden and scaring the client. Knapper’s abuse was witnessed by court staff and members of the public. Knapper then made a series of professional allegations against Hayden resulting in an investigation by a local circuit judge. No further action was taken against Hayden or Knapper. In 2022, Fursdon Knapper was incorporated into the law firm Curtis Law LLP and the combined firm now trades as Curtis Whiteford Crocker. Knapper is now a senior consultant at the firm and a non-member partner.
Knapper’s abuse of Hayden was arguably misogynistic, transphobic, and to some extent homophobic. On 22 August 2023, Knapper described Hayden as ‘Stephanie Ugly Bit*ch Hayden’ and went on to describe the well known transgender former newsreader India Willoughby as ‘Himdia Willyboy’. Ms Willoughby is a transgender woman in the public eye who has posted on her Twitter/X account on many occasions about the daily online abuse that she experiences.
Knapper even opined on the reasons for Hayden’s transition. Just a week later on 29 August 2023, Knapper ranted, ‘He was such a cu*t as a bloke he decided to become a woman so he could pretend to have one. He is also useless as a lawyer. Hasn’t got a lot going for him really.’ Another Twitter/X account suggests that ‘Charles’ should mind his ‘language’. Indeed, Knapper was having a busy evening on 29 August 2023, as he continued to rant, accusing Hayden of posting a ‘pervert advert’ and of being a ‘bum band*t’, whilst responding to another account posting private digital images of Hayden.
Knapper’s abuse of Hayden continued for many months and included Knapper casting aspersions on Hayden’s legal qualifications, which included inferring that Hayden had misled the public by stating that it was ‘Strange that he hasn’t published the university he got his LLB from.’ Ms Hayden’s Bachelor of Laws degree was awarded by the University of London. Knapper’s similar degree was awarded by the University of Exeter. Knapper earned the same classification of degree as Ms Hayden.
Throughout the months of online abuse Knapper deliberately and maliciously misgendered Ms Hayden by using male pronouns to reference her. At all times, Knapper’s Twitter/X account publicly identified the operator as being a ‘Solicitor’. On 25 November 2019, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”) published a warning notice about offensive communications. The SRA cited some examples of the kind of conduct that they had in mind, which included, ‘Making offensive or pejorative comments relating to another person’s race, sexual orientation or religion’ as well as ‘Referring to women in derogatory terms and making sexually explicit comments.’ Arguably, Knapper’s online abuse of Ms Hayden breaches the SRA warning notice. Ms Hayden holds a Gender Recognition Certificate and is considered by the law to be a woman for all purposes. The SRA, as an emanation of the state, would be bound to recognise Ms Hayden as being female. The SRA left solicitors in no doubt as to the potential for professional consequences if their warning notice was not adhered to. The SRA warned, ‘If an issues arises, failure to have proper regard to this warning notice is likely to lead to disciplinary action.’
Knapper’s unfortunate history with the regulator and the judiciary
Knapper is no stranger to controversy and has been dogged by professional complaints and adverse judicial comment since he was admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1997. According to the Law Society Gazette Knapper first came to the attention of regulators almost 20 years ago after a 1999 High Court judgment found Knapper ‘to have been dishonest on several points in an action involving a former business partner. The judgment was set aside in its entirety in May 2005 and the SDT [Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal] recorded that Mr Knapper had shown he was not dishonest.’
According to Legal Futures, Knapper in 2013 was found by HHJ Cotter QC (as then was) to have ‘developed a settled intention [in respect of disclosure] to prevent what he must have considered potentially helpful documentation’ coming into the hands of opponents. Mr Justice Baker in a 2016 judgment found that Knapper’s behaviour ‘left a lot to be desired in certain respects’ but that Knapper had not committed fraud. Despite the finding, in 2017, HHJ Cotter QC refused to change his 2013 decision about Knapper. The SRA subsequently prosecuted Knapper in the SDT. Knapper was cleared but the SDT found that Knapper had a case to answer and refused Knapper his legal costs.
Knapper has brought the legal profession into disrepute
It is reasonable to conclude that Knapper has brought the legal profession into disrepute. Charles Knapper had publicly identified himself as a solicitor on his Twitter/X account. His attempts to preserve his anonymity failed spectacularly and Knapper has now been exposed as a Twitter/X troll routinely engaging in the vile abuse of members of the LGBTQ+ community. The public are entitled to have trust and confidence in the legal profession. A person who identifies publicly as a solicitor but then uses words such as ‘bum band*t’, describes a former professional opponent as an ‘Ugly Bit*h’, and routinely misgenders transgender persons in public can hardly be held up as an example of trust and integrity. As for the law firm Curtis Whiteford Crocker, how can a member of the public (especially a member of the LGBTQ+ community) have any confidence that they will be treated with respect and without discrimination when one of their own senior consultants and non-member partners is content to throw around misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic abuse in public.
Enough is enough, it is time for the SRA to act against Charles Knapper and for Curtis Whiteford Crocker to show Knapper the door. The public interest demands it.
Judicial Cat invited Charles Knapper and Curtis Whiteford Crocker to comment on this article.
THREAT OF INJUNCTION
Anthony Dyke (Senior Partner) of Curtis Whiteford Crocker emailed Stephanie Hayden at 13:19 on 19 February 2024. Mr Dyke denied that Charles Knapper’s Twitter/X posts were homophobic, transphobic, or misogynistic and that Knapper’s posts commented on Knapper’s previous dealings with Ms Hayden. Mr Dyke threatened to apply to the court to restrain publication of this article and to seek ‘damages and costs.’
Ms Hayden informed Mr Dyke that she would defend any application for an injunction but agreed to delay publication of this article until at least 16:30 on 20 February 2024 to give Charles Knapper and Curtis Whiteford Crocker an opportunity to clarify the causes of action to be relied upon and to suggest a timetable for the proposed injunction application. No further contact was received by Ms Hayden prior to the deadline. As such, this article has now been published and should legal proceedings be served, Ms Hayden will defend them.
EDITORIAL NOTE
The above article was written by Stephanie Hayden on an occasion of qualified privilege. Charles Knapper has repeatedly and publicly attacked Ms Hayden over many months via the medium of his Twitter/X account. As such, Ms Hayden is exercising her right to reply to that attack. Additionally, as Charles Knapper has publicly identified as a solicitor on his Twitter/X profile, it is in the public interest that a solicitor (being an officer of the court) who employs such misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic language, is publicly challenged about their conduct. Mr Knapper and the law firm Curtis Whiteford Crocker were offered an opportunity to respond to the allegations in this article.
